Coaching and Your Business

As a small business coach, I work with different types of clients – both individuals and companies. Some individuals work for somebody else but hold the desire to begin their own company, while others have been in business for a few years yet seek to move their business to the next level. A growing pattern in both small and large corporations is the human resources division acknowledging the importance of coaching for personnel, which in turn supports a more powerful bottom line for the company. Before hiring a corporate coach for you, your business and your staff, it would be advantageous to have an understanding or an appreciation of a few simple corporate coaching concepts and techniques. The familiarity of how coaching works and what it can help you achieve will make it simpler and easier for you. These are:

a)  Select the appropriate coaching model
b)  Communicate effectively with your coach
c)  Get maximum returns on your investment (on hiring a coach)

Coaching Objectives
Coaching essentially works on three tiers and in a corporate setting can often meld with the roles of consultancy. The first level or tier is performance, the second is behavior, and the third or outer layer is solution. The following provides a brief description of each layer.

Performance  Your coach will observe as well as study your sales and profit levels, employee productivity, business financials, and your senior management team or leadership team. Depending on your business situation, your coach may end up making suggestions and offering new perspectives to enrich your profitability from its current levels. To make certain the coach stays in a coaching role and does not fall into a consultant's function, it is imperative that your senior management team is on board with the styles of brainstorming for solutions communication that will take place. Performance transitions into reviewing your guidelines of effectiveness to make certain the staff is empowered to be as efficient as possible. Keep in mind, employees can be only as successful as the tools they're given, and your business's guidelines and processes are vital to their success.

Continue reading here.

Revisiting the Seven Habits

It’s been almost a decade since I read the infamous self-help book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven Covey, but it’s such a helpful tool that it came as no real surprise when I recently felt compelled to re-read it. As I did so, I found myself wondering if I had addressed or implemented the particular habit introduced in each new chapter. By the time I finished those chapters, I was delighted to find that I had, in fact, embraced them since my initial reading of the book. Of course, I had also adapted the suggestions or guidelines in the book concerning the habits to tailor them to my own unique needs and experiences. This discovery reminded me that we each determine our own level of success.

Covey encourages readers of his best seller, which has sold 15 million-plus copies in almost 40 languages since its first printing in 1991, to embrace the seven habits he outlines so they can implement them in their own lives to increase their success or effectiveness as well as become more satisfied with their accomplishments at the end of an established time frame...

Continue reading here.

Rounding up the week's focus ...

It's Friday that means the topic of focus is coming to a close and next week we will move onto a new area and topic.

Finding the perfect coach for you and your small business might be easier than you think or is it? David Mason from Resourcenation.com recently posted this article. Enjoy!

How to Find the Right Small Business Coach for You
Written by: David Mason
Source: Resourcenation.com

Small business coaching is hot. A few years ago the only coaches anyone talked about were sports coaches. But today, PriceWaterhouseCoopers estimates that there are 30,000 business and life coaches worldwide.

Thousands of small business owners and managers turn to coaches every day to improve their personal skills and business results. You can, too. But first you have to determine if you're ready for coaching. Then you have to select the right coach.

Are you Ready?

Rosa started her business out of her home. She made money, but not as much as she felt she should. She was frustrated that she couldn't find time for her family. That's when a friend suggested that a small business coach would help.

That's a typical situation. Most small businesses owners don't start out using a coach. They usually come to coaching when they've had some success and when they know they could have more. They usually come to coaching when they're ready to listen and when they need a little knowledge and a little nudge to do the right things.

The best coaching in the world won't help you if you're not ready to be helped. So before you go hunting for a good small business coach, answer the following questions.

- Are you ready to listen to the things you need to hear? A good coach will ask you about things you haven't thought of and push you to think outside the box. That's often scary. A good coach may also tell you to change the way you do some things. That's hard for many small business owners because it means admitting that you've made some bad decisions and choices.

- Are you ready to take a hard look at your business? Even the best coach can't help you if your business can't deliver quality to enough people at the right price. Sometimes a business simply can't succeed because the market is too small or too hard to reach.

- Are you ready to pay the price? Coaching does not come without a price. You will pay a price in both money and time. You may even realize that you need to invest in new things for your business.

Coaching is not a magic bean. You have to work at success every day. I tell my clients that "success is based on persistency and consistency, not magic." You're ready for coaching if you see coaching as an investment in yourself and your success. Your next challenge is to find the right coach for you.

Choosing the Coach for You

Great coaches, like great chefs and great football players, are rare. And, sometimes, even a great coach is not the right coach for you. Here are some ways to evaluate coaches.

1) Look for a coach who's run a small business. Before I started coaching I built two successful small businesses. I've really "been there and done that" so I know what my clients are going through. I also use coaches myself. The ones that work best for me have small business experience. Small businesses are different from big businesses and you need a coach who understands the special challenges.

2) Look for a coach who's been doing it for a while. My job as a coach is to help you know what to do, but it's also to help you do what you know. It takes time to learn to coach well.

