How does business coaching work?

How does business coaching work is a query for many a small business owner or solopreneur when they realize they could use some help. Let’s face it, going it alone generally only gets us so far. Then who do we turn to? When we look around our community those close to us may not even understand what’s driving us to have our own business in the first place, much less be able to offer us support and guidance.

As a business owner we may not have anyone in our life that understands the unique challenges and stresses we face as a business owner. Our family and friends may more likely work for someone else and therefore not be able to relate to the pressure that comes with being a business owner. This can be extremely lonely and isolating. 

This is only one reason every business owner can benefit, greatly, from business coaching. Business coaching is invaluable for small business owners, entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, and freelancers as well as self-employed individuals. It is a viable and verifiably valid way to get you where you want to go, especially when you understand “how does business coaching work?”

To highlight the inherent value of business coaching let’s address a couple of issues you may be facing. First off, if you’re like most business owners you have an interest or an expertise in the product or service your business provides but you are not necessarily an expert at all the elements required to design and run a business itself, much less a successful one. 

Secondly, it’s a simple fact in the life cycle of a business that if you want to grow it will likely take new skills and new perspectives. After all, no matter what you’ve achieved so far, you’ve never been to the next level you are aiming for next. Meaning, you’ve made it this far but you likely have no experience with – and may have no idea what it will take – to get you “there.” 

So where do we go for the advice and expertise we need to sustain or scale our business? Who can we trust to believe in our vision while also watching out for the inevitable potholes, road blocks and detours that come along? Who can we trust to have our best interest at heart while we stretch ourselves in (or into) our role as a business owner and leader?

This is where being clear on what business coaching is makes all the difference so we can select the most aligned business coaching mentor and/or a community to support us will make all the difference in the long term health and success of our business. 

What is Business Coaching and Its Purpose

What is business coaching anyway? And why do we need it as business owners or future business owners?  Let’s consider just a few of those reasons…

It’s easy to get caught up in the day to day operations of your business and inadvertently neglect to work on your business. Not only is this the culprit of the all too common “feast or famine” cycles many businesses experience but this can also create tunnel vision where we unwittingly lose sight of what’s really working in our business and what’s maybe not working so well.

It’s simply too easy to lose perspective when we are so close to our business.  A trusted advisor, such as an experienced business coach, looking in from the outside, can often see what we can’t. This could be a hole in a strategy or an unconscious pattern we don’t realize is sabotaging our success. Providing perspective and insight is a key function in business coaching. 

When it comes to what business coaching is, think of it as a collaborative partnership that helps actualize the potential of the business as well as the business owner. While we may be (and should be) experts in our product or service we must admit that we simply don’t know what we don’t know. An unbiased expert opinion of a business coach can open up new possibilities and ways of being that we couldn’t get to from our current perception, skill-level and awareness.

While exact methods and methodologies vary, a holistic business coaching approach will focus on the entire business as well as the business owner. It will cut the learning curve and accelerate your business growth and leadership development. It will support you in all phases of business from startup to exit and in all stages of business from vision, to plan, to execution.

Ideally, the business coach and business coaching program you select will address today’s challenges while planning for tomorrow’s growth. Its aim should be in developing both the business and the business owner, helping you in aligning your vision and values while fulfilling your purpose or calling.  

Further consideration on what is business coaching rightfully includes practical application and results as well as guidance and accountability. There also needs to be room for customized strategies and a personalized approach for success. Each business and business owner is as unique as a thumbprint. That’s why business coaching without personal development doesn’t tend to get you very far. 

The growth and development of the leader of the business and the growth and development of the business itself are intricately interwoven. This is why you want to be sure you are working the inner game along with the outer game. 

While it may share some aspects, unlike life coaching or spiritual coaching, ongoing business coaching goes beyond the questions and includes training and applying expertise in key areas of business. This includes but is not limited to: identifying targets, prioritizing projects, creating and  implementing strategy, focus and motivation, illuminating opportunities and obstacles, and perhaps assessing team roles and responsibilities. 

A successful business coaching relationship will include the coach working closely with you to keep you on track with your long range vision and short term plan; helping you solve problems while keeping an eye out for opportunities you may be missing. In some cases, they’ll also make key introductions that open doors that may have otherwise been closed to you. 

Business coaching can make all the difference in the success and sustainability of your business or your coaching business. An ICF Global Coaching Study released in 2020, revealed that nearly 100% of companies and individuals who hired a coach indicated that they were “satisfied or very satisfied” with their experience and results. Furthermore, upwards of 95% said they would do it again. Here at Divine Navigation, our results mirror their findings with more than 80% of our clients renewing with us at least once.

So, what is business coaching? It is the application of practical experience, professional training and problem solving along with the ever crucial personal development necessary to grow and develop the business along with those who own and operate it. 

When to consider business coaching

Now the question becomes when to consider business coaching. There’s really no type or stage of business that wouldn’t benefit from business coaching. In fact, the most successful business owners are always engaged with some sort of coach for themselves.

Here are a few (dozen) scenarios when you want to consider business coaching right away:

• You are thinking about starting a business 
• You are just starting out in your business
• You aren’t sure you’re in the right business
• You’re not getting traction
• You’re business is not growing 
• Your revenue has hit a plateau
• Your messaging in unclear or not on point
• You’ve become the bottle-neck
• You know you need to delegate but aren’t sure how
• You’re on the revenue roller coaster (and ready to get off)
• You’re ready to leverage or scale your business 
• You want to introduce a new product or service
• You’re ready to add a new modality 
• You’re overwhelmed and on the verge of burnout
• You aren’t sure what to do next 
• You’re not sure where to focus first
• Your current efforts aren’t producing results
• You’re not reaching your ideal clients
• You’re not converting clients at the rate you should be
• You are exhibiting self defeating behaviors
• You feel anchored to an old version or identity of yourself
• You are hiding out and not getting yourself out there 
• You are going in too many directions 
• Your marketing isn’t working 
• You keep trying the latest fads and trends to no avail
• Your offers need designing or refining 
• You don’t have enough leads or prospects
• Your sales process has holes
• Your conversion rates are below average
• You are losing sales because you aren’t following up
• You started off growing quickly but now things are “breaking” 
• You aren’t effectively attracting your ideal clients 
• You keep self-sabotaging
• You aren’t growing as fast as you thinking you should be 
• You’re overwhelmed with options
• You are missing out on opportunities
• You keep changing direction
• You can’t manage to keep a team
• You know you are missing key leadership skills
• You are making money but can’t seem to keep it
• You feel like your whole life is your business
• You keep setting and missing goals
• You’re considering a career change
• You are thinking of giving up or quitting

Which did you relate to? What other scenarios would you add to the list? If you were to put a check mark next to each one of these experiences (including the ones you would add), how many would describe your situation? 

Even one of these things can undermine your business and lead to detrimental outcomes. Three or more and you really want to ask is now when to consider business coaching for yourself?

The long term health and profitability of any business will be exponentially improved with the insight and expertise of a business coach with a holistic approach. Someone to hold your big vision with you while identifying the specific action steps required to bring that vision to life. 

Since 2011, courageous men and women around the world have chosen Divine Navigation and committed to the extraordinary and transformative experience of Aligning with their Soul-through their Divine Coordinates. We invite you to also explore the journey of The Business in Your Soul.