Seven Things a Business Coach Can Do For You

Although it's nice to think we have our act together, sometimes life gets out of hand. For business owners, it can be hard to balance work and life. A good business coach can help you and your business get on track and stay focused on your goals, your values and your business strategy. A business coach will help you evaluate your business to determine where to head and the best way to get there.

The following article shares seven benefits a business coach offers.

1. Create a Strategic Business Plan: A good business coach helps you determine the plan for your business. Together you discuss such things as your companies core values, its mission and long term plan. You create a visual image that represents your business and a tagline that will help people easily remember who you are and what you do.

All of these components come together to create a strategic plan for your company. You decide what you want for your customers and how to best serve them. You decide the path your company should take, and the steps it needs to stay focused.

A business coach clears away the cobwebs and helps you prioritize. Then, together you set goals. You are accountable to your coach as she helps you progress.

2. Leadership and Management Assessment: Working with you and your management team, a business coach will evaluate your leaders to determine their strengths.

Together you create a plan to empower your leaders and free them to practice the art of management.

3. Marketing Assistance: What is the most effective marketing and branding for your business? A coach helps you decide which strategies work best with your business plan.

Whether it's online marketing, social media, traditional advertising, or a combination of all types, a coach will help you wade through the morass of choices. You'll have a clear idea of the most effective marketing and advertising for your company.

4. Human Resources Plan: Many business owners see human resources as a necessary evil. On the one hand, you need to hire new employees, but on the other hand, HR means dealing with a wide variety of employee issues.

Working with a business coach helps you create a human resources plan. Not only will you develop the responsibilities of the human resources department, but you'll also decide what the responsibilities are for each category of employee.

Everyone comes aways with a clear picture of their own responsibilities and expectations.

5. Business and Personal Strengths Assessment: A business coach helps you determine the strengths and assets of you and your business. Knowing your strengths clarifies your strategic plan and helps you determine the best ways to move forward.

A coach can also help you identify challenges or areas for potential growth. These could be called weaknesses, but a good coach helps you see them as opportunities to improve yourself or your business.

6. Honest and Objective Assessment: Of course your friends and relatives think you're awesome. It's their job to tell you how great you are.

A business coach is not your friend. They are your employee, and their job is to make you and your company better. A good business coach isn't afraid to tell the truth, even if it's hard. He will be objective and honest and offer a genuine critique of where you are.

It's nice to hear that you are great. But in business, it's more important to hear the truth, so you can focus on your goals and objectives.

7. Create an Individual Success Plan: No two businesses are alike, and no two business owners are exactly the same either. A business coach works directly with you to create something that is uniquely yours.

It doesn't matter if there are five other businesses doing the exact same thing, and working with your coach. Your coach looks at the big picture of the business and the personalities therein, and develops a plan that will work for your particular circumstances.

There is no cookie cutter solution to business coaching. A good coach works with you to make an individual success plan, geared toward getting you exactly where you want to be.