So you’re thinking of hiring a business coach...
Congratulations! There are so many advantages to having an outside expert helping you with your business strategy and challenges!
Shave YEARS off your journey to success! Too many people think they can’t afford a business coach, then lose profits in lost time, lost opportunities and costly mistakes. Having someone with the expertise to help you steer your business in the right direction helps you get to your goals much sooner.
Increased peace of mind. We all know that having a small business can be very stressful at times. Most of that stress is caused by second guessing all the hundreds of decisions you need to be making. Should you hire someone? Should you fire someone? Should you invest more money or cut back? A business coach is a trusted advisor with expertise and experience in making these decisions. Having her at your side to check in with and talk through these decisions lets you deal with it, feel confident, act on it and move on.
Gain confidence in yourself and grow personally. When your coach is a good fit, she’ll not only help you grow your business. She’ll help you understand your strengths and build them up. And she’ll help you see the areas where you can develop more leadership, more knowledge or a new way of thinking.
Talking' social media marketing during a Savvy Biz Workshop
So how do you know how to choose the right coach for you?
It really comes down to 2 simple things:
1. Expertise - Does this person have the expertise to give you the results you want? What experience do they have and is it suitable for your kind of business. How many years has this person been coaching? Have they run successful businesses? Do they have knowledge on the range of issues you’ll be facing - hiring, leadership, mindset, creating systems, measuring return on investment, inventory management or whatever it is that you’ll be dealing with as your business grows.
There’s no need to have their experience come from the same industry- although that can be a plus. Certain industries- restaurants, or tech start-ups, for example- have specific issues that someone with that kind of experience can help with.
More often than not, the issues are a little more general. Business is business. It’s all about creating value for people and communicating and providing that value in such a way that you make profit. Often someone from outside of your specific industry can approach your challenges with a totally fresh perspective and help you come up with the new strategies that are going to be game changers.
2. Fit and feel - Just like a friendship, this relationship should have the right feel. After your first consultation with the coach, do you feel uplifted? Validated? Do you feel they “get” you and your vision? Or are you left confused and even less clear? Does their personality match yours?
I’ve hired three coaches and consultants over the years in building my businesses.
Two were amazing and really helped me through some stages of growth.
One, was not a good fit, and looking back I should have known from the beginning. Her communication was vague and full of promises that I didn’t really get in our initial consultation. My gut was saying I wasn’t going to get what I wanted- solid, measurable systems for increased profitability in my business- but I SO wanted to believe!
That was an expensive lesson!
I hope this article has helped you gain clarity on what a business coach can offer and how to choose one. I offer a free 30 minute consultation, so please visit my website (www.laura-jean.ca) and get in touch to book yours to see if I’m the right coach for you!
Laura-Jean Bernhardson has run multiple businesses successfully since 1994. She is currently the owner of Fresh Collective fashion boutiques with 3 locations (one at 401 Roncesvalles Ave.) as well as the co-owner of Rowanwood Daycare in addition to her Business Coaching practice.