Lately, I’ve been talking with many business owners who are genuinely interested in coaching, but they share a common hesitation: they want to “get ready” first. They feel they need to complete one more activity, get a little more organized, or simply free up some time before they’re truly ready for business coaching.
The reality? The time to hire a coach is the day you finally admit you need help to get where you want to go.
Two Perspectives on Starting a Coaching Program
Let’s dive into the two distinct perspectives I often encounter when it comes to starting a coaching program:
Perspective 1: “As Soon As I Finish X…”
This is the most common mindset. Business owners tell themselves, “As soon as I finish this big project,” or “as soon as I get organized,” or “as soon as the busy season is over,” then I’ll be ready for a coach.
Here’s the harsh truth: there will always be something that comes up next. This “as soon as X” mentality is just another excuse to put off a crucial decision. You’re simply delaying the inevitable. If you truly want the benefits a coach can provide, you’ll want to start sooner rather than later.
This tendency often extends beyond business. How many times have you told yourself, “I’ll start exercising as soon as…” or “I’ll spend more time with family as soon as…”? We all know that there will always be something in business that feels urgent, pulling us away from what’s truly important. We let these false urgencies get in the way of making good, proactive decisions.
Perspective 2: Simply Start Now
The second perspective, and the one that actually leads to transformation, is simply to start now.
As coaches, our job isn’t to add more work to your already overflowing plate. Our role is to help you navigate and work through your existing challenges.
For example, if you’re grappling with a time problem, one of the first things your coach will help you do is free up your time. Many business owners worry that coaching means a bunch of added tasks. But when we start working together, especially if time is a major challenge, our immediate focus is on identifying what we can get off your plate. How can we start delegating those $25-an-hour tasks so you can focus on the $500-an-hour work only you can do?
If you’re in your busy season, we won’t add extra burdens. Instead, we’ll concentrate on making sure you’re as profitable as possible. This means focusing on the highest profit and margin activities and clearing away anything that doesn’t contribute significantly to your bottom line during your money-making season.
What a Coach Really Does
I haven’t worked with a single client in 21 years who had nothing better to do than be coached. They are all busy, all have demanding schedules, and all face constant challenges.
What a coach does isn’t to simply tell you more things to do. A coach helps you:
- Make better decisions.
- Learn how to prioritize effectively.
- Get the most out of your business given your current circumstances.
Don’t Wait for the “Perfect” Moment
If you are ready—and I mean really ready—to take on the challenges of building your business so it works without you, then don’t let excuses hold you back. There will never be a time when you have nothing better to do than hire a coach.
It’s time to choose differently and forge a better path forward for you and your business.
Ready to talk? Click here to schedule a 20-minute chat with me.
Author: Mark McNulty, Business Coach in Louisville, KY