Coaching has been around since the late 1990s. There has never been a period in mankind’s history where coaches did not exist. 

Sure, it might have looked a little different, but coaching is as old as the hills. Modern-day coaching may be more refined and a lot more commercially viable, but the principles remain the same. 

Let’s take a look at why business coaching is important for entrepreneurs and the process of finding a business coach online.

What does a business coach do? 

Coaches have the skills and knowledge to advise, support and encourage their client. They can provide an outside perspective not just on business issues, but also on more personal issues, like finding career fulfillments and figuring out what’s important to you. 

A good business coach will be able to help you clarify your vision for your business and how this fits with your goals. They should help you take your business from where it is, to where you want it to be. 

Business Coaches help you to:

• Make good decisions
• Take effective actions towards your  goal
• Resolve their challenges in the most efficient way possible
• Learn from the princess, so they can repeat it whenever they want

Consider the wise words of Albert Einstein:

“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them”

He is basically telling us that to succeed in solving an issue, you need to think of the problem from another angle and possibly involve the assistance from someone else.

Time is money

In the modern era, in life and business, time is money. There’s an ever-increasing amount of cooperation and collaboration going on both in businesses and peoples’ private lives. We need to figure things out almost on the fly these days while dealing with different time zones and cultures.

Everyone has their unique issues to handle alongside everything else that needs to be accommodated, and then there’s the technology we all use to connect with everybody and everything.

Life is more complex today and it certainly seems to be speeding up every time you turn around. It doesn’t take long before we begin to have thoughts of overwhelm and burnout on our minds.

The question we need to ask ourselves is this: “How long can I justify spending time and money on this issue trying to figure it out for myself, knowing what Albert Einstein said about problem-solving?”

Why is Business Coaching Important for Entrepreneurs?

If having a Coach could save you time and money, it would be ridiculous NOT to hire one, wouldn’t it?

Throughout history, every King has had an Advisor (Coach) in every culture. Every military leader has had a Strategist (Coach), every World Class Athlete has had a trainer (Coach), and every Entertainer has had a Manager (Coach).

With years of successful experience, your business coach can provide valuable insights that will help you develop long-term and short-term goals and strategies, as well as improve your business in areas that you might have overlooked.

Think of your coach as your teacher. You can never know everything about running a business, especially when you’re just starting out. Your coach can teach you trade secrets and share helpful tips and tricks that can help your business run smoothly. Like any good teacher, they will push you outside your comfort zone to help you succeed, offer constructive criticism and have your back.  

What types of business coaching are there? 

While there are business coaches that help you with all aspects related to your business, there are coaches that focus on certain areas of your business. No matter what you need help with, it is likely you can find a business coach to assist you in that field.

Here are some types of niche business coaches.

• Business strategy coach
• Visibility coach
• Sales funnel coach 
• Social media coach
• Business Finance Coach
• Email Marketing Coach 

Business coaching also comes in many different forms. Depending on what you’re looking for and your budget, you can check out these different options.

• Group coaching is usually held in small groups, where you are joined with other members. In group coachings, you hold each other accountable and work towards your goals as a group for a set period of time
• One-on-one coaching, where you work directly with the business coach and get personalised feedback and strategies
• Hybrid coaching is a mix of pre-recorded lessons, live calls, group coaching and/or one-on-one coaching. 

Who hires a business coach?

The only conclusion we can draw from the history of Coaching is that the people who hire a Coach fall into two categories:

• People who are at the top of their game and want to stay there, or
• People who aspire to be at the top of their game and want to get there as fast as they can

Many people will say that they want to change themselves, their life, their job, or their circumstances, but in real terms, they are scared of the change. The delay, procrastinate and make excuses. They lack self-confidence and the drive to follow through. It’s human nature. It’s what ordinary people always do.

Should I hire a coach? 

People who hire a Coach are not just any ordinary people.

They are inspired and have a vision. They embrace change and are prepared to get fully engaged in making positive changes in their life. Plus, they don’t want it to take forever!

They have a sense of urgency, and they want someone they can lean on, confide in, use as a sounding board, and rely on to help them make the inevitable tough decisions that they can see on the horizon.

People hiring their first Coach are often racked with pessimism. They think, “What if I waste my money?”

Consider that, before you hire a coach, you’re already wasting time, which is the same as money, and you lack the resources to resolve the issues at hand. It would cost you less to hire a Coach and find out first-hand and NOW how unbelievably useful a Coach can be.

People who are hiring their second or subsequent Coach have no pessimism.  What they are looking for is the perfect fit for them and the circumstances they find themselves in.

Within reason, money is not the issue and they never think about the possibility of wasting it. Their main concern is finding the RIGHT Coach and then hoping that the Coach they choose has a spot left open where they can be accommodated, and can they start today?

Is Hiring a Coach Right For You?

Maybe. Maybe not.

• Are you at a point where NOT taking action is costing you time and money?
• Do you feel stuck in your struggles?
• Could you use encouragement, advice and accountability in moving forward?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, perhaps a coach can get you moving in the right direction to help you create the life you desire – and sooner rather than later.

How Do You Know If You Need A Coach?

You will never know just how energised working with a Coach can make you, how sharp and productive you can be, and how much fun you can have in the process until you have experienced it.

Think about it, has there ever been anything in your life you have made a sensible assessment of while standing on the outside, poking it with a stick?

It’s not possible to make a rational assessment of anything unless you engage with it, explore it, or try it on for size.

Even so, if you haven’t ever worked with a Coach, you may have some important questions about the process.

Here are some of the more common questions:

How do I know Coaching will work for me? 

