Running a business or practice can be a daily challenge. Everyone else seemingly does it so easily, so why does it sometimes seem like so much hard work? Business owners don’t always have someone they can turn to for answers to daily frustrations, which is why more and more are looking to find a business coach. The most common issues revolve around people, money and time. In particular, the lack of it. This question and answer series of articles provides scenarios for practice and business owners to find answers to those frustrating situations.

Q: In the spirit of open management, I asked my office manager what his biggest frustrations were so we could address them. Among those he listed were: I don’t know what my job really is; and ‘inconsistent direction and instruction’. How do I deal with this? Continue reading →

Running a business or practice can be a daily challenge. Everyone else seemingly does it so easily, so why does it sometimes seem like so much hard work? Business owners don’t always have someone they can turn to for answers to daily frustrations, which is why more and more are looking to find a business coach. The most common issues revolve around people, money and time. In particular, the lack of it. This question and answer series of articles provides scenarios for practice and business owners to find answers to those frustrating situations.

Q: My biggest bugbear isn’t systems or planning – those I have pretty well handled, it’s interruptions. I never seem to be able to have clear time to focus on the task at hand. Continue reading →

Running a business or practice can be a daily challenge. Everyone else seemingly does it so easily, so why does it sometimes seem like so much hard work? Business owners don’t always have someone they can turn to for answers to daily frustrations, which is why more and more are looking to find a business coach. The most common issues revolve around people, money and time. In particular, the lack of it. This question and answer series of articles provides scenarios for practice and business owners to find answers to those frustrating situations.

Q: I am that stage of my business where I know I need help. I have thought about a business coach but don’t really know where to start and what I should be looking for in a coach? Continue reading →

Running a business or practice can be a daily challenge. Everyone else seemingly does it so easily, so why does it sometimes seem like so much hard work? Business owners don’t always have someone they can turn to for answers to daily frustrations, which is why more and more are looking to find a business coach. The most common issues revolve around people, money and time. In particular, the lack of it. This question and answer series of articles provides scenarios for practice and business owners to find answers to those frustrating situations.

Most small business owners become so because they have a particular technical or tactical skill and a desire to ‘be more’ than just an employee. The challenge for 95% of them is that, while they are experts at what they have been taught to do, no-one has ever taught them ‘the business of business’. It is this lack of knowledge, more than anything else which will hold back their business growth. It is the really smart ones who can put their hands up and say, “I have reached the limit of my current skill set and to take this business further I need to know and understand more and develop higher skills. The problem is ‘I don’t know what I don’t know.’” These are the ones who seek out knowledge – a guide, a mentor, a coach. They are the ones we love to work with as they are committed as much to their own growth as that of their business. And we know they will make a difference and change to their business and their life. Continue reading →

Running a business or practice can be a daily challenge. Everyone else seemingly does it so easily, so why does it sometimes seem like so much hard work? Business owners don’t always have someone they can turn to for answers to daily frustrations, which is why more and more are looking to find a business coach. The most common issues revolve around people, money and time. In particular, the lack of it. This question and answer series of articles provides scenarios for practice and business owners to find answers to those frustrating situations.

If you’ve been following this blog series, you may have noticed that the answers are not always cut and dried. A coach’s role is not to ‘tell’, it’s more about introducing sound business principles and asking the right questions to stimulate the client’s thinking to lead them to uncovering or developing the right solution for their business. In our coaching business we are principles-based rather than formula-based. That is to say, instead of taking either a “best-practices” template, or the “cookie-cutter” model (one-size-fits-all) and imposing it on our clients, we want them to understand the underlying business principles and then work with those principles and apply them so that they have a solution specifically tailored to their own business. In this way, both the business and the client can reach their full potential. Continue reading →