Business coaching
Setting up and managing any kind of business is more than a full-time job. Often (usually, perhaps!) it is hard to escape the day to day demands of the business to give the right focus to efficiency, strategy and growth. Very frequently something has to give - sometimes it's the business that fails, sometimes it's the home life that disintegrates and occasionally it's the business owner him or herself that breaks down.
Planning, time management and considered decision making don't sound terribly exciting, but are critical skills for any business owner to run a successful business and keep control of a healthy life.
Sometimes, you may just feel you need a fresh perspective or to break through a 'block'.
A business coach can't do your job for you but can serve as a sounding-board and impartial voice to help you map out a way forward and keep you on track. Importantly, a good coach will also challenge your thinking and encourage you to better results than you may have previously thought possible.
It can be immensely helpful to have a coach during the early days of a business, when everything is so fast-paced and even survival isn't assured. But then also during the growth stage, or when the competitive environment changes, or when a change of direction, acquisition or take-over is on the cards. In all phases of a business's life coach enables action to be taken sooner by clarifying and shortening the decision-making process.
Similarly to the way a personal fitness trainer would push to you a higher performance despite your already knowing how to run, lift weights and do a push-up, a business coach can inspire you, motivate you, and perhaps most importantly, hold you accountable for your actions.
Happy side effects are often that staff and customers are positively influenced by the increase in your confidence and professionalism, and that you will also learn skills and habits that can be carried forward to all manner of future business and life issues. Good coaching can (should!) have a holistic effect that will contribute to long-term success in all aspects of your life.
How does it work?
Coaching sessions typically take place every month, either at your place of work, at my home office or anywhere where it is quiet and private enough. You can have as many or as few sessions as you wish for as long as you want to keep going and growing! Many clients find more regular sessions useful at first and then reduce them to every few months to keep them on the right track.
I might recommend starting with weekly sessions for specific project, perhaps with a tight deadline or where a lot of change has to be accomplished in a short space of time.
It is up to you to keep note of your actions (and complete them!), but in practice I take a record of each session and work with you to agree outcomes - so nothing will slip through the net.