Business Coaching can assist your business whether just starting off or already established.
Starting a new business can be a daunting experience, especially in these recessionary times. Engaging in Business Coaching can make the prospect a lot easier. You know the old expression - a problem shared is a problem halved. Business Coaching will prove to be a very positive and profitable experience and one you will not regret.
Prioritising, planning and organisational skills will be the key here, combined with Time Management, Delegation, learning how to set and achieve goals and set targets. Setting targets is all very well, meeting them is quite a different story. Targets need to be tracked carefully on a regular basis to make sure they are being realised otherwise there is no point in setting them in the first place.
I can take you through all of these challenges step by step helping to ensure that your business is operating efficiently.
With the recession upon us are you happy to sit back and watch your, hard earned, hard worked for business go down the tubes? Or are you, together with your staff, willing to be pro-active and invest a little time and money into learning new skills and enforcing existing skills in order to keep your business buoyant and profitable.
Ask yourself the following questions:
If you have answered Yes to two or more of the above questions, then perhaps engaging in Business Coaching may very well be the answer you have been looking for.
Nowadays it is very common for businesses of all types and sizes to engage in Business Coaching. The business doesn't have to be in difficulty in order to avail of Business Coaching. In fact most businesses who engage in Business Coaching are not in difficulty. They simply see that their business is not performing at its maximum potential and they do not have the time or the resources to improve the situation.
Small to medium sized businesses find it particularly beneficial to have a Business Coach. The Coach bridges the gap, saves time and using his or her experience comes up with ideas to tackle the challenge. It is also often easier for the Coach to look at the business objectively and to see what can be done to improve matters. The Coach and business owner build up a good relationship and make decisions to enable the business to move forward. Sometimes the business owner is so involved in the day to day running of the business that he or she does not have time or energy to change things, or indeed, to acknowledge that changes need to be made. Standing back and taking a good look at how the business is progressing is often seen as a luxury when in actual fact it is essential to evaluate what progress or not as the case may be is being made.
The first step is to meet with you and discuss what the main areas of concern are and to establish whether or not you have tried any methods to improve the situation. Once this has been established, together we can devise a plan of action that is tailor made to your business needs.
We will set realistic goals and targets. We will decide how these goals and targets will be achieved and within what time frame they will be achieved. We will set out a plan of action, starting with a short term goal, e.g. a weekly goal then perhaps a monthly goal then a three or six monthly goal. We will discuss how the new plan will be presented to the members of staff and whether or not individual or Group Coaching is appropriate to your business. For most businesses, improving 'the bottom line' is naturally their main aim and depending on the number of challenges the business is facing, this process can appear to be relatively slow but once all the necessary changes have been set up and put in place effectively the 'bottom line' takes on a life of its own and heads in the right direction.
Business Coaching takes in a huge variety of areas, some of which will be more appropriate to your needs at one particular time and others may not need so much attention. For example: The reason your business may not be working so well may be as a result of bad Time Management or it could be as a result of poor Sales Techniques. On the other hand it may be that your staff need to be motivated. Perhaps they are not reaching their targets or you are failing to set targets for them resulting in lack of incentive for them to give their best performance.
What can I help with as Your Business Coach?
Prioritising: First things first! It is essential to prioritise. Discover and list the areas of the business that need immediate attention. Find out what we can do 'right now', that will improve matters and instigate those solutions straight away. From there we go through the list one by one until we reach the last item. The list usually changes as we go along to accommodate the day to day or week to week changes and challenges that face a growing business. As your Business Coach I can help you with this very important first step that will help transform your business.
Delegation: This is an area that a lot of businesses fall down on, especially small businesses as the Owner / Manager tends to take control and feel responsible for every area of work. Proper and appropriate delegation is essential and very often defines the smooth running of any business. Some basic rules and lessons can be thought here that will transform the efficiency of how the business is run and can have a huge influence on the turnover of the business. I can, as your Business Coach, help you to instigate a formula for delegating which will make life much easier for you.
Motivation: Often keeping oneself motivated, never mind the staff, can be an awesome task. If your staff are not motivated then they will soon lose interest in their job and become bored and this can spread like a virus in any work place. It is of the upmost importance that everyone is kept motivated and again there are a number of things that can help greatly to achieve this. As I mentioned before, targets are one thing that can help in this matter. As your Business Coach I will have many ideas and tools that can be used with excellent results to improve motivation.
Procrastination: We are all guilty of procrastination at one time or another but in business there is no room for it. A business owner who procrastinates is on a slippery slope. There is no time for that in business. Every business, no matter what type, has its competitors and cannot afford to put things on the long finger. It is a recipe for disaster. Decisions need to be made promptly and action must follow equally as promptly. It is important to stay at least one step ahead of the posse. As your Business Coach I will help you to become aware of when you are procrastinating and show you some exercises you can do that will help you to commence taking action.
Time Management: This is an area that often doesn't get much attention yet planning out your time is an integral part of running any business. If you don't manage your time then you are going to feel that you are working all the time. In order to be able to have free time for family, friends and recreation it is imperative to manage your time effectively. As your Business Coach I will sit down and help you plan out your schedule successfully. As a result you will use your time more wisely and efficiently, you will be less stressed and you will not feel guilty when you take some time off.
Setting Goals and Targets: This area can be tied in with motivation. Setting goals and targets adds a little zest to things, helps spice it up. It is very important to know how to set realistic goals and how to set targets that are achievable otherwise the exercise can have the opposite effect and can be disheartening instead of uplifting. As your Business Coach I will bring many skills and tools to the table which can be used in accordance with your particular type of business. It's a win win situation. Staff are happy because they are reaching their goals and have a strong sense of satisfaction along with monitory gains. You are happy because the staff are more content and more motivated and the 'bottom line' is improving.
Sales Techniques: While this may appear to be an easy task it needs careful attention to detail. Staff need to be trained and retrained in the art of selling. Whether it's a service of an item your company sells, it is imperative that everyone who is in contact with the public, either in person, by phone or e-mail is up to date on your current products and has an excellent knowledge on your entire range. Regular training is a must. There are no excuses. How else is your business going to expand? How can you expect your clients to know what is available if your staff don't know what there is to offer? Having worked in sales of one type or another most of my working life I will be well able to assist in this matter.
Planning - short and long term: Any business worth its salt will have a short term and long term plan. Having a short term plan keeps a focus on the business. It is easy to see if something is going wrong and affords you the opportunity to rectify it immediately. From a monitory point of view you can see clearly whether or not you are reaching your targets. If you are not you will need to re-evaluate and see what steps you can take to change this.
Long term plans are even more essential. They give you the opportunity to steer your business in the direction you want it to go. In order to have a long term plan you must look ahead to the future and this enables you to see a bigger picture and ultimately helps with the organising of the short term plan. As your Business Coach I can be instrumental in helping you create and form both your short and long term plans.
These are just a few examples of areas that can be improved with Business Coaching. Ultimately the aim is to improve morale, get everybody singing from the same hymn sheet, so to speak and have a very positive effect on the 'bottom line' as a result of a greater turnover.
Get in touch to find out more! or