Why You Need a Business Coach

Honestly? You don’t.

You could go it alone and learn by trial and error (until you get so frustrated that you finally give in and ask for some help).

Or you can put together/join a free mastermind and try and help each other haul yourselves up to that next level in business (until you realize you’re the one giving all the help and not really moving your own business ahead).

Or you can find yourself an accountability partner — someone to help keep you accountable for the things you say you’re going to do to move your business forward (until you start to feel guilty that you’re not getting anything done and stop messaging them out of shame).

But if you want someone on your team, who’s been where you are, can help you avoid some pitfalls and give you a hand up when you stumble — well, then you need a Business Coach my friend.

You’ve probably heard about the growing trend for big organizations to invest a lot of money in coaches for their executives. Why? Because they know this is money well spent.

And all the benefits do NOT have to be limited to big fancy corporate suits.

In fact, it doesn’t matter what size the biz is; any organization, from solopreneur to head honcho at Coca-cola can benefit from coaching. The trick is finding a coach who can offer you exactly what you need to grow and expand both your biz and your own skills and abilities.  

So in your case, yes you can absolutely benefit from a coach… a coach who specializes in solopreneur VAs like you.

What Are YOUR Needs?

Where are you TODAY in your business?

Are you just starting out? Fresh entrepreneurs often find themselves in WAY over their heads for the first year or so. (Whether they want to admit it or not.) I’m not just talking about the first year they’re in business, but 12 months from the point they come up with their big idea. Trying to pull everything together from that point can be extraordinarily stressful and confusing, especially if you’ve never done it before. Enter: a coach!

A business coach can help steer you away from so many of the common business mistakes that everybody makes when they try to go it alone—but you don’t have to. Seriously. You don’t need to do everything by yourself. I mean, that’s going to be your usual VA pitch to your clients, right!? So take your own advice!

Your coach is someone you can bounce ideas off of, who can help you learn to find new clients, and who can hold you accountable. What a difference they can make if you bring them on from ground zero!  

Are you already in operation? Well good for you, but remember: It’s never too late to get help.

Think about it. As a virtual assistant, your business is all about helping other people’s businesses. In this way, you actually have a lot in common with a business coach. The main difference is that a coach doesn’t do the work; they help business owners figure out how to do the work themselves. But boy can they help guide you in the right direction!

A business coach may be especially helpful to you if you’ve been rolling for a while, but you’re struggling with motivation, having trouble filling your client base, or feeling rudderless without direction. They can also be an amazing help when you realize that it’s time to up the ante and earn more money!

Get Serious About Accountability

As your own boss, who are you accountable to? Well, you’re accountable to your clients for the work you produce. But you’re also accountable to yourself. The challenge is that you probably don’t deliver “the goods” to yourself with as much urgency as you deliver work to your clients. And that can really be a setback in growing your business and moving it forward.

It’s tricky to be accountable to yourself! Even when you’re exercising all of your self-discipline, your brain just doesn’t work the same way when you’re reporting to yourself. Why not watch some Netflix instead of writing that blog about your new service offerings; you can just do it in the morning, right? That updated bio you’ve been meaning to write for yourself? Oh, there’s so much fun stuff to do with friends this week, that can wait until later. What about writing that business plan (that you should have really started with before you launched)? Just a little more surfing on Facebook couldn’t hurt, right?

That’s procrastination at its best. No matter how great you are at completing work for clients when it comes to building your own business, there’s always an excuse. That is, until you create accountability. That’s one of the biggest advantages of a business coach.

A business coach can be your “boss” when you need one. They can keep tabs on you to make sure that you’re staying on top of projects, handling tasks on time, and generally following up on growth strategies. Plus, they can give you valuable guidance in all of those areas because they’re pros. They won’t just be making it up as they go along, the way you might have to if you’re working from the ground up to build up your VA base.

If you’re feeling stuck and unmotivated, trust me, using a business coach as an accountability partner is an investment you won’t regret.

Get Help in Specific Areas

Sometimes, you might need a very specific kind of help with something going on in your business.

You might be launching a brand new service, and you aren’t sure about how to market it. Or, it’s time to put your rates up but you don’t know how to handle it. At times like that, having a business coach behind you can change everything, making the insurmountable feel mountable.

Don’t forget: Not every business coach is appropriate for every situation. Let’s say that you’re having some financial troubles. While it can be helpful to speak with your coach, they might direct you to speak with your accountant or a financial advisor instead. But even if your coach can’t help you specifically, they’ll still be able to guide you to speak with the right person or to find the information you’re looking for.  

Find the Perfect Fit

Have you ever brought on a new client who seemed like a perfect fit, but when you started to work together you discovered your energies clashed? It can be the same with a coach.

Working with a business coach can be a very personal experience. You’re talking to them about the details of your business, sharing your ideas and thoughts. You might get into some personal stuff with them that has been getting in the way of you doing your job. So when you hire a coach, you want to be sure this is not only someone who you can trust but also someone who you WANT to trust.

Start with a consultation to suss out how you interact together. See how the conversation flows. Do you feel comfortable with them? Do they mesh with where you’re at in your business? Will you feel shy speaking with them or completely at ease? Don’t be afraid to ask them a lot of questions on the consultation as well as about how they like to work and what kinds of entrepreneurs and projects they enjoy and excel at. You might have to speak with a couple of coaches before you find someone who suits you just right, but it’s worth the effort; finding a business coach you can trust is worth their weight in gold.

Everyone needs help (even coaches), and that goes double for VAs who have the weight of client expectations on their shoulders all the time. Having a coach can make the difference between a thriving VA business and burnout.

Have you ever worked with a coach before? Need help finding someone great? Get in touch, and we can chat about it!