Life as an entrepreneur can be a tad lonely. You may not have realised that running your own business involves an awful lot of plate spinning, firefighting and juggling. Then there are all the decisions to make – both day-to-day issues and the long term business strategy. Doing all that by yourself can take its toll.
That’s why working with a business coach can make a real difference to your business success, as well as your personal development and wellbeing.
How can a business coach help? A few stats from The Institute of Coaching show how entrepreneurs benefit from business coaching:
- 70% of people improve work performance, relationships, and communication
- 80% of people benefit from better self-confidence.
But how do you find a good business coach? Where should you start looking for the best business coach to work with? Well, here’s a good starting point. In this guide, we’ll run through the places to find potential coaches and the questions to ask them to ensure they’re a good fit for you.
Where to look for a good business coach
You’ve identified that you need some coaching help to transform your venture into a successful business. So the next step on your business journey is finding the right person to support you with that. Here are seven of the best places to find reputable business coaching services.
1. Personal recommendation
Ask people you know. First-hand recommendations are a great place to start your search. Tap up people you’ve worked with in the past, friends, family members, even clients of yours. When a business coach comes recommended by someone you know, it’s reassuring and gives you a certain guarantee.
2. Online search
If you can’t get a personal recommendation, look for an online one. Turn to Google. Look at the online reviews for your potential coaches. Check the business coach’s website – do they provide useful advice and expert opinion? They may even host a podcast which will give you a flavour of their coaching style. Do they have testimonials from business owners like you? All of their content will give you insights into their coaching style, business experience and personality.
3. Networking events
It really helps if your business coach understands your industry and/or business environment. So why not ask others within that industry or environment? Chat to your peers to find out about their coaching experiences. And if you want face-to-face coaching sessions rather than online, it helps if it’s a local business coach. Attending local networking events can be the place to source relevant options.
Some regional and London-based networking groups include:
- BNI
- Business Junction
- Grafters Super Groups
- FSB (Federation of Small Businesses)
- Chambers of Commerce
4. Social media
Did you know that LinkedIn is the top social media platform for networking professionals? It can be a good place to reach out to potential coaches, and to check their credentials. Simply type “business coach” in the LinkedIn search bar and work through the results. Check their posts – do they resonate with you? Do they contribute thought leadership? What do people say in their recommendations section?
Facebook or Instagram can work too, depending on your industry and what you’re after. Adding location tags will help you find coaches local to your area if that’s important to you.
5. Online communities
As an alternative to face-to-face networking events, you could chat to online groups of small business owners or people in your industry. Online communities like Reddit forums, Facebook or LinkedIn groups are great for finding business coaches.
Be proactive and post in the group that you’re searching for a business coach. Then you’ll get recommendations from others. Ask about their experiences with the potential coach to check that they match with your criteria.
A client of mine found her first business coach on an online community for freelancers. The coach came highly recommended. However, it soon became apparent that this coach was more of a life coach who wanted to help my client emotionally. That wasn’t what my client needed as she wanted to achieve business growth and meet business goals. That’s when she reached out to me after a personal recommendation.
6. Business publications
Business or trade publications may be worth a look. Sometimes, they’ll feature thought leadership articles by business coaches rather than just business leaders. If their words resonate with you, then you could connect with them to find out about their coaching services.
7. Known brands
I know I’m biased, but I do advise people to look for a reputable brand (like ActionCOACH). You know you’ll be dealing with qualified coaches. Renowned companies, like ActionCOACH, take time to recruit and train their business coaches and they follow the company’s methodology. You know what you’re going to get, and that can be helpful.
What should I look for when hiring a business coach?
Coaching works best when you get on with your business coach. Can you picture them helping you to lead your company to the next level of business success? Do you ‘click’? It’s important that you trust, respect and connect with your business coach.
Be clear on what you need. If you need emotional support, look for a life coach. If you want expert guidance on driving business success and defining a clear business plan, find a business coach with relevant experience to help you. Do you want a strategist to guide you to specific goals, to provide leadership coaching, to support you in defining action plans, or all of the above?
Assess whether their coaching style suits you. Coaching programs differ greatly, so it’s important to find the right one for you. Do you work best when you have specific goals to reach? Or are you looking for more of a career coach to help you find the right path?
Which is your preferred platform? Perhaps you want the convenience of an online business coach or the personal interaction of a local, face-to-face meeting.
From my perspective as a business coach, I’d advise you to interview potential coaches and ask them good questions. Ask why they’d be a good coach for you (nobody ever does that to me!). Find out about their track record with helping small business owners like you.
Alternatives to business coaching
Choosing to work with a business coach isn’t right for everyone. Or you may simply feel it’s the wrong time for you to start a coaching program.
You could consider working with a business mentor instead. Mentorship can be really beneficial for both the mentee and the mentor. They won’t be a qualified business coach, but they’re likely to be an experienced business leader or entrepreneur who can share experiences and advice. Plus, if pricing’s a concern, mentorship tends to be free as it’s an informal, personal relationship.
You can also learn from executive coaching podcasts by successful entrepreneurs (from the likes of Steven Bartlett and Denise Duffield Thomas). You won’t get personal action plans and guidance, but you might pick up a few entrepreneurial tips.
Why work with an ActionCOACH?
“Being a business owner is quite a lonely place to be. Although you have all of your employees around you, when you have to talk the nitty-gritty of the business and stuff like that, they’re not always the right people to lean on. Having an ActionCoach is like having someone else on your side. They really hold you to account to get the important jobs done.” Patrick Steppel, PML Construction
Would I be a good business coach for you?
I’ve worked with people at various stages of entrepreneurship – startups, established business leaders and many small business owners at a crossroads on their business journey. I could act as your accountability associate, strategist, and trusted advisor.
If you’d like to find out about my coaching services and whether we’d work well together, let’s have a chat.
