One of my long standing clients, Takka Productions, recently wrote a blog about why they use a business coach. I couldn’t have said it better myself, so (with their permission) I am republishing their blog here.
If you run a small business and are thinking of hiring a business coach – I say do it. Leaving a coaching session a couple of days ago I decided I would share some thoughts on the issue – just in case hiring a coach is something you are considering.
My fellow Director and I set up our business six years ago. After about three years we realised we needed to focus on how we wanted the business to grow. We had been lucky to be busy up until then but were very much reacting rather than driving the business in a particular direction. What I did know is that we weren’t the first small business owners to be in that situation and we needed to tap into the experiences of others.
Further encouraged by our accountant, we hired a business coach who we have been seeing every couple of months, for two hours, ever since. Sessions are planned two months in advance and never cancelled, no matter how busy we are. I can honestly say that I have left every session feeling more positive and confident than when I arrived. This is what drives me to keep turning up.
It’s a time away from the office and a chance to step away from the particular projects that are currently filling up our brains. It’s a time to think about working on the business rather than just in it.
We benefit from the coach’s knowledge and experience gained from years running his own business and working with many other businesses as a coach. The sessions make us really think about what sort of business we want – what does it look like? What type of projects, customers, employees, partners? We then look at the steps we need to take to get there. Importantly, I never feel judge if it’s taking months and months to achieve a particular step. We look at it again and again….and get there in the end.
The coaching sessions also provide a confidential space to discuss business issues and gain another perspective. We get to let off a bit of steam but also to look at what we’ve learned in any given situation.
If you are hiring a coach, find one that understands your business and is aligned with your values. We strive to run a business that reflects our personal ethics. We have turned down the opportunity to work with companies that have very different views to our own on how to treat people and the planet. We are financially poorer for it but can sleep better at night. It’s essential that your coach understands what drives you.
Our coach has introduced us to other small businesses within our area with whom we could have a beneficial partnership. Networking without the networking event. Hurrah.
He also reminds us that there is more to life than business and that we need to look after ourselves. On that note, I’m off to enjoy the rest of the Bank Holiday weekend.
Further details about our coach can be found here: Da Costa Coaching
Please visit Takka Productions website to learn more about the great web and app development work they do.