You don’t. No two coaches are the same, no two clients are the same, and no two issues that can be resolved with Coaching expertise will be the same.

Even if your 10 best friends rave about Coaching, you will never know for sure if it will work for you until you try it.

Can I afford a Coach? 

In order to answer this question, it’s important to look at the difference a Coach can make in your life or your business.

For example, if your Coach was instrumental in boosting your income by $1000, $2000, or $3000 a month, would cost be an issue?  What if your Coach was able to help you add $10,000 a month to your income?

This example is not a rarity in Coaching. It happens every day all over the world. It happens to people in all walks of life, in all kinds of different circumstances. It can happen to you too, but you have to make a decision and take action to make it happen.

Does Business Coaching really work?

To help you answer this question, find a Coach and talk with them. Find out what the Coach is like, ask them how they like to work, find out if they are familiar with people in your kind of circumstances, and ask them what they could do to help you.

Maybe the first Coach you talk to would be ideal for you. Maybe it’s Coach number 5.

One thing you can be absolutely sure of is that there are Coaches who can help you and there are Coaches who have dealt with similar circumstances to yours many times. You just need to find them!

How to find a Business Coach Online

Everything sounds great when it comes to having a business coach but exactly what is the process for finding a business coach online?

Well, exactly the same way you found the right house, the right car, and even the right spouse! You went looking! Nobody knocked on your door with the perfect car, house or wife/husband, did they? Nobody is going to come knocking with the perfect Coach either.

You’ll know the right Coach by how you feel about them AFTER you’ve had some interaction with them, not before.

Here are some tips to help you find the right business coach for you.

Understanding your needs

Before you even get started with finding a business coach online, you need to first figure out exactly what your needs are.

What kind of business coach are you looking for? Do you need help with your business as a whole, or are you looking for help in specific areas? 

Do you want step-by-step action items? Do you want to be in a group with other entrepreneurs, or do you prefer to have one-on-one attention from your business coach?

What is your budget? When it comes to talking about money, it can be scary. But it’s important to know roughly how much you’re able to invest to get the results you’re looking for.

Ask in your network

One of the best ways to find a business coach online is through reaching out to other entrepreneurs in your network and asking them for recommendations.

While yes, other entrepreneurs might have different budgets and criteria than you, but by asking, you can get some good referrals and a good idea of what to expect.

You can ask within Facebook groups and Linkedin groups. If you’re looking for a business coach that is in your local area, you can check with your local chamber of commerce or join local meetups for entrepreneurs.

You can check out the entrepreneurs inside our Facebook group to see if there are any entrepreneurs or even business coaches that can help you. 

Your Entrepreneur Resources Connect 

If you are looking for a business coach to help you with your business in general, or a specific aspect such as social media, mindset or sales, you might be interested in checking out our platform, Your Entrepreneur Resources Connect. 

We have a number of business coaches that we feature inside Connect. They are business coaches that we have worked with, collaborated with or have online courses that we have taken. They are experts that have mastered their skills and business coaches that we would recommend. 

Besides business coaches, you can find online courses, books, mentors, coaches and service providers in Connect. You can easily use our filter feature to find the business coaches and resources that match your criteria and budget. 

Have conversations with prospective business coaches

Many business coaches offer free discovery calls, where you can openly talk about your problems, concerns, goals and what you’re hoping to achieve. 

You should avoid working with any business coach that is not able to get your personal attention, or at the bare minimum, offer you a consultation call. If they can’t give you a fraction of their time, then what’s the point of investing in a business coach? You might be better off investing in an online course. 

A good business coach will also be honest with you. They will let you know whether or not you’re a good fit for the program or for you to work together. 

One of the most important things when it comes to deciding whether or not the business coach is right for you is the feeling you get when talking to this potential coach. 

Notice how you feel when you’re talking to the business coach. Do you “click”? Do you feel comfortable? What’s their style and their teaching style? This is very important since you will be working closely together. Some coaches might like to modify the program depending on the client, while others might focus on following a structure. Discover the style of the business coach and whether or not it’s “right” for you. 

Don’t be afraid to ask about the business coach’s experiences and credentials. If they have a Facebook group or a LinkedIn page, check out what they have worked on and how they have helped other clients in the past. 

Also, don’t be afraid to talk to multiple business coaches. This is someone that you will likely be working closely with for the next few weeks or even months. Take your time and try out the different options. 

Understand the investment 

Yes, you need to think about the investment. Both money and time. 

Unlike getting a VA or a freelancer to help you out with certain tasks of your business, hiring a business coach is an investment in the long run. You are paying for the knowledge, expertise and experience of the business coach and investing in your business. 

The result might not be as tangible as if you were to hire someone to create a design for you, but having a business coach can change your business and point you in the right direction, avoid all the traps and get you to reach your goals a lot faster. 

Because of this, you will also likely not see any results overnight. Heck, I can guarantee that you won’t be able to meet your goals overnight, just because you have invested in a business coach. 

A lot of people get frustrated when results don’t happen immediately. Have the right and realistic expectations and plan a long-term relationship with your coach. Be patient. Know that you are taking small but steady steps towards your goals. 

The Bottom Line

Those who hire Coaches are strong-minded characters. They’re going places and getting things done. They might not always know exactly where they are going or exactly what it is they plan to do, but they have a sense of purpose and a commitment to themselves that can be amplified considerably by working with a Coach.

That is why they hire a Coach, to get more out of themselves than they ever thought possible by working on their own.

Ask anyone who has had a great Coach for any length of time if they could have done it on their own, without the help of a personal Coach, and watch their face light up as they tell you it was the very best decision they ever made. Do your research and you can find one like this too!