How A Business Coach Can Help You

As an entrepreneur, you started off as a specialist: You had a great idea for a business, and you launched. As a newfound business owner, you’re now stuck with the job of the generalist. This can work for a while, but you’ll soon realize that you don’t have time to stay on top of all the things you need to do, or challenges too complex for your experience. You can continue to hack it, or you can get some help.

1. Strategy and planning

A coach will challenge you to think differently, stretching your goals. Sure, you have lofty expectations for your business, but to rebound your strategy off someone who’s walked this road before — pointing out pitfalls, areas you need to strengthen — this is invaluable. Someone with a unique, but proven, wherewithal for strategy will push you harder while also keeping your approach on course.

2. Technology

Technology is playing an ever-increasing role in small business, and it can be tough to keep up. Tech helps small businesses gain a competitive advantage by communicating better with their employees, customers and prospects; saving time and improving efficiency by automating their processes; and improving business performance through the use of business analytics. Coaches have the skills needed to successfully deploy new technology, manage integrations, and consult on the best options for your unique situation.

3. Management

Coaches and mentors help improve your management and leadership skills. As your business grows, your role will evolve into a greater and greater management capacity. Coaches will help you navigate difficult business problems and decisions, and will help set a foundation early on to be able to handle some of the big, inevitable, management storms that lie ahead.

4. Marketing advice

Especially in the early stages of a small business, the entire marketing strategy and effort falls on the shoulders of the business owner. Coaches can help you see what you’re not seeing. A seasoned business coach who has experience with branding, marketing strategy, and tactics can lift your sales numbers and keep you from spinning your wheels on what doesn’t work.

5. Grow the business

It doesn’t matter so much where you are now, as long as you’re clear on where you’re headed. A coach will help you address the areas of your business that need nurturing to ensure you stay on track to healthy growth. Perhaps the most important factor to staying on track is having someone to be accountable to. It’s easy to let yourself off the hook. A coach can serve as an accountability partner, helping you push through the challenges to meet your goal.