What, exactly does a business coach do?

While on the golf course yesterday, one of my playing partners asked, “What the heck is a business coach?”  He told me he had never heard of business coaching.  It turns out that I get this question a lot, so here is my answer:

1.  A Business Coach is an EDUCATOR – we identify our client’s business blind spots (we all have them) and educate them on things about business they didn’t know they didn’t know.

2.  Once we identify a business blind spot, we work with our client to prepare them to increase their knowledge so that they can either embrace new areas, or effectively delegate to their team.

3.  The subjects we deal in are, for the most part, the fundamentals of business upon which all successful businesses are built.

Before I was able to get to my final point, my playing partner asked “Isn’t coaching and consulting the same?”  That is a perfect lead in to the most important difference between consulting and coaching, and the primary factor that makes business coaching extremely effective:

·    Accountability – Just like a sports coach, we stand side by side with our clients to insure they use the education and stay focused on achieving their business goals.