Business Coaching

What to Look for in Business Coaching

A good business coach can help you with challenges of running a business, give sound advice, and contribute far more to your businesses success than they will cost. Unfortunately, many businesses coaches offer little more than one on one motivational speeches. When a business owner considers hiring an executive coach, here are some of the issues to consider:

Does the coach have experience running a business?

Running a business looks easy in theory Ð in practice running a business is extraordinarily difficult. If the only businesses that the coach has run are essentially the coach selling their own services, that's a red flag. Hire a coach that has actually run a business that is more complex than a sole proprietorship.

Can the potential business coach provide references?

Anyone offering consulting services should be able to offer reference accounts - places where they have made a difference in the company's performance.

What educational background does the business coach have?

While I would argue that there is not substitute for real world experience, once you have identified business coaches who have proven that they can run a business, look at their education. Does the coach have a business degree? If so from what school? While there may be a brilliant businessman who never graduated from high school and people that are not smart in the best business schools in the country, in general it is safe to assume that those who attended a top business school are likely to be relatively intelligent.

Ability to meet regularly

A business coach needs to be able to meet with you regularly, during normal business hours. Without regular meetings problems are not recognized or diagnosed and opportunities are missed. The ability to meet during business hours allows the coach to be present in meetings with others, such as accountants, vendors, joint venture partners, or customers, when you need assistance.