Is It Time To Hire A Business Coach?

Why should you hire a business coach? A primer on what a coach can do for you and your company.

Before I get to the answer, let me first start by stating why you shouldn't hire a business coach. A business coach isn't a substitute for a complaint desk. #NoPityParty. It's not where you go to unload all of your problems and expect sympathy. Whenever I got into that mode, my business coach, Keir Mclaren would always say, "There are no victims, just volunteers." And each time, that would snap me back into the realization that everything that I was complaining about, was a result of the decisions that I made (who I hired, what job I agreed to take on, who I decided not to discipline) and my own inactions (passive aggressive behavior doesn't count as effective management). People will behave the way they do until there all consequences to their actions.

Most importantly, don't hire a business coach if you aren't ready to change. There's no point. You might as well throw your money out the window. This one seems obvious, but many people ask for a solution but upon hearing one, they offer up "reasons" why that can't ever happen. The range of reasons or excuses run the gamut from: I've tried that but it didn't work last time, that would work, but my company is too small, I don't have enough experience, I'm not an expert at this, I don't have enough resources, I don't like it, what proof do you have of that working, I don't have time, there's no guarantee this will work, etc... As a creative coach myself, I've heard all of the excuses. It never ceases to amaze me, how hard people work at not working on what needs to be worked on.

You're not reading this post because of what not to do. That's not helping you at all. So, without further ado, here are my top 5 reasons why you might want to hire a business coach (in no particular order).

1. Business is good. Business is bad.

What? Let me explain. When business is good, this is the perfect time to use the windfall of profits to invest in yourself, develop new ideas/products, etc... Whatever you try, the amount of fear and risk associated with shortening your financial runway will be the least. This is exactly what we did. We were coming off a really strong year and had a nice pad of cash. Rather than sit on it and be content, I hired a business coach, CPA and financial advisor within a one year period. For me, the upside seemed high while the downside seemed low. We could afford to lose some money, but if each person helped us in any real way, we would have profited. And profit we did. After the first year working with our business coach, we double our billings and smashed through a financial ceiling. 

When things are tight, it's definitely a sign that you need help. Gun to your head, back against the wall, you don't have much of a choice but to bring on an outside consultant to help you turn the ship around. It's either that or face closing your business. Unfortunately, I've seen more than a few friends try to solve the problem on their own and fail. I think the rationale was, money is tight, I can't afford to spend any more. But that, to me, is a really short sighted view. Cut what you can live without (and there's plenty) and spend the money to get the help that you need. As the adage goes, "An attorney who represents himself, has a fool for a client." What can a business coach really do for your business? See reasons 2-4.

2. Accountability. 

As the CEO/Founder of your company, you are your own boss. You don't really report to anybody. It's great except when it's not. Remember that site that you were going to launch last month? Missed it? Well, there's always next month. Family vacation postponed again? For the third time? Yeah, well that's the problem. No one tells you what to do so you do what you want. Most of the time, you're busy putting out fires, dealing with client stuff. At the very bottom of your enormous list of things to do is all the stuff that you really need to be doing. Things like: personal development, staying up to date with global and industry trends, marketing, sales, team development, managing company culture and finding balance between work and life. 

Having a business coach can help to keep you accountable. It's often nice to know that someone else is counting on you to get your stuff done. This person isn't afraid to call you out on your stuff nor are they going to just abandon you if you falter. Your business coach keeps your feet to the flame and is there with you the entire way. 

3. Blind spots.

Doing something and doing it well could also be a recipe for developing a blind spot for new and emerging technology, cultural shifts or social change. Now I can't say this for all coaches, but mine constantly bombards me with what's happening in the outside world. He's a prolific reader, watches cultural trends, consumes pop culture, and talks to other business owners. Not everything sent my way is valuable. But if I'm busy, I know that I'm not going to miss much, because I have someone who is constantly looking for opportunities. Sometimes, he only has half the puzzle, but then I realize I've been holding the other half of the puzzle and serendipitously found the missing piece. Having a fresh, outsider that doesn't "drink the Kool-Aid" assures that I'm not missing out on potential threats or opportunities.

4. Objectivity.

I know how it is. It's easy to fall into a groove and take everything you do for granted to a point of indifference (however unintentional).

I recall one time when our coach came into our office and said, "I try to imagine what it's like to come to your space for the first time. Why are the client parking spaces the worst? When I come up the stairway and into the lobby, why isn't there a sign to greet me? Why isn't my parking space reserved? How come there isn't any artwork on the walls that show people what we do? How do I get on the internet to check my email? Why don't you give your guests a tour of the workspace and stage where you shoot?" It's these kinds of questions that raise questions about we talk about "customer service" but aren't really living it.

One of the hardest things to do is to know yourself. That's why sometimes a stranger will see you the most clearly and that kind of feedback is invaluable.

5. Power greater than you.

It's lonely at the top. Sometimes, I would go home with the weight of the world on my shoulders. I know that's not the case, but it's how it felt. Our company culture was toxic to the point that I dreaded going to the office each day. I knew that once I stepped through the door, there were a handful of people who were going to drive me crazy with their issues; stirring up and creating drama, while other employees were doing the very minimum to fly under the radar. I knew that clients were going to call and complain. At times, it felt like it was too much to deal with. Starting over suddenly seemed like a great option.

Who do you turn to? It would be too much to dump on my wife. My parents didn't know much about running a business or anything about our industry. It's not like I could call a competitor and ask for help. It's times like this when having a business coach in your corner is like having a therapist, coach and friend rolled into one. Sometimes, it was to talk me off the ledge and sometimes it was to affirm that I was making the right decision (balancing my need to run a profitable and sustainable company with that of my morals).

If you're contemplating getting help, I hope you found this post useful. Just remember, the buck does stop at the top, but that doesn't mean you have to do it alone.

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Chris Do is the founder and CEO of Blind and the founder of The Futur. He is an Emmy winning director, respected lecturer on the business of creativity, and host of over 200 episodes on YouTube called The Process. #BizOfDesign

@theChrisDo