Business Coaches are people who build, support, and encourage you in the pursuit of your goals. Getting someone who works well with you is key to your success.

SHOULD THE COACH BE CERTIFIED?

Certification in the coaching industry is relatively new but it lets you know that the Small Business Coach has invested in their profession and underwent some rigorous study. However, I interact with coaches and have periodically hired coaches myself; I have discovered that a coaches abilities are determined by:

1. their love for people and ability to interact and communicate with different personalities

2. their knowledge of business

3. their ability to release their ego

Don't get me wrong, I'm not undermining certification. I will soon be certified myself. However, I've seen a certified coach send his client "back to the drawing board" until she returned with a business model similar to the model that he visualized.

I've heard of a coach who had some success in online marketing even though her background was in nursing. She immediately proclaimed herself a "business coach", got certified, and made a few people (and herself) miserable as she took on clients that had home-based service businesses.

Hiring a business coach doesn't mean that now you'll find the time to do the work. You have to make a decision to put forth the time and effort.