To become a business coach or not to become a business coach, that is the question. If you are thinking of becoming a business coach, why not find your niche and work with small businesses?

A small business coach works with clients on planning, knowledge, skills, strategy, problem solving, and time management. You may give a little advice, but your primary function as a coach is to help clients find their own answers and also find ways to apply their answers within their businesses.

As a coach, you are really a consultant, a mentor, an advisor, a confidante, and a coach. Don’t worry about definitions – just help your clients find ways to become successful in their business ventures and they will call you whatever you want them to! But, most importantly, they will call you…and pay you!

How to Become a Business Coach for Small Businesses

1. Improve your skills. Whether through experience or education, you cannot be an effective coach if you do not bring value to your clients. Be persistent and relentless with skills building. If you bring skills to the table, you will certainly bring value.
2. Do you have the experience? For most small business clients, they will be looking for experience as a business owner when they hire a coach. If you don’t have it, it might be wise to put your plans to be a coach on hold while you get some experience. However, you can make up for lack of experience in other ways.
3. To become a business coach that is both successful and in demand, you need to create a business plan for your coaching business. Going through the steps necessary to create a business plan is great experience for when you work with clients on developing and improving their small businesses.
4. Learn coaching skills. The less experience you have, the more education you need. However, to become a business coach, even if you have years of business experience, you still need to learn coaching skills.
5. Create a list or spreadsheet of common small business problems and develop common strategies to solve them. Compile these from experience, other coaches, online research, speaking with business owners, and other sources. Put together tools, assessments, exercises, and strategies as part of a coach’s toolkit. This is like the sports coach with a clipboard and a plan for practice. Be prepared to offer them some outcomes for their problems.
6. Learn from the best in the business. To become a business coach who is successful, you must learn from other successful business coaches. Read books, peruse articles online and in print, watch DVDs and videos, take classes, and attend seminars. If an expert is offering something about how to become a successful coach, you should watch it, read it, or listen to it.
7. Never stop getting better…and better. To become a business coach for small businesses with a chance for long term success, do everything you can do get better. Education, experience, hard work, and believing that there is always something to learn from everyone and every experience are the fundamental keys to becoming the best business coach you can be.
8. To become a great coach, you must work on your own personal development. No one is perfect; everyone needs improvement. If you are always striving for success, personally and professionally, you will be on the road to greatness.

By the way… you’re invited to claim your FREE step-by-step “30-Days to Become a Coach” video toolkit. Just go HERE now to get your 30-day coaching blueprint videos.

Fred Philips
Business Coach
Writing Team, Coaches Training Blog Community