One of the most common statements I hear when working with clients is ‘I wish I had found you sooner’. Business coaching can often be viewed as a luxury but it isn’t until you start working with one, that you realise they are more of a necessity and part of the team. Having a coach – whether a business, life or sports coach is all about learning how to be the best you can be. Why shouldn’t you strive to be the best?

Here’s some signs that you need a business coach:

(And be rest assured, at some point in their career, and business life cycle, every business owner goes through the same feelings; so you are not alone!)

1.You think you know what to do, but you don’t know how to get going or how to do it.

There is a lot of procrastination that takes place in business. You think you know what you need to do but yet you haven’t done it yet – why is that? Is it because you don’t have confidence in your decisions and ability to take action or is your plan of action more of a hunch that an objective decision. What you need is a coach to help you plan, and strategically plan to get there.

2. You are feeling overwhelmed.

A business travels through many cycles with frequent growth and up scaling. This can meant that as a business owner you stop working on the business but, because a ‘all hands on deck’ approach is needed, you are working in the business also. You are working on delivery of services as well as strategic tasks which can be overwhelming. You need a business coach to work with you to improve your time management and task lists so that you feel less overwhelmed

3. You feel like you are bearing all the problems.

It is hard at the top. Whether you are solo-business owner or you have a team working for you. If you don’t have a management team, board or even a supportive partner, running a business can be lonely and daunting when it comes to problem solving. A business coach will be there alongside you; in the difficult and scary times as well as the positive and successful times. A coach won’t necessarily give you the answer to a problem or even know the solution but what will happen is you will have someone alongside you to work on the solution, test ways forward and share the failures and lessons learnt.

4. You are ready for the next step of business but don’t know how to get there.

You may have already built a successful business and the next step for you, is perhaps to hand the reins over to a family member (if it is a family business!) or promote someone to be a fellow director. Or maybe you have reached your exit point and what to sell the business. A business coach will help you to to get your ship in order and ensure it is a smooth positive process.

5. You are not seeing results from your business

Often business owners start working with a coach when the sh*t really hits the fan; when results are showing that the business is in cash flow crisis or that targets and KPI’s are not being met, or worse – that they aren’t being set. Remember: ‘Knowing your numbers in business is the ONLY way to make OBJECTIVE decisions’

6. You need to save time, money and some energy

A fundamental element of what ActionCoach Liverpool business coaching teaches, is the importance of leverage and the creation of systems. On the previous post we learned what SYSTEM stands for – Save YourSelf Time Energy and Money.  By creating systems and building leverage you can spend less time of the doing and more time on the business. A business coach can help to define these systems.

7. You are not getting the best from your team.

A team is only as good as its leader. You may be a great manager but you need to be an awesome leader. Your team needs to be part of the culture of the business. If they are not bought into the mission, vision and working to your company’s values they may not be performing for you. A business coach will help you to get the best of our team, because if you look after your team, your team looks after your customers and it is the customers who look after the business, which in turn, looks after you!

8. You have lost sight of what you are doing and why you are doing it.

When business becomes challenging and you are grafting day in and day out, it can be easy to get so involved and consumed with the day to day functions of the business, that you lose sight of what it is all for.   What are the reasons that you set up your business or that you go to work every day? It isn’t just to pay the bills! What are the life goals you are working towards?  What is needed is the emotional connected to your goals and then a plan to achieve them. A business coach will keep you on track and hold you accountable to what you set to achieve.

If all or any of the above resonate with you, it may be time to work with a business coach to pull you back on track and help you to be the very best you can be, so that the results keep on delivering!

What are you waiting for?