How To Select A Small Business Coach Or Consultant - 15 Point ...

Home » How To Find A Business Coach » How To Select A Small Business Coach Or Consultant - 15 Point ...

Maybe your like

  • Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Home » Self-Employed Success Blog » Running a Strong & Efficient Business » How to Select a Small Business Coach or Consultant – 16 Point ChecklistSelect Small Business Coach / Small Business Consultant

How do you select a small business coach or consultant? There are many small business coaches to choose from, so it helps to have clarity about what you’re looking for in a coach, consultant, or mentor.

Here are 16 tips to help you select a small business coach or consultant:

  1. Start with their knowledge level. Small business coaching and consulting are skills, and it takes a lot of education and practice to master them. Because small business consulting and coaching are not regulated industries, anyone can call themselves a “coach,” whether they’ve been trained or not. By selecting someone who has attended and graduated from a recognized coaching school, and choosing someone with several years’ experience as a consultant, you have more assurance that they are skilled and knowledgeable. After all, part of what you’re paying for is the ability to pick their brains and learn from them.
  2. Select someone who has experience, both as a consultant and as a small business owner. How long have they been a small business coach or consultant? How long have they been a small business owner? How many businesses have they owned in the past? How many clients have they worked with and in how many industries? Look for someone with a wide breadth of experience so you know they can handle your unique situation.
  3. Know the size of your business and select a coach accordingly. Some small business coaches specialize in businesses with more than 100 employees, while others focus on coaching small, self-employed business owners and solo entrepreneurs with fewer than 5 employees. Read through their materials/website carefully to see which size businesses they work serve.
  4. Choose a consultant who has both business skills as well as coaching/consulting skills. Coaching is all about getting unstuck, taking action, living to your highest potential, and managing your time — the inner mindset game of business ownership. Consulting is about brainstorming and receiving expert advice to create a solid business and marketing model, and implement a powerful action plan. As a small business owner, you know how important it is to have marketing skills, business strategy and planning skills, and good time management. If you need help in any specific business skill, make sure your coach is an expert in that area, so that he or she can not only coach you but can advise and teach you. Here’s more information on the difference between a coach and a consultant. You’ll want someone with both skill sets and a coach who knows when to use each skill given the circumstances.
  5. Continuous learning: When a coach continues their own studies and sharpens their skills, you benefit in unique way — the coach adds that new skill or knowledge on top of their existing base and can extrapolate creative implementations of the new knowledge in ways a newbie can’t. Essentially, the coach can connect the dots between existing knowledge and new knowledge.
  6. Check the testimonials: Are the coach’s other clients similar to you? Does the coach have experience working with business owners like you, in the industry you are in? (Note: Beware of unsigned testimonials. Look for the name of the client and the client’s company name.) Also, check on LinkedIn to see if the coach has testimonials/recommendations there.
  7. Expert status: Does the small business coach speak, write and teach on business topics? Is he or she a known expert in their field? Is the coach an expert on business topics: marketing (both traditional and internet marketing), customer service, strategic planning, financial planning, etc.?
  8. Additional offerings: In addition to private strategy sessions, does the coach offer other products or services, like books, online programs, mastermind groups, or live classes?
  9. Free consultation: Does the coach offer a free initial consultation, so that you can get to know one another and see if there is a good fit between what you need and what your coach can offer?
  10. Good fit: After your initial consultation, do you feel that it’s a good fit, personality-wise? You’re going to be spending a lot of time together, and it matters that you connect and can establish a good relationship. Do you feel positive after speaking with them, or dragged down? If you are an energetic person and the coach is quiet (or vice versa), is that a good match? Do you feel you can trust the coach and have a good rapport with him/her? Do they communicate clearly? Do you enjoy their company?
  11. Who you’ll work with: Will you work directly with the main coach or consultant in the business, or is there a team of coaches who subcontract for the main coach? You want to know exactly who you’ll be working with. You don’t end up with a coach whom you’ve never spoken to and/or who you don’t know their skills, knowledge, and experience level — or if it’s a good fit, personality-wise. Ask the person you speak with, “Will I be working directly with you?”
  12. Prompting insights: Does the small business coach ask you a lot of questions that give you “a-ha” moments of insight and growth? Part of a coach’s job is to help you understand yourself, what you want from your business, and where you may be sabotaging your own success.
  13. Challenging: Does the coach challenge you to step up to your greatness, to be accountable for getting things done? Or does the coach let you get away with being less than you want to be?
  14. Availability: Is the coach available to work with you, when you want and as often as you want? Some coaches only have daytime hours, while others only work evenings and weekends. Is the coach available via email between scheduled sessions?
  15. Fees and programs: Does the coach discuss their fees with you clearly? Are you clear about what you’ll get for the price you’ll pay? Do their fees fit your budget?
  16. What is included in the program: Some coaches offer private meetings, while others work in a group format where you share the time with several other business owners. Some include training classes or a mastermind group in addition to private sessions. If you’re interested in a group program, ask them, “How many people are in a group?” You want to be sure you won’t get lost in the crowd.

Choosing the right consultant or coach for you will lead to a productive and inspiring relationship. Take your time and do your homework, and you’ll certainly find the right coach for you.

If you are struggling with your marketing and sales, solve the mystery of why your customers aren’t buying your products and services. Click here to get a free copy of my Discover the Missing Link ebook.

Previous Post: «Let’s Talk About Fear Let’s Talk About FearNext Post: Survey Results: Full Text vs. Link in Email Newsletters Email Marketing»

Footer

Services

  • Small Business Consulting
  • Small Business Coaching
  • Compass Master Program
  • Leap Year Mastermind Group

FAQ

  • What is Coaching?
  • Small Business Coach vs Consultant
  • Industries We Serve

Resources

  • Self Employed Success Blog
  • Free Ebook: Discover the Missing Link
  • Free video tutorial: Setting and Raising Your Fees
  • Free Tutorial: Start a Mastermind Group

Connect

+1 (610) 381-4332

Contact Us

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

Tag » How To Find A Business Coach