Case Study: Business Mentors

Firmer footing: how BR Flooring found clarity with a Business Mentor

BR Flooring is a Wellington-based commercial flooring specialist built on a simple promise: to turn up when they say they will, on time, every time. Family owned and operated for more than two decades and backed by over 40 years of combined industry experience, the team has become a dependable name on commercial projects across the region; from resilient flooring and carpet tiles to emergency works and office fitouts. But like many family businesses, BR Flooring reached a moment where experience alone wasn't enough to navigate what came next.

A new generation, a shifting market

When the next generation stepped into ownership, they did so during boom times, and then met their first real downturn. Directors Kat Ricketts and Lyall Jellyman found themselves steering the business through a change in ownership structure and a rethink of its future direction, all at once.

Almost every part of the business was in motion. Their approach to training, employment models, commercial debt, client onboarding and retentions were all shifting to meet the market. What Kat and Lyall were looking for wasn't someone to hand them answers, it was an experienced outside perspective.

As Kat puts it: "We were looking for an experienced person to give us an outsider's perspective on our proposed solutions, and the potential unintended impacts that could result from different courses of action."

Where a mentor made the difference

Through the CGF Business Mentors Programme, BR Flooring was matched with a mentor who helped the directors do something that is hard to do from the inside: shift their own perspective. Together they examined issues through both a wider lens and a more detailed one, depending on where the business's weaknesses lay. The conversations that mattered most were the ones that brought balance.

Kat was clear with her objectives. "Our mentor balanced our view on commercial debt, long-term planning, and what we want from business ownership."

For directors carrying the weight of a family business through a downturn, that balance between the day-to-day pressures and the bigger picture of why they are in business at all, proved invaluable.

Clearer direction, more confidence

Ask Kat what has changed, and the answer is about clarity and confidence rather than any single quick fix. Mentoring gave the directors a clearer, more informed direction, and more confidence in informed decision making. For a business working through uncertainty, that shift is significant: decisions that once felt daunting are now made with a steadier hand and a clearer sense of the road ahead.

Looking ahead

BR Flooring is honest about where things stand and hopeful about where they are headed.

Kat’s new focus: "Survival remains top priority, but with a healthy balance of what we want the business to provide to us when we start thriving again."

It is a grounded, optimistic view and one that holds today's realities and tomorrow's ambitions together.

Advice for other business owners

For anyone weighing up whether a mentor is worth it, Kat's advice is refreshingly practical: do the work between sessions.

"Do your homework and thinking in between sessions. Even if it is blocking out the same amount of time halfway between sessions to reflect on how it has impacted your decision making, and bringing that back to the table."

In other words, a mentor opens the door; showing up prepared is how you walk through it.

Could a Business Mentor help your business?

The Business Mentors Programme connects business owners with experienced mentors who offer perspective, balance and a trusted sounding board when it matters most.

Eligible CGF members can be matched with an experienced, independent mentor for up to 12 months, with the $295+GST registration fee fully covered by CGF. Mentoring can be in person or virtual, whichever suits you.

If you own a construction related business with fewer than 20 staff and belong to a CGF member association, register your interest at https://content.businessmentors.org.nz/cgf