The grind is real, the hard work feels never-ending, but you promised yourself you would never give up on your dream. You have sacrificed more than your share to be where you are today. But you know deep down that to achieve the next level of success, you need guidance and support. This can come in the form of a business coach.
You’re right. And the weight of your business success does not have to rest completely on your shoulders. As Bill McCartney wisely said, “All coaching is, is taking a player where he can’t take himself”.
When it comes to business growth, many entrepreneurs feel they can go it alone. While there’s some truth to this statement, most business owners will hit a plateau and need help to reach the next level. That’s where a business coach comes in.
Whether you’re looking for a small business coach or would like to avail of the convenience offered by an online business coach, the benefits of utilizing one can be exponentially helpful for business owners who feel stuck, or need help to reach new heights.
With an online business coach, there’s no longer a need to ask yourself questions like, “How do I find a business coach near me?”. Depending on your area, a business coach may be hard to come by. Not to worry! Thanks to technology, an online business coach can meet with you wherever you are!
Benefits of a Business Coach
A good business coach will assess your current situation, create achievable goals with you, offer support along the way, and hold you accountable. This can help you:
- Navigate rough waters
- Improve communication within your company
- Develop a winning strategy
And most importantly…
According to the College of Executive Coaching’s article, “The Benefits of Business Coaching”, a study of Fortune 1000 companies using coaching showed the following astounding percentages, reporting the benefits executives witnessed in their businesses from the coaching they received:
- An increase in productivity (by 53%)
- Increased customer service (by 39%)
- Increased retention of senior people (by 32%)
- Reduction in costs (by 23%)
- Increased bottom-line profitability (by 22%)
That’s an astonishing growth of nearly 170%!
Finding the right business coach can be a daunting task. You want to make sure you connect with someone who understands your business and has experience helping others reach their goals. It’s important to do your research and ask around for recommendations. Once you’ve narrowed down your search, take the time to interview potential coaches until you find one that is the perfect fit for you and your team.
The bottom line? A good business coach can help ascend your business to the next level.
A good business coach can help you achieve your goals and reach new heights in your business. How do you find the best business coach for your needs, you ask? Keep reading to find out!
If you’ve ever wanted to find the best online business coach, then you’re reading the right article. That’s because you’re about to discover an easy 5-step system to equip yourself with all the right knowledge to find the best business coach to skyrocket your business past its current plateaus.
Step 1: Assess the needs of your business.
An assessment is vital. It enables you to know what needs you must fill for your business. To get started with your assessment, ask yourself questions like:
- “What areas would my business benefit from outside help the most?”
- “What goals do I want to achieve for my business in the next six months?”
- “What’s most important to me when it comes to finding the right coach?” (Examples may include credentials, pricing, reviews, etc.)
Once you have a good understanding of what your business needs, it’ll be much easier to narrow in on the business coaching services that will fit your needs.
You’ll want to get the most out of your decision to avail of a professional business coach, so taking the time to assess your business in advance will pay dividends down the road.
Step 2: Check out business coaching service reviews.
Doing a quick online search for “best business coach reviews” will give you access to a variety of independent review websites that’ll help you shortlist potential coaches. Reading through customer testimonials is a great way to get a better idea of the track record of each business coach and how they can help you. You’ll get to see real-world examples of how the coach has helped other businesses, which can be useful in envisioning your fit as a client.
When searching for a business coach, remember that they come in all shapes and sizes. Some are great with organization, others excel with communication skills. It’s important to connect with the one who meshes well with your style so that you can get the most out of each session.
It’s imperative to note that you find a business coach that’s the right fit for your unique needs. Not every coach is right for every business. Do some research on the types of services each offers and see which ones resonate with you and your goals. Then, keep track of ones that fit you and your business the best. This will make your decision process a lot easier down the road.
Step 3: Create Your List
Once you’ve compiled a list of 5-10 business coaches, take some time to research each of them individually. Here are 8 key areas to explore when researching your list of business coaching services:
- Level of experience.
- Skillset.
- Education/certification.
- Background.
- The extent of services they offer.
- Rates.
- Social media presence.
- Personality.
Write out a small summary of each criterion for every individual business coach. Once you’ve gone through your list and run through all 8 key areas, it’s time to sift through and find the best fit.
Scan your list and number each business coach following the key areas explored above. For business coaching services that offer high levels of experience, put a #1 by their name. And for those who excel in their level of skill set, place a #2, and so on. Do this until you reach number 8, then take note of which business coaching service aligns most with the 8 key areas.
This should give you a solid idea of who’s the best fit for you. One thing to note here is that you may value one key area over another. Not to worry, you can use this as a guide, but going with your intuition is as important as weighing the options. This exercise is used best to narrow down your decision to 1-3 business coaching services. Although this guide is designed to find you the best fit, ultimately it’s up to you to decide which one you want to work with the most.
Step 4: Interview the Business Coach
Once you’ve narrowed down your list to 1-3, it’s time for the next step: interview the business coach. This is a key step to see how well you would work together. During the interview process, be prepared with questions that will help assess whether this business coaching service has what it takes to help you reach your goals. Some questions you can ask are:
- How does this work?
- Why do you feel you can help me?
- How would you approach my specific situation?
- What results do you guarantee me from using your services?
- Can I contact some of your previous clients?
Once you’ve gone through these questions, you’ll begin to understand how comfortable you’ll be working with each specific online business coach. Getting a feel for your level of comfort is important; you’ll be spending a good amount of time with this person. You’ll also be sharing personal details about your business and goals. You need someone you can trust when it comes to helping your business climb the ladder.
Once you believe you can form a solid foundation with the business coach who’s checked off all the boxes and made the greatest impression on you, it’s time for step 5.
Step 5: Pull The Trigger
This is it. You’ve come to a decision and you’re going ahead with hiring your business coach. Congratulations! This is an exciting time for your business; there’s no telling how far you’ll go with the help of someone who’s been in your shoes before.
The best part about finding an online business coach? The majority of them offer a free consultation so you can test the waters before diving in headfirst! This way you can experience some results firsthand.
When you’re ready to dive in, be sure to have these 3 necessities prepared:
- Your business goals and objectives for the next 3, 6, and 12 months.
- A little information about your company including size, location, and years in business.
- How much you’re willing to invest in coaching.
Being able to use battle-tested methods from a business coach is a valuable opportunity. You’ll have someone to help you map out your goals, assess your progress, and give you the occasional push in the right direction when needed. This is an investment that can pay for itself in no time.
Finding the best business coach will catapult the success of your business farther than you could ever have pulled it along by yourself. Now that you’re prepared to give your business the game-changing opportunity of business coaching, it’s time to have that insurmountable weight lifted off of your shoulders once and for all. You’ve earned the right to release the doubt, fear, and worry that comes from the unknown future your business once held.
With your #1 business coach secured and by your side, it’s time for your hard work to take flight, your dreams to soar and your success to skyrocket.
And there you have it – a simple 5-step system for calling in the big guns to terminate any obstacles standing in the way of your success. Now that you know how to find the perfect coach to secure the future of your business, there’s one thing left for you to do: trust the process.
Draw upon the belief of your new business coach, and soon others will knock on your door looking for their key to success.
Larry Vivola is a successful business coach who coaches entrepreneurs anywhere in the world via Zoom. If he’s not coaching he’s making meatballs and entertaining friends and family!