Not many businessmen and women know the incredible value and importance of a business coach or mentor. For starters they are someone from the outside looking in, a new and varying perspective that can bring new ideas and new ways of thinking. Find out more on the importance of business coaches in this snippet from an interview between Dale Beaumont and Joshua Nicholls.
Joshua Nicholls is the owner of Platinum Electrical Contractors, which in just four years has experienced a growth of 790%. From it’s humble beginnings, Platinum Electrical has now grown to have over 30 employees and has been a finalist and won many small business awards.
Why do you believe that having a business coach or mentor is important? How have they helped you?
Having a coach or mentor is really important because they are an independent sounding board with business experience and great wisdom.
A coach is not a consultant who comes into your business and tells you what to do or does it for you. Rather, a coach spends time listening to where you’re at in your business and then initiates discussions to facilitate problem solving and strategic planning. This concept was a little hard to get my head around at first, I couldn’t believe that I was paying a lot of money to do all the work myself. However, the ‘coaching’ technique is definitely invaluable because it is not the quick fix that many consultants who come in and out of your business in a hurry usually provide. Instead, coaching forces you to think and learn for yourself – the first-hand knowledge acquisition and personal development lasts for a lifetime. I have found that you cannot grow your business without first growing yourself.When I started my business I was definitely an experienced electrician but I had no real idea about running a business. Eighteen months along and working almost 90 hours a week, I employed the services of a business coach and have never looked back.
The best thing about a coach or mentor is that they keep you accountable to your vision. Often as a small business owner you can get caught working in your business and not spending enough time working on it and moving toward your business goals. Having weekly or even fortnightly meetings with a coach forces you to take a few hours out to specifically think about your business and where it’s heading. Although taking this time out is extremely important, small business owners often say they are too busy and don’t prioritise it. This is dangerous and small business owners often don’t meet their goals because they don’t spend enough time strategically planning. This is where coaches keep you accountable and regularly challenge you on your progress.
I have also found that having a coach can stop you from learning the hard way and making big mistakes. Because I have listened to the words of wisdom of other people, it has allowed me to progress quickly without too many deterrents as a result of making wrong choices.
Fore more info on The Importance of a Business Coach or Mentor and this interview check out Secrets of Small Business Owners Exposed!
