Strategies to hire a business coach

Have you ever considered hiring a business coach? If not, it could be interesting to have a look at the reasons why entrepreneurs hire a coach. It makes sense that as a businessperson, you like to do things in your own way. But it doesn’t mean that you have to do it alone, as sometimes this is not always the best idea. There comes a time when you need an expert opinion to ensure that you and your business reach their full potential. And that’s when hiring a coach becomes a smart move.

Before hiring a business coach, we need to be sure that his/ her skills match your goals. A wise question at this point would be: do you know what your goals are? Considering that your honest answer is … yes, of course I do … so, great, let’s move forward. If you’re not sure about that chances are that you need to take a step back and set your own goals first.

Typically, the reasons why business owners hire coaches are divided in two main categories: (1) to get their advice on improving sales and implementing marketing strategies; (2) to use their abilities assisting entrepreneurs in creating changes in their businesses, overcoming obstacles, giving their unique outside perspective on the problems, and finally helping owners to get fresh ideas leading to the growth of the organization. In the real world the reasons are a combination of these two sets.

Digging deeper on the reasons for hiring a coach, here are some aspects for you to consider in order to hire a professional with the right set of skills, someone who will assist you and your business to progress:

1. Sometimes we get stuck and we feel that we need to find motivation– those are definitely areas where a good coach can be of help. As a business owner, you can get trapped in our own way a lot and spend too much time in your head. So, you need someone to pull you out of the ‘fog’.

Besides, no matter how much self-motivation one might have, every now and then it seems nearly impossible for us to keep going. That outside push from a coach is what you need to get moving and get going.

1. You need to increase profit (and who doesn’t?) – if your business is facing a downturn, or you’re looking for ways to increase profits, hiring a coach could serve you particularly well. Sometimes we are too close to our businesses to see things objectively and a third party can help us to see more clearly what needs to be done. A coach can draw upon their experience and training to suggest options you may not have thought of. He/ she is a great person to brainstorm with about your business.

1. Control your ideas – the entrepreneurial mind is a beautiful thing, but it comes with its fair share of challenges. One of them being the fact that we have so many ideas, we don’t know where to start. On the flip side, you might be sticking to an idea or direction a lot longer than you should. Having a coach on your side can help you gain a fresh perspective so you can better manage your ideas. They will also allow you to change directions when it comes the time to move on.

1. Establish audacious, but realistic goals – it’s not difficult to set goals and create dreams. For sure you already have multiple ideas for your business listed out right now. But will you ever accomplish them? A good coach will work with you to make them come true. As they challenge you to try new things, they will also strongly encourage you to think bigger, jump higher and really go for what you want.

Audacious goals are the ones that scare us, but for an experienced coach they know it’s closer within reach than you realize. Then, once you reach those once ‘impossible goals’ you’ll feel invincible and your confidence will go through the roof!

1. To receive guidance– a business coach will challenge your thinking, goals and willingness to grow. As somebody who has “been there, done that,” a coach also acts as a role model because of the experience that he/ she has. In addition, a coach has unique insight that broadens your business awareness. With all the bits and pieces of the corporate world, sometimes one loses the focus a moment. At these times, what do we need? Directions. We need guidance for how to get from where we are to where we want to be, and once we get them, we are good to go.

Keep in mind that the key metric for success from coaching isn’t so much the cool technical tools you learn, since they will be obsolete in a few months only. From a coaching perspective, what really matters are the mental tools that you will learn that help you navigate toward success.

1. You need assistance building your team– a business coach can help you to define not only your ideal clients but also your ideal employees. Not only that, a coach can help you improve your leadership and communication skills and create a stronger team.

Running a business alone is a tough thing, and one might say nearly impossible to do it successfully. You generally need the support of friends, family and colleagues. Using the expertise of a business coach is also a must.

This article is for general, indicative purpose only and should not be considered investment advice. Florida Connexion is not liable for any financial loss, damage, expense or costs arising from your investment decisions based on this article.

At Florida Connexion our multidisciplinary business brokers can assist you in identifying the right business for you and the right buyer for your business.