How is your career going these days? If you want a change or to better use all the business knowledge you’ve accumulated, do you have any notion in being a business coach? If so, what is a business coach, and how could you be one of the better ones out there? “What does a business coach do?” is a question some in the business world may wonder. Yes, such a position comes with a fair amount of responsibilities, but it can also open doors to many possibilities for you, both in your profession and personal life.
With that in mind, now may be the time to put your business skills and background to work helping others.
What does a business coach do?
In short, a business coach helps other small businesses run more effectively, holds them accountable to their goals, and sets them up for even more success.
In a 2019 survey of entrepreneurs and executives, some 70 percent said a business coach was quite valuable to them. A little more than one-fourth said having such a coach helped them grow their revenue. So, could you see yourself being quite a valuable asset to different heads of companies? Before you answer that question, take a good long look at your skill set.
What makes you stand out in the business world? How would you differentiate yourself from countless other business coaches? Do you have the personality to deal with varying personalities? If so, this line of work could be right up your alley.
For one, you will need the skill of being able to tell other people at times what they do not want to necessarily hear. Yes, this means you will give them some constructive criticism.
Face it; some entrepreneurs and executives think that they can do no wrong. As a result, they can be a little difficult to get through to at times. Your job is to cut through that barrier and present them with constructive feedback. The end goal being they make the right decision each time out that benefits their company.
Another skill set you need to transfer to others would be time management skills. Yes, most people get off track at times when it comes to properly managing their schedules. While little gaffes in time management tend not to be the end of the world, too many such errors can be bad for business.
Do your best to keep your clients focused on time so they meet their deadlines as often as possible. Doing so can help them keep more customers happy, show they can meet deadlines, be on time for meetings, and more.
How good are your marketing talents?
If you had to rate yourself on a scale of 1 (quite bad) to 10 (outstanding) in marketing; what kind of rating would you give? Being able to teach company leaders how to market a brand is another key skill, especially when it comes to the Internet. It is all but a necessity in today’s business world to be driving down the information highway.
Yes, there are some businesses that do very little when it comes to online marketing and selling on the web. But many companies rely on various means of internet activity to make inroads with consumers.
For example, did you know that there were more than 255 million Americans shopping online in 2020? With the U.S. population in 2020 listed at around 331,500 million people, the fact more than half shopped online is not something to gloss over.
So, do you have the online marketing skills to show clients why their brands must have a strong presence on the web? Among the focuses they should have would be a killer website, a strong social media presence, a worthwhile business app, an online store, and more.
Company leaders also need to know both their business and personal reputations. Given how fast word can spread on the web, you do not want your client/s dealing with negative reputations. If you do not do it for them, show them how to track online chatter about themselves and their brands and how to deal with red flags such as negative customer feedback online.
How are your financial skills when it is not your money in play?
Finally, imagine if you worked as a business coach and one or more of clients were bad when it came to finances. How long until you try and help them over and over again and your patience finally runs out? Some entrepreneurs and executives you work with may keep finances close to the vest. However, you can still provide financial coaching without knowing the exact company figures.
From ramping up sales to cutting company expenses/debt, give your two cents when needed. A company head may be so focused on their work and not see that their business is leaking money big-time. As a business coach, make it your business to do everything for clients to improve their brands in a variety of ways.
When you do this, odds are you will be getting more work and be seen as one heck of a business coach in various industries.