3) Look for a coach who won't nickel and dime you to death. It seems to me that there are two kinds of coaches when it comes to billing. There are coaches who charge you by the minute, hour or session. And there are coaches who are always accessible or available for short conversations between sessions, if needed without piling on extra charges. I find the latter works better for my clients.

4) Look for a coach that you're comfortable with. Successful outcomes demand a productive relationship between you and your coach. It won't work if you feel talked down to or belittled or if you feel like your coach doesn't care about you. If you feel any of those things, look for a different coach.

5) Look for a coach who's picky. The best coaches are selective about the kind of clients they work with. We expect a lot of our clients and we limit the number of clients we work with so we can concentrate on helping each one succeed.

After some soul searching and some research Rosa started working with a small business coach. It wasn't always easy, but together they found ways to help Rosa's business grow and help her reap the benefits of success. They took her business and life to a whole new level.

It can happen for you, too. If you're ready, if you're willing to embrace change and if you're willing to pay the price, a small business coach can help you become an amazing success story.

Five Questions to Ask

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone,

I would like to express my gratitude to all those that have supported me over the years and give thanks to my clients for trusting to partner with me in their success.

To continue with the topic of the week - Hiring a Coach and what to consider, ask, know, and expect, here are five questions to consider:

1) Who have you coached and in what industry?
2) What do you charge per coaching session and how long do clients typically work with you?
3) Are you a member of any professional coaching organizations?
4) What is your area of expertise?
5) Can you provide me with references from current and past clients?

These are great beginning questions as posed by Resourcenation.com and they are more geared towards business coaches but they can be applied to just about any type of coach you are seeking support from and to partner with.

Remember conversations and clients list are subject to privacy and therefore you may not get names from your potential coach.

Source: Resourcenation.com

Get the Most from ...

Another good article giving some advice as to how to get the most out of your coach. Remember you do the work in the coach/coachee partnership so you best make the best out of your time together.

How to Get the Most From Your Business Coach
Written by: Editorial Staff of ResourceNation.com
Source: Resource Nation

A business coach can be a valuable asset for your business. A coach can show you how to exploit your strongest characteristics - and really get your business moving in the right direction. But to get there, you're going to need a few tips on how to have the most positive, productive relationship with your business coach.

Be honest! How is your coach supposed to help you if you don't come clean about your problems? Consider all the time you spend talking to your coach as a "safe zone." Unburden yourself of the things that are really concerning you about your business so that your coach can help find solutions.

Know your goals. Face it, your coach is going to need a little more to go on than "I want to be in the Fortune 500!" Streamline your goals - then work with your business coach to craft a plan for attaining them.

Select a business coach with experience relevant to your business. If you run a chicken coop, then a business coach who once built an empire of chicken coops from scratch would be ideal. If a match that specific isn't available, try the next level up (in our example, a coach with farming experience).

Be comfortable with the cost. Concerns about costs can keep a relationship with a business coach from truly soaring. Make sure that you know how much you can spend on sessions with your coach and plan accordingly. Ask your coach about her rates for extra one-on-one time. Nasty billing surprises that arrive in the mail can hamper your future together.

A business coach can provide a fresh set of eyes from which to view your business. A good coach will use his or her expertise to identify opportunities you might have missed, show you how to make more while spending less, and most importantly rediscover the joy that got you to start your own business in the first place!

Find the Right Small Business Coach

This week I am going to share a few articles that I am finding from one source - Resourcenation.com. If you haven't gone and visited their site I highly recommend it. Plus, as a coach myself these articles are focused on this topic specifically. Even during these economic times we all need support and a coach just might be what you are in need of. Enjoy!

How to Find the Right Small Business Coach for You
Written by: David Mason
Source: Mason Performance Development

Small business coaching is hot. A few years ago the only coaches anyone talked about were sports coaches. But today, PriceWaterhouseCoopers estimates that there are 30,000 business and life coaches worldwide.

Thousands of small business owners and managers turn to coaches every day to improve their personal skills and business results. You can, too. But first you have to determine if you're ready for coaching. Then you have to select the right coach.

Are you Ready?

Rosa started her business out of her home. She made money, but not as much as she felt she should. She was frustrated that she couldn't find time for her family. That's when a friend suggested that a small business coach would help.

That's a typical situation. Most small businesses owners don't start out using a coach. They usually come to coaching when they've had some success and when they know they could have more. They usually come to coaching when they're ready to listen and when they need a little knowledge and a little nudge to do the right things.

The best coaching in the world won't help you if you're not ready to be helped. So before you go hunting for a good small business coach, answer the following questions.

- Are you ready to listen to the things you need to hear? A good coach will ask you about things you haven't thought of and push you to think outside the box. That's often scary. A good coach may also tell you to change the way you do some things. That's hard for many small business owners because it means admitting that you've made some bad decisions and choices.

