What is Business Coaching and What are the Benefits
First things first, it’s important to understand what a business coach is and what they do to support your journey! A business coach simply helps to clarify your vision and identify your values and purpose. Most coaches specialize in an area of expertise where they have gotten themselves and/or others results using a specific method. Most often, a business coach can analyze the potential of your business plan and help you to plan, execute, and sustain your projects in a successful way. But first, you need to determine where you need the most help and guidance, which coaching model is right for you, and then you can explore how you can automate certain aspects of your project. (Y’all know I love automation.)
Whenever someone asks me about whether they should hire a business coach or not, I always ask them, “What is the desired end result you’d like to achieve?” Coaching focuses on the future, develops individual performance in business aspects, and guides you to discover your own path. Apart from consulting and mindset work, business coaching also consists of guidance and preparation for task management and helps to create a vision for your purpose. From a marketing perspective, a great coach also helps with the success of your business in terms of your interpersonal skills.
Your business coach will likely be there to ask you questions and lead you to answers that will bring out valuable insights, offer advice designed to help you gain a valuable perspective, and provide accountability for your goals as a business and as a leader. After some time, a good business coach will expect you to take what you’ve learned and put it to work individually—so that you can work on your business from your own perspective and increase your individual performance and self-confidence. In order to grow professionally, self-awareness and a clear mindset are a must when working with a professional coach, on top of your own intuition.
What Makes a Good Business Coach?
- Helps to establish business vision and goals
- Works with your strengths
- Manages against weakness
- Maps out an action plan to success
- Helps you engage better with your team
- Provides accountability
- Provides empowerment and independence
- Increases revenue and productivity
- Helps you become a more effective leader
- Helps you allocate resources to have the highest return
- Helps you thrive in hard times
When seeking out a coach, I always tell people to avoid the marketing messages and look at what the coach is doing, their lifestyle, and their values. If they are in alignment with yours, it’s likely an indicator that they will be a good fit. Clicking with your coach, their coaching style, and their personality is super important. Make sure you look at their professional background, certifications, leadership style, and past results they’ve gotten clients. After the pandemic, it’s become even more important to create authentic and supportive business relationships, including with coaches. It’s okay to click with a coach who you like personally as well as vibing with professionally, they are joining your board of directions, per se!
A great, successful business coach also needs to have superpowers, or tools and natural talents they can use to support you. The goal in working with someone who is on the path ahead of you is that it can save you time, energy, and missteps. You want to seek out a coach who excels in areas you need to learn or currently struggle with. We all have our own go-to gadgets, software, and tools when it comes to starting or scaling a business, but getting advice and guidance from someone who gets it and is further along in business can be so valuable. One tool that has been extremely helpful to business owners is Clubhouse! Click here to learn more how to’s of social media tools like Instagram, Pinterest, podcasts, email and content marketing, live platforms, and even editing tools to rock in your business!
What Do You Expect From Business Coaching?
If overnight success is on your wishlist, business coaching will not be the solution for you (in fact, nothing will!) Get super clear on what you want your desired end result to be and clearly communicate that with a coach. The truth is, online business coaching has improved rapidly after 2020 and virtual coaching is even more accessible in the post-COVID world. There are different qualifications and expectations from online business coaching now and many are adapting to the ability to learn and lead from home.
Business coaching services may be the key to helping you scale your business and meet your goals. If you’re in a spot in your business where you are ready to scale or grow, where you have laid the foundation but you need to know the next steps, it’s likely time for you to hire a coach. A business coach will help you determine what to focus on for better efficiency, mental clarity, and doing your best work. They’ll help you reach for new opportunities and help you make tangible, measurable progress, all while holding you accountable to the actions you commit to taking.
Sha’Cannon of Sha’ Cannon Business Solutions explains for Awarenow, “The trend I think will impact coaches the most in 2021 is a shift toward more hands-on critique and/or implementation rather than the sharing of theory, as more and more people report ‘coach hurt‘ or not having gotten value from coaches to whom they have paid thousands of dollars.”
The last thing you want is to hire the wrong coach or find yourself in a masterclass for a topic you’re already savvy in without having the opportunity to ask the questions that are specific to where you find yourself. While theory, blueprints, and roadmaps might be a starting place for your learning and growth in the form of free education or online courses, business coaching takes it a step further helping you to understand the best business practices, marketing strategies, implementation techniques, and more specific to your business and goals.
This can make life so much easier and if you choose a business coach who has a community, it can help expand your network! If you’re struggling to keep up with the trends or what’s new in the marketing world, a good coach will help you stay updated and focus on changing trends in the business world, especially in a shaky economy and uncertain times. If you’re just starting a business, it’s helpful to know the next best steps to take and to have a clear strategy that a business coach can help you map out.
Did you know these renowned entrepreneurs had business coaches?
I hired my first coach years ago and it changed my entire business model and allowed me to shift my brand from wedding photography to what you see today. Over the years I’ve taken on many mentors and coaches both formally and informally. The world’s most successful business owners and entrepreneurs have hired an executive business coaching service at some point to help them reach the next level.
The former CEO of Google, Eric Schmidt, told Fortune Magazine that everyone needs a coach and that hiring a business coach is necessary when you need rapid growth. Bill Gates and Steve Jobs also had business coaching services. There are certain times when you feel like you’re stuck or unsure of what’s next and you’re in a position to invest money in order to save yourself time and that’s likely a great indicator that you are ready to hire a coach to guide it.
The fact that so many talented entrepreneurs credit coaching to their success shows that if you look to great leaders for leadership skills, it helps you to become your best self and an even better business owner.
Can business coaches help me grow my business?
Absolutely! If you choose the right business coach who is aligned with your values and goals and who excels in the areas you’re looking to expand, a coach can absolutely help you grow your business. Business coaches can help you plan strategies to grow your business, help you become a more effective leader, and even increase your revenue. If you’re dedicated to the process, ready to invest your time and energy, and trust your coach, you’ll likely see a return. Coaches also help make you more productive and efficient and help you achieve your growth goals by handing over their own blueprints, methodologies, or proven strategies.
Why should you hire a business coach?
Whether your business is facing challenges or you just want to reach a new level, a business coach can support your goals and help you define a clear strategy. A great business coach will become a mentor who helps you with your challenges and reach your full potential, basically becoming a leadership development agent for you. Business coaching can help you reach your best potential and make the most of your time and business tools.
If you want more support in scaling your business and growing as a leader, GrowthDay will help you learn more about online business coaching and training.
