Business coaches - what are they and do you need one?

Every start-up is different and has its own unique set of opportunities and challenges.

You may have the necessary technical expertise, but setting up a start-up requires in-depth knowledge and experience in other areas such as business management and marketing - and this is where a start-up business coach comes in. They have the knowledge and skill needed to get your Green Tech start-up off the ground based on your specific objectives.

While business coaching has become a common and important practice for CEOs and business owners who want to advance themselves and their companies, many business leaders don’t truly understand what coaching actually is.

Business coaching is not consulting, and it’s not therapy. One common misconception is that business coaches will act more like consultants, doing the work of developing your business for you—they won’t. Coaches help set direction, and provide feedback, tools, guidance and perspective. They’re also an accountability factor, which is what we find to be the thing most business owners need—someone to help them stay focused on their goals.

“It is not uncommon for aspiring entrepreneurs in the green technology sector to lose sight of goals while setting up their company,” explains business coach Kieran Perry.

”A good start-up business mentor will objectively and with a fresh perspective get a good understanding of your vision. Given your needs, goals, preferences and values of the start-up, they can help you identify the best way forward.”

According to Kieran, the benefits of working with a startup business coach are:

• Personalised advice and support: A startup coach first seeks to understand your unique vision and goals. An effective business plan is then tailor-made for your startup. This ensures a customized strategy that is easier to implement.

• Specific expertise: Different startup coaches have different styles and specific areas of expertise. Working with a startup coach knowledgeable in Green Technology startups gives you the best chances of achieving maximum growth and success.

• A wealth of experience: One of the great advantages of engaging a startup coach is the perspective and advice that is offered, based on many years of experience working with startups in many different sectors. This ensures you get valuable insights and versatile solutions.

• Asks the difficult questions: A startup mentor is there to provide support and exchange ideas, as well as ask the difficult questions, to expose plans or intentions that could harm the startup or cause it to go off course.

• Holds you accountable: A good startup coach maintains accountability and will not let you get away with excuses. They will hold you to a high standard to ensure you get things done.

All of these points are important when choosing a business coach, but a personal fit is really at the heart of what makes a business coach the best for you.

If you’re ready to work with a coach, make sure:

• They have a track record of clients who speak highly of them.

• They listen, a lot.

• They ask you questions that you hadn’t thought to ask yourself.

• You get a buzz from spending time with them.

• They have an uncanny way of pinpointing something you’ve said that has more significance than you realised when you said it.

• They inspire you to inspire yourself.

A great coach is a lot of things.

But most importantly, they're a trusted mentor who truly cares about your success and the success of your business. They know that the two are inextricably linked, and that’s a partnership where everybody wins.