Regardless of the size of your business, a business coach can guide you to progress much faster. Business coaches are expert entrepreneurs who can help you to define your business goals and chalk out an effective strategy to achieve them. Additionally, one-on-one business coaching can improve your productivity, decision-making ability, self-awareness, and even help you foster better relationships with various stakeholders of your business. 

The participants of a study conducted by MetrixGlobal LLC about the benefits of executive coaching in a Fortune 500 company reported a 529 percent return on investment and significant intangible benefits to the business. In another survey, 100 executives reported that business coaching gave them an average ROI of approximately six times the money spent on coaching. These statistics demonstrate how invaluable good business coaching can be. 

However, given the number of business coaches around you, finding the right one can be challenging. So before you commit to a relationship with your coach.

Here are the five qualities you must look for in a business coach:

Has a wealth of experience

Just like you need a skilled driver to teach you how to drive a car, you need an experienced coach to teach you how to achieve professional growth. An inexperienced business coach will never be able to guide you towards building a successful business. 

Teaming up with an experienced coach helps you to learn from your coach’s real-life experiences. Before you zero in on a coach, check their credentials to understand what they have accomplished. 

Suppose you plan to expand your business from making USD 10 million annually to USD 100 million. In that case, you need a coach who has done it and also provided effective coaching to others to achieve it. Coaches who have guided solopreneurs will never be the right pick for you as they will find it difficult to offer you the right strategies to scale your business.  

Communicates effectively 

Effective communication is a crucial aspect of business coaching. Your coach should be able to clearly convey the expectations, goals, and strategies to achieve the goal.  

Good communication skills make it easier for a coach to have a conversation with you and ask stimulating questions that force you to think critically. In contrast, a business coach with poor communication skills will end up lecturing you with generic information and find it difficult to pose questions tailored to your needs. 

Ultimately, it is difficult to be inspired by someone who cannot articulate well. 

Holds you accountable 

When you start building your business, you get pulled in too many directions. As a result, things that matter for your growth can often take a back seat. The best business coaches prevent this from happening by working out a plan that ensures you stay accountable. 

A good business coach will work with you to identify specific areas of your business where you need help, help you prioritize, give you tools to remove distractions, and create the right mindset so that you end up doing what you say you will do.

Armed with better clarity and direction, you will find it much easier to say no to things or people that do not align with your goals.

Remains flexible

Rigidity has no place in coaching. After all, there is never a one-size-fits-all coaching solution for clients. 

Check if your coach is open to customizing a program for you that addresses your unique needs as an entrepreneur. Don’t hesitate to ask your coach about their current bandwidth — this will help you make a realistic assessment of whether you will receive personalized attention. Always ask for the accessibility policy of your coach and their preferred mode of communication. Discuss whether your coach would be willing to answer your questions through emails or text messages beyond scheduled sessions. 

Has a big picture vision 

Coaching is not a one-time project — it is a process where your coach provides consistent advice with a strategic mindset. What differentiates an excellent coach from an average one is the ability to look at the larger issues affecting your business and your entrepreneurial ability instead of getting bogged down by the individual aspects of the business. 

Ensure that your coach can look at the entirety of your business and strategize what works and what doesn’t. Your coach should be able to identify various opportunities for improvement and also help you look beyond the short-term implication of your decisions. 

This will make it easier for you to run your operations more efficiently. 

Are you looking for a business coach who can unlock your potential?

With the right coach by your side, you will be able to experience exponential growth and push yourself towards business breakthroughs. However, not all business coaches are equally skilled. To reap the maximum benefits of coaching, you need a straight-shooting coach who will understand your vision, create a roadmap to achieve the goals, and give you feedback so that you can prosper. If you are struggling to find a business coach to take your business to the next level, check out Jupiter Business Mentors. 

Jupiter Business Mentors has been set up with the intention of connecting mentors to the start-up community and small & medium business enterprises so that you can learn from their experiences and grow your business. It aims to bridge the gap of traditional business consulting practices and provides seamless access to experts who can give you effective coaching and guide you on your entrepreneurial journey. 

Jupiter Business Mentors brings 35+ expert mentors across the industry on the same platform. This makes it incredibly easy to find the right one for you – it allows you to check the profile of each mentor before you book a session. All you need to do is sign up as a Mentee. 

Learn more about how Jupiter Business Mentors can assist and avail 90 minutes of free sessions with any six mentors on the platform.