- Are you ready to take a hard look at your business? Even the best coach can't help you if your business can't deliver quality to enough people at the right price. Sometimes a business simply can't succeed because the market is too small or too hard to reach.

- Are you ready to pay the price? Coaching does not come without a price. You will pay a price in both money and time. You may even realize that you need to invest in new things for your business.

Coaching is not a magic bean. You have to work at success every day. I tell my clients that "success is based on persistency and consistency, not magic." You're ready for coaching if you see coaching as an investment in yourself and your success. Your next challenge is to find the right coach for you.

Choosing the Coach for You

Great coaches, like great chefs and great football players, are rare. And, sometimes, even a great coach is not the right coach for you. Here are some ways to evaluate coaches.

1) Look for a coach who's run a small business. Before I started coaching I built two successful small businesses. I've really "been there and done that" so I know what my clients are going through. I also use coaches myself. The ones that work best for me have small business experience. Small businesses are different from big businesses and you need a coach who understands the special challenges.

2) Look for a coach who's been doing it for a while. My job as a coach is to help you know what to do, but it's also to help you do what you know. It takes time to learn to coach well.

3) Look for a coach who won't nickel and dime you to death. It seems to me that there are two kinds of coaches when it comes to billing. There are coaches who charge you by the minute, hour or session. And there are coaches who are always accessible or available for short conversations between sessions, if needed without piling on extra charges. I find the latter works better for my clients.

4) Look for a coach that you're comfortable with. Successful outcomes demand a productive relationship between you and your coach. It won't work if you feel talked down to or belittled or if you feel like your coach doesn't care about you. If you feel any of those things, look for a different coach.

5) Look for a coach who's picky. The best coaches are selective about the kind of clients they work with. We expect a lot of our clients and we limit the number of clients we work with so we can concentrate on helping each one succeed.

After some soul searching and some research Rosa started working with a small business coach. It wasn't always easy, but together they found ways to help Rosa's business grow and help her reap the benefits of success. They took her business and life to a whole new level.

It can happen for you, too. If you're ready, if you're willing to embrace change and if you're willing to pay the price, a small business coach can help you become an amazing success story.

Business Coach? Here is an article to help you decide if it is right for you

Good Morning,

Well as you can see I am back on the horse of blogging here on blogspot and coming in the new year - just 44 days and we launch the new site we will be hosting our own blog on our website. We will however still continue to use this blog to post the same postings as on our website so you don't have to worry about missing any postings.

Since we are busy getting the website ready time to write blogs is limited so I thought I would post my favorite article from the days reading to share. Here is today's - Enjoy!

10 Ways a Business Coach Can Help Your Business
Written by: Editorial Staff of Resourcenation.com
Source: Resourcenation.com

Many business owners are hesitant to hire a business coach - instead content to try and find all the answers themselves. But for those who make the leap into coaching, there are many important things a Business Coach can help accomplish. Here are ten things you should know about what a Business Coach can bring to the table.

1. A Business Coach can help you develop a marketing plan

Without a well thought out marketing plan, you might be throwing money away on promoting your business without even knowing it. A solid business coach will help you craft a marketing plan and, most importantly, stick to it!

2. A Business Coach can help you find your niche

Business Coaches can help you identify your ideal demographic. And when you find the right customers to focus on, you'll get better responses and in all likelihood, more sales.

3. A Business Coach can help you hire the right people

Hiring is one of the hardest things to do, especially if you don't have experience in the area. A business coach can provide advice on what types of positions you need to add, and identify the qualities of ideal candidates.

4. A Business Coach can help you get organized

Once you hire a business coach, you can likely say goodbye to papers flying everywhere and important notes kept on Diner napkins. If it's one thing all great business coaches have in common, it's the ability to get you organized!

5. A Business Coach can help you make contacts

Even if your business coach is not "connected" with the players in your industry, chances are she will be able to show you how to build a powerful network of your own.

6. A Business Coach can get you to enjoy your business more

Are there stressful days where you forget why you even got into this business in the first place? Business Coaches can help ease some of that stress and reconnect you with the joy you felt when you went out on your own.

7. A Business Coach can help you obtain a more positive mental attitude

By helping you achieve a better positive mental attitude, the business coach will be opening the door for you to explore new markets, take more risks, and bring in additional revenue!

8. Get to know your coach before your work together

When you meet with a professional business coach, get a feel for them personally. With coaching it is important that you make a "connection" on a non-business level as well as a professional one. You are going to be opening up to this person on many levels. So the more comfortable you are with him or her, the more you will be able to accomplish as coach and client!

9. Always be honest with your coach

How can your coach help you if you're not be 100% open about the challenges you are facing. Business Coaches help you succeed, but they are also people who care. Be yourself and don't be afraid to talk about failures and fears.

10. Don't "stand up" your Business Coach

We know you're busy - heck, so is your business coach. But please, don't just blow off a scheduled meeting between the two of you. Besides being expensive, it plants seeds of doubt in everyone's mind about how serious you are about the program.