Are you at one of those times in running a spa or massage practice when you feel stuck? Even if things are going well, you know that you need to change your course of action for continued success. However, you may not know what to do. Maybe you need to expand and bring on more staff with a greater range of treatment expertise? Or should you try reaching for a new demographic to build up your client roster? Would adding eCommerce to your website be the way to generate more retail sales? Or maybe you should do all of these things but just how to get going and what to tackle first is not clear.
On the other hand, things may be going well, but you personally don’t have the same enthusiasm for work that you did in the past. Your feelings may be spilling over into running the business if and get in the way of your motivating and managing the people who work for you. At times like these, a business coach can be helpful.
Writing for Entrepreneur, Jeff Boss, executive coach, points to four things a business coach can do for you:
Brainstorm brilliance: Sometimes, it takes a new perspective to see a connection between your personal values and beliefs and your desires and intentions. A business coach can help you make that connection.
Bounce ideas: A business coach is a great sounding board. By focusing just on you and not letting their own thoughts get in the way, a business coach asks the needed questions to help identify your deeply rooted values.
Be accountable: It’s easy to break promises to others – staff, associates, family, and friends – when you are busy. A coach helps you be accountable.
Receive guidance: A coach will challenge your thinking, goals, and willingness to grow and broaden your business awareness.
Boss emphasizes that a business's value is to help you navigate success both “inside and out of business.”
Choose the right coach
Ask for client references, and be sure the coach has relevant experience in the area you need help. Also, find out if the coach has accreditation since training institutes and certification coaches can achieve, although nothing takes the place of experience in the end. And since personality matters, be sure the coach is someone you want to work with. Not everyone’s style meld with yours. You want to be able to relate to your coach.
Find out how the coach works. Maybe you’ll meet in person if they are local, or they may schedule weekly or bi-monthly meetings over the phone if they are remote or prefer the convenience of getting on the phone. You can even video chat. Some may ask you to keep a journal. Also, make sure to ask what you can expect as the outcome of your relationship and what happens if you don’t get the results you want. Fees can vary, so ask upfront and adjust the meetings' frequency if necessary to stay within budget.
A business coach may be all you need for a few months or longer. But they can be invaluable when you need someone to help steer you in the right direction.