Susquehanna Business Life

Why A Business Coach?

Being a business owner or manager is hard work, but it doesn't have to be. If your business is running you, you already know you have problems. You may feel you work too much, or you don't make enough money. You may be overwhelmed, frustrated. At times, you may feel like a prisoner to the business. Sound familiar? The good news...there is help: the business coach.

Why A Business Coach?

By David Ercole

Think of a business coach as a personal trainer for your business. Your business is where it is and what it is because of your best thinking. Repeat. You are where you are because you have done your best. In order for you to bridge the gap between where you are (doing your best) and where you want to be (success and satisfaction), you will need help.

We all know that athletes have coaches who help them do their best. To help you do your best, to help you achieve the happiness and fulfillment you deserve from your business, and to help you elevate your performance and results, you may need a coach. Instead of working for your business, your business should be working for you. You need an objective partner who will guide you, hold you accountable and work together with you to develop your business into a financial asset.

Most of us know from experience that it is difficult to make real progress without some kind of help. Athletic coaches, personal trainers, nutritionists and counselors exist because we need help to get where we want to be. Success, whether with weight loss, smoking cessation or fitness, requires a change in thinking and behavior (habit). You are where you are because of your habits. Your actions and thoughts are what they are because they are habits. You must be open to thinking and acting differently to be able to achieve different and better results. You must learn how to eliminate habits that do not support your goals and objectives. For your business to change, you must change your actions, attitudes and habits.

What does a business coach do?

A good business coach will guide you through a process of self-discovery. You are where you are because of you, and therefore, only you are fully responsible for your success. You are the expert in your business. You know the answers. A coach's responsibility is to ask the right questions to reveal the right answers for your situation. A coach will show you how to be absolutely clear about what you want, will help you define the obstacles that are holding you back, and will supply you with the tools to overcome those obstacles. Working together, you and your coach will create a customized game plan for advancing and enhancing your business and life.

Do I need a coach?

• Do I need more fulfillment and fun in my business and life, and less frustration and headaches?
• Am I working too many hours, making too many personal sacrifices and letting loved ones down?
• Do I feel like my business is running me instead of me running my business?
• Do I need to slow down and honestly review what is working and what is not in my business and life, and determine what needs to change?
• Could my business benefit from more effective selling, marketing, people management and business planning strategies?

The answer

If you answered honestly, and answered "yes" to two or more questions, you are probably already aware of your issues and challenges (your "current reality"). You have pain.

Did you know that it is possible to adopt new, productive habits any time in your life? You have to want to move forward, and you have to realize that permanent change takes time. It is a process of repetition, review, adjustments and accountability. It took you years to adopt your current habits and it will take time to develop new ones. Real progress is achieved through a defined process, and a good coach will guide you expertly through that process to your new life and your new business.

Facing your current reality is the first step on the road to a focused game plan for success. Hiring a good business coach should be the next step. You know that you need to change for things to get better, and you know that you cannot do this without professional guidance. Already you have made progress!

Understanding how an objective view, a system and a process of accountability will take you where you want to be, why wait? The longer you wait, the harder it will be to take action. Your issues and challenges will keep getting worse until you address them, define them and eliminate them. Don't waste another minute. Be where you want to be, and get started now!

David Ercole is co-owner of The Growth Coach of PA, based in Lewisburg.