Five Reasons to Work One-on-One With a Coach
As a solopreneur, I'm used to figuring things out myself - I'll bet you are too. We're independent, self-employed entrepreneurs with the gumption to start a business and keep it going. Even strong, independent people need help sometimes. I'm the first to admit that asking for help is a journey for me. I've come a long way! I used to hate to ask for help - I thought it made me weak.
After a trip to the stress center in 2013, I learned that asking for help is actually a sign of strength and awareness. If you were having heart problems, you wouldn't try to figure it out yourself - you'd go to a cardiologist. Same principle!
We all need help with our businesses at some point - why not seek the help of someone who's been there before, someone who's an expert. Here are five reasons to pull the trigger and hire a business planning coach or solopreneur coach.
1. To Create a Business Plan
Ugh. The dreaded business plan. No one wants to write one. Myself included. However, after working in marketing and public relations in the "real" world, I know the value of writing a business plan. Even if all you do is outline your top three objectives for the year and break them down into bite-sized goals, it's a good idea to get that on paper. I've found that I'm great at writing business plans, it's the going back in and checking on goals throughout the year that I'm shaky with. It's a good exercise for me to help clients write their plans and keep them on track. It helps keep ME on track too. And honestly, if you don't write a plan for your business, you're setting yourself up for failure. If you don't set goals, how do you know when you've reached them?
2. To Remind You of Your Power
Let's face it. You are a badass. Why else would you strike out on your own and say "screw you" to the man? You worked in corporate America long enough to see that you can do just as well on your own...might I say even BETTER on your own. We don't just up and decide to start our own businesses one day. It's usually a long, tired path of meaningless jobs, bad pay, and terrible bosses that leads us to being a solopreneur. You're not scared of work. You're not frightened of doing your own thing. You struck out on your own. You went your own way. That takes courage and commitment. It takes faith and trust in yourself and your abilities. Remember that! You took the first step toward being independent. Own your badassery!
3. To Stay Motivated
Remember when you first started your business and you were out of the gate like a shot? You couldn't wait to order business cards, create programs, and have business lunches. You were meeting everyone you could. You were kicking ass and taking names! Now, 10 years later, you've tried things that worked well and things that didn't work so well. You've learned a bit of patience, but it's still hard to wait for the big pay off. Your energy has waned. Your attitude has changed. Your motivation is circling the drain. It's not easy to stay fired up. We need energy to stay motivated. We need whatever helps us move forward. When I hired a business planning coach in 2022, my motivation went through the roof. I needed that shot in the arm to propel me into 2023.
4. Because You Need Help, Plain and Simple
Maybe you've got a solid business plan for 2023. Maybe you're motivated to make $250k this year. You still need help implementing that plan and ensuring that your monthly revenue is on target. What do you need to succeed? Do you need a graphic designer to make all of your spring programming pleasing to the eye? Do you need an accountant to keep track of your books? Or maybe you just need to block out times on your schedule for administrative work. There's a lot to remember when running your own business. A business planning coach can help you determine your priorities and focus on goals. A solopreneur coach can guide you back to being in love with your business again.
5. Because You're Ready
You've been trying to figure it all out for months by yourself. You've read books. You've watched videos. You've learned all you can and now it's time to take action. Getting started and taking action are the best ways to move yourself forward in your business. You can dream all year about what might work and what you want to do, but unless you take action, you feel stuck. My clients seek out a solopreneur coach when they don't know what to do next and they need clarity around next steps. Coaches help us clear out the cobwebs in our brain and challenge us to step out of our comfort zone. They enable us to see ourselves as successful, independent solo entrepreneurs instead of tired, frustrated solopreneurs. And who doesn't want that for themselves?
