This page answers some of the most common questions we receive from business leaders who are looking to improve performance, overcome growth challenges, and unlock their organisation’s full potential.
If your question is not covered, please get in touch. We are always happy to support mid-market businesses that are ready to grow.
About Leigh Paulden
What is SSBG?
Scalable Sustainable Business Growth (SSBG) is business consulting and advisory firm located in Auckland, New Zealand. We help mid-market business leaders who are struggling to achieve their business goals and know there is a better way to scale. As expert advisors in business growth strategies, we coach mid-market CEOs and leadership teams with a proven framework, an individualised approach, and expert advice to grow and scale with success.
Who is Leigh Paulden
Leigh Paulden is an author and internationally certified business growth consultant with over 30 years of experience across 30+ different industries. He has an extraordinary knowledge base of globally proven frameworks, effective tools, and actionable strategies helping growth-focused businesses achieve their potential.
What are Leigh’s Credentials?
For over 40 years, Leigh Paulden has honed his business skills, expanded his knowledge base, and built his capability. Having undergone rigorous international training, Leigh is the only senior certified Gravitas Impact business consultant in New Zealand. He is also one of only 6 Outthinker Growth Strategists in Australasia. As a result, he is the leading provider of mid-market advisory and coaching services in New Zealand. Throughout his career, Leigh has held several director positions and currently holds positions on several Advisory Boards.
What is your experience and expertise in the business industry?
SSBG director and business growth consultant, Leigh Paulden, has over 30 years of experience across 30+ different industries. He has worked with over 300 companies during his career, and sixty percent of his clients operate in the global market. He works side-by-side with New Zealand’s top mid-market firms, including several Deloitte Fast 50, ExportNZ, and Westpac Business award winners.
What industries has Leigh worked in?
Leigh Paulden, Business Coach & Advisor, has experience across 30+ industries including manufacturing, distribution, retail, tech, and professional services. Our frameworks work for both B2B and B2C, so strategies are tailored to your market and business model
Industries he has worked in include:
- Technology
- Manufacturing
- Food Processing
- Construction
- Professional Services
- Agriculture
- Import Distribution
- Wholesale
- Finance and Insurance.
About Our Services
What does a business growth advisor do?
A business growth advisor provides the expert knowledge and advice leaders need to overcome challenges and drive sustainable growth. At SSBG, we bring strategic insight and experience, working with you to strengthen leadership, grow leadership capability, align your team, improve culture, improve systems, and deliver long-term results.
What type of organisations do you work with?
With a successful track record of business consulting with New Zealand’s top firms, Scalable Sustainable Business Growth (SSBG) is passionate about helping mid-market business leaders realise their vision, build enduring companies, and grow for a strategic exit.
We deeply understand the critical issues faced by mid-market businesses across various industries, whether they are in the midst of growth or seeking to expand. These challenges often include pressures on the leadership team, cash flow, capability, business strategy, systems, accountability, and company culture.
How does the coaching work?
SSBG’s coaching and advisory process is highly personalised and considers the individual objectives and needs of our clients. A typical engagement begins with a senior leadership team workshop. Here we undergo a rigorous review process designed to clarify your overall vison and strategic direction.
We work to have your company’s long-term, medium-term and short-term strategy in place so you can start executing immediately. We then meet monthly, quarterly, and yearly to discuss business strategy and business execution to ensure you and your team are aligned, accountable and achieving results.
Is there a minimum commitment period for coaching or advisory engagements?
We’re here to make a lasting difference, and that doesn’t happen overnight. Our minimum engagement is for a period of 12 months.
We extend two unconditional guarantees to clients:
- If you are not fully satisfied with your results, you can pay the amount of the invoice that you feel you have received as value to your company.
- At the end of 90 days, you can opt out of our Agreement if not fully satisfied with your results (otherwise we are agreeing to an annual relationship Agreement together).
Is there a minimum commitment period for coaching or advisory engagements?
It all starts with a conversation. We offer free, no-obligation meetings to understand your business and what you want to achieve.
From there, we’ll suggest a tailored approach that fits your goals and timeline. You can reach out through our website or contact our team directly.
About Our Methodology
What is Gravitas Impact?
Gravitas Impact is a world-leading executive education platform that helps mid-market companies scale and succeed. Gravitas Impact Consultants and Coaches undergo rigorous annual training for their certification and are recognised as the most experienced and effective mid-market business growth consultants in the world.
Leigh is the only Senior Certified Gravitas Impact Business Consultant in New Zealand. His services are in demand by companies serious about gaining national and global market share.
What frameworks or tools do you use to guide your clients?
Leigh Paulden is New Zealand’s only Senior Certified Gravitas Impact Business Coach and one of just six Outthinker Growth Strategists in Australasia. He uses the 7 Attributes of Agile Growth, along with proven global tools and diagnostics, to build tailored growth strategies. This mix of world-class thinking and practical advice helps deliver real, lasting results.
What are the 7 Attributes of Agile Growth?
The 7 Attributes of Agile Growth is a proven framework for growing mid-sized businesses. It focuses on seven core areas: Leadership, Strategy, Talent, Execution, Customer, Profit, and Systems.
Strengthening each one helps your business become more scalable, resilient, and set up for long-term growth and value.
Is the Agile Growth framework suitable for both B2B and B2C businesses?
Yes. The framework works for any industry, whether you’re B2B or B2C. While the details may differ, the core principles apply to any business aiming for sustainable growth.
Is this framework recognised outside of New Zealand?
Yes. The 7 Attributes of Agile Growth is a globally recognised method used by business coaches and business advisors worldwide. It’s based on best practices for mid-sized businesses and has been successfully applied by 20,000 companies across many countries and industries.
About Our Results
How can business coaching help me and my business?
Mid-market businesses working with SSBG typically experience 2x or greater cash-flow, 3x industry profitability, and significant revenue growth. In fact, several our customers have appeared on the Deloitte Fast 50 list.
You can learn more about how we help high-growth firms achieve their vision on our Problems We Solve page.
Can you provide references or testimonials from previous clients?
Take a look at some of the business consulting clients we’ve helped achieve scalable, sustainable business growth. Read our latest case studies or look at our testimonials. You can also view some of our consulting clients.
How can working with SSBG help my company grow?
Our clients often gain clearer strategy, stronger leadership, more aligned teams, strong execution, better systems to support growth, and improved bottom line profit. Whether you want to scale smoothly, cut through the chaos, or build a business that can run without you, our support delivers real, lasting results.
Learn more about the outcomes we achieve.
What results can I expect from working with a business growth advisor?
Clients working with us often achieve:
- stronger financial performance
- clear growth strategy
- scalable systems
- greater leadership alignment
- strong healthy culture
- strong execution disciplines
- more accountable teams
- time back for the leadership team to be strategic and execute on the projects that will drive revenue growth
- improved profitability
- release the leader from operations.
Many see double their industry profitability, and accelerated revenue growth.
Do you offer any additional resources or support beyond consulting sessions?
We coach mid-market CEOs and leadership teams with a proven framework, an individualised approach, and expert advice to grow and scale with success. We provide you access to an exclusive collection of practical and internationally proven resources and tools as part of the frameworks. The collection includes reference material from the well-known authors, business consultants and CEOs with proven knowledge and experience in what it takes to lead a company to commercial success and longevity.
