As a coach, consultant, freelancer or solopreneur, running your business can sometimes feel lonely, and this is because all of the decisions lie with you.
It can be hard knowing how to gain traction and progress when you’re always in your own head, with no one to work through all the craziness to establish a strategy to get you on the right track toward your goals.
Regardless of the size or stage of business you are in, anyone can benefit from the helping hand of a coach. Put it this way, you wouldn’t cut your hair by yourself… so why would you build your business by yourself?
Research has shown that those who have sought the services of a business coach have seen their performance increase by 70% and 86% have seen a return on their investment, while 99% were happy that they made the decision
But what does a business coach really do? And why should you get one?
Who is a business coach?
Business coaches are people who use their skills and expertise to help other business owners attain their goals. Sure, the internet has plenty of advice and information on how to begin and/or scale your business but the thing is that most of the information is generic and never tailored to your unique business needs.
Business coaches are valuable because they provide personalised and custom advice suited to your individual stage of business, goals and industry.
So, if you want to consider the services of a business coach, here are a few reasons why it’s a worthwhile investment.
Help you Leave the Comfort Zone
If you are used to doing business in a certain way, it may prove challenging to make a sudden shift, especially if you aren’t sure whether or not it’s going to work.
A business coach can act as a sounding board for your ideas and will challenge your approach to marketing, operations, thinking, and willingness to grow. As they push you to try new things, they’ll be there to help you weigh the risks and rewards of the unique challenges you are about to take.
You Learn to Stay Accountable
A business coach’s primary task is to help you stay focused on what you wish to achieve and remind you why it’s worth it. They will ensure that you remain true to your commitments by regularly reminding you of your personal and business blind spots.
Coaches will also be there to track your goals and they do this by creating performance metrics geared towards achieving them along with a relevant action plan.
Coaches are also great at measuring progress that business owners may fail to record if they did it on their own. The advantage of transparency in measuring progress is that it makes whoever is in charge of attaining them accountable.
Optimise Your Operations
With the growth of your business comes greater complexity, auditing your systems and processes regularly is a vital part of ensuring your are not wasting time working IN your business instead of ON it. This comes down to laying out exactly how you are generating leads, making sales & managing your day to day operations.
A business coach comes with a fresh set of eyes, which helps to spot your blind spots and inefficiency, which can save you time and money.
Gain a Different Perspective
Sometimes business owners need to gain clarity on the different aspects that can either help them level up or attain a breakthrough.
Good coaches will ask candid questions that challenge you to think creatively and critically. Business coaches are the type of people who can clear the conflicting ideas from your mind so that you can view your vision clearly.
That means taking the time to work through all the craziness in your head!
Build Actionable Plans With Ease
Once a business owner clarifies where they want to take their business, a coach can help in planning and prioritizing the marketing strategies and goals required to propel them closer to them.
Most business coaches will ensure that they schedule weekly or monthly meetings with business owners. Such meetings are designed to keep business owners committed to the promises they made in the previous sessions.
It makes sense to engage someone who can not only advise you on the steps you need to take, but also but also support you in putting them into action.
Help frame your business the right way
How you frame your business is a crucial component in selling, and this is one of the aspects many businesses don’t understand. In today’s digital age, a website and social media pages are the face of a business. This is where customers go to seek information about what a business is about, and this is a perfect opportunity for framing.
A business coach that specialises in marketing like Shannon Bain Digital can help businesses understand that it’s not just the aesthetics that matters but also how they approach the strategic implementation of content creation, lead magnets, sales funnel, and most importantly your customer journey.
Start-Ups Can Have a Great Start
If you have just launched your startup business and looking to turn your ideas into a more practical, goal-oriented plan, you’ll need more than just passion.
Some of the key considerations include realistic, goal-oriented plans and marketing strategies. By involving a business coach when you’re just starting your business, they can bring useful tools and resources that can help you save a huge amount of time & frustration.
Whenever you feel like you’re overwhelmed, they will be there to help you worry less about the shortcomings and focus on getting your issues solved.
Increase Motivation & Resilience
The work of a business coach may be to help people build successful businesses, but they also understand that the human aspect behind any business, and the truth is it can be lonely and hard to navigate in some circumstances.
Having someone you can count on for support, to ask those nagging questions and that can give you the confidence to push forward can be the difference between throwing in the towel and taking huge leaps toward success.
In Summary
Understand that there is no definite approach to hiring a business coach. If you find yourself struggling to manage or grow your business and believe that you should get an expert opinion, you may find it helpful seeking the services of a business coach. It’s worth mentioning that every business owner is different, and this also applies to everyone’s progression in owning a business.
The bottom line is, you get the most from a coach if you put effort into your relationship. Remember that you still have to run your business, and you are responsible for what happens.