Coaching for new businesses
Why use a coach when you are starting up your own business?
Finding a business coach can viewed as finding your critical friend who isn’t there to tell you what to do. A business coach is there to support you achieve the goals you have set yourself and your business.
There are many definitions of what a coach is. Successful business coaching is a business relationship built on trust, respect, rapport and safety that, through challenge brings about measurable changes and desirable outcomes for the business as set by the business.
Finding a business coach
Before searching for a coach, be clear about what goal/s you want to achieve.
- You need SMART objectives (Specific, Measurable, Agreed, Realistic & Time-based).
- If you decide to work with a coach then the first issue a small business will encounter is who to select as your coach?
- Consider asking other small businesses if they can recommend different coaches to you and what they see as the benefits of working with a coach.
Initial discussions
Any of the coaches you approach should have an initial discussion with you when you discuss what you want to achieve. The coach should advise you how they work with clients, the professional standards they follow together with their fees.
In summary
- What change/changes are you wanting to achieve?
- What is the coach’s approach to achieving goals?
- Does the coach’s style and processes fit with you and your business?
Contracting with a coach
Before you start your coaching, the coach should provide you with a contract as this is the bedrock of your coaching relationship. It should be seen as a legal instrument for two reasons which are as a way of setting ground rules for the coaching relationship so both you and the coach understand each other’s obligations and, secondly as a means to keep liabilities to a minimum as this is a business relationship.
Whilst the style and approaches of coaching will vary from coach to coach the professional behaviours should be consistent. The coach should advise you about their codes of ethics and, their professional conduct code.
Finding a business coach can viewed as finding your critical friend … look around and find a coach or mentor who you feel a connection with.
Blunt advice on finding a business coach from Yorkshire Powerhouse
Have you any questions?
Here at Yorkshire Powerhouse, we’re happy to help as much as possible – is there anything else we can do to help you, do you have any further questions or can we help introduce you to an expert – please let us know:
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