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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Here are just a few of the most common questions I get asked as a business coach.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Here are just a few of the most common questions I get asked as business coach.

What is business coaching all about?

What is a business coach?

A business coach or business mentor is someone who helps business owners see their ‘blind spots’ so that they can grow and improve themselves.

A business coach typically works with a business owner on whatever aspects they need to improve. In general, a business coach will help improve all facets of a business, such as increasing profitability, leadership skills, marketing strategies, goal setting, time management, business finances, etc.

A business coach will help business owners achieve 100% clarity on where to take their business and act as a sounding board for the business owner to make the right decisions.

Getting a seasoned business coach is one of the best ways to ensure your business flourishes and achieves its goals, and you can do this by getting external feedback. Small business coaching services can provide insight, advice, and guidance on various topics directly or indirectly related to running your business.

What makes a great business coach?
A great business coach will have an undeniable passion for business and experience running a business. They help business owners and entrepreneurs succeed in creating a successful business, whatever that means to them.

Business coaching experts will also be able to bring out the best in people, no matter the background or specific skill of the business owner.

Does business coaching work?
Business coaching works if the business coach and business owner are clear about rules and expectations. Above all, the fundamental thing is open and honest communication at all times.

If the business coach and client are a great fit and both parties commit to doing what they should, creating a more successful business is almost inevitable.

What services do business coaches offer?
A professional business coach will help a business owner develop strategic planning (where are we taking the business), financial management, marketing, sales, and leadership skills. They will also help put in place a fantastic team and give guidance and feedback on any issues.

The business coach you decide to work with should also have sound knowledge about best time management practices and how to delegate appropriately, which business owners often overlook. A professional in this field, the business coach, works with small and medium businesses to create systems and procedures for their products or services – better resonating with consumers than their current methods.

Choose business coaches who are experts in helping you understand your business’ finances. Business coaching can help with cash flow management, financial statements, employee bonus plans and pricing strategies.

If you are looking for the most seasoned business coach Sydney has to offer to help steer your business through some challenging waters or want to make your business even better than it is today, then you have come to the right place. Just fill in the contact form below and learn more about my business coaching services.

What type of businesses or industries do you coach?
Coaching businesses across different industries have a distinct advantage; many innovations and ideas in one business or industry can apply to another. All businesses run according to the same principles: attract the right prospects, convert them into customers, deliver a fantastic experience with your service or product and ensure you get paid on time. We also ensure we get the best out of you and that you continue to learn and grow in all aspects of running a business and making a difference while living a good life. Another principle is to ensure the business is a commercial, profitable enterprise that can run independently without you constantly having to be there. Having a great team, strategies to increase turnover, reduce the COGS (cost of goods sold) and keep the fixed costs in check so that you end up with the only thing that matters: achieving a healthy net profit so that you can enjoy the benefits of running a business and achieve the lifestyle you desire.
What size business do you coach?

Size is irrelevant. The ATO defines most small businesses as having an annual turnover of less than $10 million, while the ABS defines a small business as having less than 20 employees. Far more critical is that the business owner has the drive and desire to get the most out of their business and is willing to put in the (worthwhile) work to achieve this.

Do you only coach established businesses?

No. A business can be at any stage of its lifecycle, including a start-up (with proper funding, however). Most business coaching clients tend to have established businesses that have been around for a few years, right up to decades-old family businesses.

What skills should a successful & skilled Sydney business coach possess?

Becoming a successful and effective business coach takes a specific type of person. Anyone offering professional and high-level business coach services needs passion, drive, determination, good communication skills, and the ability to read and lead others effectively. Coaching businesses must also understand that business owners come from different skills and backgrounds. What works for one business owner may not work for another. Therefore, this is crucial when creating a business coaching and mentoring program that will give the business owner value and give them the right path forward.

Below are some of the core skills needed for a successful Sydney business coaching and mentoring experience:

Leadership Skills – A business coach is more than just a sounding board. They need to help you improve your leadership skills by being an example. They need to ‘feel’ where their client is and should always be one step ahead in understanding what the coaching client needs at a particular time. It includes making sure the client is accountable, no matter what.

An Array of Different Business Skills—A business coach should have extensive business experience in understanding marketing, sales, recruitment, planning, leadership skills, systems, and procedures, to name a few. A background in finance or management will also be highly useful. While people from all backgrounds can offer business coaching for small business owners on running their businesses successfully, the skills required to be a successful business coach are in a class of their own.

Flexibility with Clients – Contrary to popular belief, SME business coaching should not be a cookie-cutter process. Specific ‘best practices’ should be followed, but there must be enough flexibility for the business owner to design the business with the ideas they are passionate about. The most effective Sydney business coaches are flexible and understand this when working with their clientele. They know that although some best practice approaches or steps are involved in any situation, clients often come up with random questions, which means the business coach must be open-minded enough to provide them with all the necessary feedback without having a stubborn agenda about where things should go next.

A High EQ – A skilled business coach will understand how to approach you best to get the very best from you. It is that ‘gut’ feeling around what the client needs next before the client even knows themselves.

Go Above and Beyond – A seasoned business coach should have a high ‘care factor’ and go above and beyond for their clients. They want to see their clients achieve great results. To them, it is a matter of honour. They will think about their clients in between coaching sessions, plan the next moves, randomly check in with their client, literally do whatever it takes.

If you are interested in exploring my small business coaching program, clients are happy to recommend it (see my testimonials); please fill out the contact form at the bottom of this page, and let’s have a confidential and no-obligation chat about how I might be able to help you forward.

