How Can A Business Coach Help Me?
If you’re feeling stuck, hiring a business coach can be one of the most productive things to do. But if you haven’t worked with a business coach before, it can be hard to take that leap without first knowing how a business coach can help you.
Well I didn’t get to where I am now without spending a lot on my own business coaches (+$50k to date).
As a multi-award-wining business coach and entrepreneur with over 18 years’ experience, I’ve definitely got some thoughts on this, from the perspective of both a coach and a coaches.
In this blog post, I’ll walk through these topics with you:
And, of course, if you’re curious about how I’ve helped clients and the results they’ve achieved working with me — click here.
Ok, so let’s get going!
1 How can a business coach help me?
There are many ways that a business coach can work with a client, and the exact way of working is different for every client. Here are some of the ways a business coach can help you:
Listening to the challenges you’re facing in your business.
Setting goals for you and your business.
Providing a zoomed out, unbiased perspective.
Guidance on problem solving and decision-making.
Asking challenging and strategic questions.
Cheering you on when you make breakthroughs and celebrating your greatest achievements.
Kicking your ass when you need it most.
Providing a supportive ear and constructive advice during difficult times.
A coach won’t give you the answers, but will work through your challenges with you, and enable you to unlock the right approach for your business. How can anyone else know what the best thing is for both you and your business?
The secret of a great coach is helping you unlock those ambitions, desires, and dreams, and making them into a reality.
2 What can I ask a business coach?
You can ask a business coach pretty much anything about your business, or your role within a business. They are there to act as a support for you when and to offer a confidential and unbiased perspective.
However, a coach isn’t there to just give you the answers. Nobody knows your business as well as you do, so they are there to help you arrive at your own conclusions when you’re struggling with clarity, or on what next steps to take.
Here are some questions that I’ve been asked during my time as a coach:
How do I create a strategic growth plan for my business?
I’m working too hard: how do I streamline processes in my business?
How should I expand my team?
I’m experiencing some challenges with a team member/supplier, how do I resolve this?
I’m having a crisis of confidence, how do I get my mindset back on track?
A supplier has let me down and I can’t serve my customers as a result. What should I do?
I’ve fallen out of love with my business: what should I do?
Those are some of the biggest and most commonly-recurring big questions, but you can literally ask your coach anything to do with your business. That’s exactly what they’re there for. If you don’t feel you can ask your coach absolutely anything about the goings-on of your own business, ask yourself why that is. How can a coach fully help you to improve your business if you aren’t fully turning up for yourself and asking yourself (and them) those difficult questions?
3 How do I find the right business coach?
It’s soooo important to be careful when choosing the right business coach for you, so you absolutely must do your research before signing up to a coaching program.
But this doesn’t have to be arduous.
First of all, look for recommendations from within your own network.
If you’re an employee at a large corporation, your HR team may already have a list of preferred suppliers who they can connect you with.
If you’re an entrepreneur or business owner, reach out to your business contacts and friends, and ask them if there is someone they’ve worked with before, who they’d specifically recommend for your business.
Good coaches can be hard to find, so personal recommendations from someone you trust can be worth their weight in gold.
The next place to look is online.
Type in the criteria you’re looking for in a coach, and see what comes up.
Make sure you are looking for a coach who has experience that is relevant to your business, and that they are credible and trustworthy.
If you’re looking for an ecommerce business coach, try searching for someone in that field.
If you’re looking for a generalist, your search criteria can be broader.
If geographical location is important to you and you’re looking for a business coach in your local area, try googling ‘business coach [+ your town or city]. (Coincidentally, if you’re in Boston, take a look at this: Business coach, Boston. Hint: you can probably guess who it is. 😊)
Then, once you’ve identified a coach who you think you might want to work with, you can go through the process of contacting them and ascertaining whether they are really the right coach for you.
Here’s a resource to help you further with that:
4 When should I work with a business coach?
People generally work with business coaches when they’re experiencing a particular challenge.
Here are some examples of when you might want to consider working with a business coach:
You’re starting a new business and you need help to create solid foundations and ensure you have all the right systems in place.
Your business is growing fast and you need help prioritizing and implementing new processes and systems.
Growth of your business has plateaued or declined and you need help getting ‘unstuck’ and back to growth.
You want to develop your leadership skills.
Your business is undergoing a significant change, such as a merger or acquisition.
You want more balance in your business and personal life.
I’ve worked with people going through all of these scenarios, and no two coaching situations are ever the same. Every entrepreneur’s needs are different, and the ideal moment to work with a coach will be different. Only you can really know if it’s the right one for you.
5 What questions to ask a business coach?
As I’ve previously mentioned, you really need to carry out proper due diligence when hiring a coach.
Once you actually connect with a coach, they will expect you to have some questions for them, and a coach who is a good match for you won’t have any problems responding to these.
Here are some examples of questions I’ve been asked by potential coaching clients:
What coaching qualifications and experience do you have?
What business experience do you have that is relevant to my business? Have you worked with similar businesses to mine before?
How do you handle confidentiality and sensitive information?
How can you help me?
What are your expectations of me, as a client? And what should I expect from you as a coach?
What is your process for starting work with a new client?
What is your fee structure and do you offer any payment plans?
Can you offer testimonials from any of your previous clients?
I’ve written extensively on the kind of questions you should ask a business coach, and how to ensure you make an informed decision when choosing a coach. Check out this article for lots of supplemental advice and information.