The benefits of a business coach

I put off getting a business coach for a long time. I was already a leader in my own industry and forging ahead with things quite capably on my own, so I thought. Why did I need someone to tell me what I thought I already knew?

Then in 2006 I attended a presentation that I now know was designed to gain more coaching clients. While I can’t remember the topic, I do recall a bolt of lightning hitting me - I realised that a business coach would help me focus on the things I frequently pushed aside.

The presenter urged us to put together a 90 day plan for our business. It then occurred to me that was something I had never done in the 12 years I’d been in business. I had prepared yearly goal sheets and periodically pulled out my business plan to see if I was still travelling in my original direction, but the idea of doing something in smaller chunks had not entered my head.

I was making progress but probably not as fast as I could have, had I had someone on the sidelines egging me on.

I’ve been working with my business coach Stuart now for over a year. In that time I’ve made a lot of changes in my business structure and also achieved some things outside of my business that were previously on the back burner.

I have clients who are business coaches but I had not worked with Stuart. I did not want to blur the lines of work, and being coached. I felt that they might make assumptions about how I work based on the services I provided to them. So getting a business coach that was not connected to my business was important.

In our first meeting, Stuart and I discussed my goals and where my business was. At each subsequent meeting we gradually put together a growing goals and actions list for me to report back on at the next meeting.

It felt good to talk with someone who had genuine interest but had no conflict of interest. I really look forward to our meetings and can’t wait to report to him what my achievements have been. Plus I have to make sure I’ve completed all the actions he had set for me, or have a good reason why not. He’s become a confidante, a friend, a support, an encourager and a fan on the sidelines, urging me to kick my next goal. He’s my taskmaster, and I have a lot to thank him for.

If you need a Stuart in your life, ask your business associates and friends who they know who is a business coach. Don’t settle for the first one – unless you really click that is. I did make contact with a couple of others before I decided on Stuart and knew instantly he was the right business coach for me.

Go on – you deserve it! And the financial costs are certainly worth the rewards you get at the other end.

Kathie M. Thomas is the founder of A Clayton's Secretary, a Virtual Assistant Network with members in many countries. Dedicated to teaching others about business on the web, she is a multiple award winner, with 30 years' experience in her field.

7 comments | Add your own

Good move, Kathie! The right Coach/Mentor is an incredibly worthwhile investment PROVIDING your relationship is one where you are constantly being stimulated and challenged in the ways and areas that are necessary to accomplish your goals/dreams! Grant Hyman+-+SalesCentral from Sydney
Thanks Grant. Stuart and I definitely have the right working relationship and I can look back over the past now 16 or more months and see things I never thought yet possible for me and my business. Kathie M Thomas, A Claytons Secretary from Melbourne, Victoria
Hi Kathie,
Do you have someone that you would recommend in Sydney? and at rate am i to expect to pay for a business coach?
Thanks,
Ben Ben from Sydney
Ben I can't really tell you what rate as I'm sure each coach has their own rates system. If you contact me direct via my bio details at this site then I'll see if I can point you in the direction of a coach in Sydney. Kathie M+Thomas,+A+Claytons+Secretary from Melbourne, Victoria
It's great to see you Kathie achieving great results with your business coach.
I enjoyed your article, and it's even rewarding to see more and more business owners are starting to realise that they don't have to do everything by themselves and help is out there. Youness-Business Coach from Sydney
As a business and lifestyle coach, of course I also have my own business coach. The key for me (just like most of my clients) is to have someone to bounce ideas off whose only interest is to assist me find the best strategies to grow my business and keep my life in balance. I love being a coach and I love being coached.
S. Booth, Creating Business and Lifestyle Strategies (Sydney) Sue Booth from Sydney
I agree with Sue, even if you're a business coach, you still need a business coach. Because an 'outsider' can look at your business with an open mind and not affected by th day to day running of the business. For some people here, it may seem ironic, but it's like for every top athlete out there, they know what they're doing and what needs to be done but still they hire a coach just to keep them on track and focused all the time. Youness-Business Coach from Sydney

7 comments | Add your own

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