Can I bring anyone else into my business coaching sessions?
Absolutely. We do whatever we need to do to achieve results. It is entirely up to you. You can bring in your spouse, a business partner, an employee or a combination. They can join you occasionally or constantly. You can even send in an employee or manager alone if that’s what we feel is required.
What is the difference between business coaching and mentoring?
Business coaching is a partnership between a business coach and a business owner to accelerate the business owner’s results. It differs from mentoring in that it is not about giving advice or sharing personal experiences; instead, it is about holding the business owner accountable for achieving specific results, providing support and guidance when needed, and creating an environment where the business owner feels safe to take risks.

In my business coaching practice, business coaching and mentoring often merge to ultimately give the client the best value, experience, and results.

Is business coaching the same as executive coaching?
Business coaching is the ‘business owner’ version of executive coaching. It is a professional relationship between a business coach and a client in which the coach helps the client achieve specific goals. Business coaching focuses on the present and future, with learnings from the past. Business coaches work with clients to assist them in identifying their strengths and weaknesses, setting goals, creating a plan of action, and tracking their progress. Executive coaching typically involves coaching someone employed in a management position and desires to become more effective in all aspects of their job.
Do you help sell businesses?
Yes, but not with the actual selling of the business (we will get a reputable business broker to help with this), but making sure we get the business ready for sale so that you have the best possible chance of maximising the best sell price. Suppose an investor can see that the business is solid with healthy, predictable numbers and excellent systems and can run without them always having to be there. In that case, you will achieve a far higher sell price than a business where the owner needs to be IN the business to survive (they would just be buying themselves a job). Profits from a business and the eventual capital gains of achieving an excellent price for the business are the ultimate measures of building a successful business.

Why would I want to work with a seasoned Sydney business coach?

Why should entrepreneurs engage in a business coach?
The business world is a competitive place even for successful entrepreneurs, and it is damn hard to be your best when you are unable to see your blind spots.

A master business coach should have the skill and insight to help you with the knowledge and provide a sounding board to help you fast-track ongoing success in your business. The best Sydney business coach will have sound experience to point out what you may be missing.

Entrepreneurial business coaching can help entrepreneurs grow and reach new heights. A professionally trained business coach can see how some entrepreneurs can lie to themselves by thinking they are doing much better than they are. The best business coaches will know when it’s time for entrepreneurs to take some constructive feedback, and this will include giving honest feedback about things that may be hard to hear but need to be said to make the changes that need to be made. As the saying goes, “The definition of insanity is doing the same things over and over again and expecting different results!”

An entrepreneur’s coach will also recognise the subtle things that will have the most significant impact. It is all about leveraging in the best possible way.
To learn more about my business coaching and consulting services, please don’t hesitate to call me on 0403 881 105.

How do I know if you're a good business coach?

You can read up on some of my business client testimonials here. Some clients have been with my coaching practice since 2007 and 2008. That’s a long time, and the continuing trust clients humble me put into working with me. There is no doubt, though, that there has to be a good fit. So, if you are serious about positive change in your business and your life, reach out for an initial chat here and, if all goes well, we can meet up (face-to-face or via Zoom) for an obligation-free 90-minute discovery session. At that point we will, without any doubt, know for sure if we are a great fit to work together.

What's the client network?
It’s my network of action-taking business owners who are both coaching clients and trusted people I’ve met along the way who are very good at what they do. We all need ‘the right people in our tent’, people who can go ‘narrow and deep’ for you so that you can do the same in your business, focus on what you do best. Who knows, you might be that expert another client or contact needs in their business too.
Should I invest in a business coach?

Should any sports team or athlete invest in a coach? Of course, they do. It would be unthinkable for them not to. A good Sydney business coaching expert will typically help fast-track the path to designing a successful business in far less time than someone trying to achieve this on their own. Think about how much more focus and effort one typically puts into working with a personal trainer compared to training on their own. The same principle applies when working on your business.

How much does a small business coach in Sydney cost?

You may be wondering what the investment is for a Sydney business coach

Business coaching costs in Sydney vary depending on what you are looking for. If it’s a dedicated one-on-one business coaching service, the intensity/frequency of your coaching sessions will usually determine the investment. The amount of work that needs doing in your business depends on the size of your team, what business goals you want to achieve, and what time scale you would like to achieve those goals. The best way to get an idea of investment in hiring a Sydney business coach is to speak directly with a business coach.

If you want to explore my highly regarded business coaching programs and associated investment, please contact me today for a confidential, no-obligation chat.

Find the business coaching investment here.

How do I take the next step?

How do I schedule a meeting?

Call 0403 881 105 for a chat, you can also book a phone chat on Calendly here.

Is there a contract or a specified commitment period?
We use a simple coaching agreement that doesn’t lock you in. Ever.
Is there a trial period?
There’s no official trial period, as we use a simple no-lock-in agreement. You can choose to stop coaching at any time with one month’s notice, but I have a feeling you won’t want to once you get started. Everything will change – for the better.
I only want to work with you. Is that possible?

Yes. Unlike the bigger coaching firms, you will only ever work with me. Every step of the way.

I'm in a different city, state, or country. Can you still coach me?
Yes, I work with clients all over the world. Some clients are on Zoom, while others prefer the phone or a combination of both for their business coaching sessions.
Ready to chat more?

If you’re keen to discuss your business aspirations further, please call 0403 881 105 or you can also book a phone chat on Calendly here.

your business coach professional

BUSINESS COACH MARK

MARK VISCHSCHOONMAKER

0403 881 105

info@businesscoachmark.com.au

100 Harris Street, Pyrmont NSW 2009

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