What Does a Business Coach Actually Do?

I get asked so many times, what does a business coach do? There has been such an influx in the coaching industry over the last few years, with a lot of people calling themselves coaches but actually, who do something very different. Therefore, today, I want to talk about what a business coach does, how to identify if you need one and if so, how to find the right one for you.

When I talk about what a business coach does I always use the analogy of an Olympic runner. An Olympic runner doesn’t have a running coach to teach them how to run fast or put one foot in front of the other, they have a running coach to make sure they look after themselves, show up for training, hold them accountable, and push them towards their goals.

A coach in this instance puts all of this in to help the Olympic runner be the best they can be when they are out on the track. The running coach doesn’t get out on the track with the runner, instead, they stay in the background making sure that everything else is running smoothly. Things like mindset and attitude, are the things that will enable the Olympic runner to be at their best.

I don’t come into a business to tell you how to run your business. If you’re a copywriter or graphic designer, for example, you won’t find me coming in and telling you how to be better at those jobs, those are your skills and your strengths. Instead, just like the running coach, you will find me in the periphery, supporting you with things like leadership, mindset, processes, working on your goals, and, helping you define your clarity.

The whole purpose of a coach is to move you from where you are, to your desired place. We take steps to help you get there and to help your business operate in the best way that it can. I suppose the next question then is, do I need a business coach?

Do I Need A Business Coach?

You will never get to a place that means you can’t run your business without a business coach, that just won’t happen. You can figure things out yourself and ask other people for help, however, the beauty of a business coach is that it collapses the time it would take for you to figure it out on your own.

Business coaches bring knowledge and experience, particularly as they work with lots of different businesses and can see what’s going on inside many industries. Business coaches can often see what’s working and what isn’t. Many business coaches will also have some form of business experience. Me, I have experience in both small and, large organisations.

If you’re struggling to achieve your goals or feel overwhelmed and need support, a coach can be a great option, almost like a tool in the toolbag, bringing forth mentoring and ideas you might not have and might never have thought of. A coach might be a sounding board or a trusted advisor, it all really depends on you as an individual and what you need to move forward. This is why it’s really important to understand what you need help with before choosing a business coach, to ensure you pick the right one for you.

How Do I Pick the Right Coach?

Before deciding on a business coach, you need to determine what it is you are hoping they will come in to help you with. It might be that you have no idea where to take your business, or you might not be sure how to put processes in place.

Perhaps you’re stuck with a limiting belief, maybe you know you can achieve more but don’t know how. A business coach will show you a different perspective and challenge you to think about things in a different way. By the time you finish working with a coach you should start thinking differently about your business, viewing it with a very different lens compared to the one you started with.

All of these things bring together the experience of working with a business coach, and in order to get the best out of that experience, you need to make sure you’re picking the right coach, to begin with.

There are so many different coaches who offer so many different approaches. There are strategy coaches, life coaches, mentors, and niche coaches. It is important you know beforehand what you need help with to ensure you pick the right one for you.

You could try a coach and find that it’s not right for you, so ensure your values align when you meet a potential coach, and ensure you understand what they are going to come in and help you with. If you don’t manage that expectation early on, you are going to end up feeling really let down by the process. The thought of that really saddens me, because the impact of choosing the right coach to help you can be so powerful for you and your business.

I hear so many bad experiences from people about their time with coaches, but often the simple reason is that their values were not aligned or the expectations they had were different from those of their coach. A positive experience, however, can literally change your business life.

How to find the right coach is a great question, especially when there are so many out there. My advice is always to do your research. Speak to people you know who might have used a business coach previously. When researching find out as much as you can about your potential business coach, what are their values, how do they operate, and how does that feel for you? Do you want to work with someone who operates in a way you don’t feel comfortable with? Spend time talking to a potential coach, if they don’t want to talk to you, you shouldn’t be signing up with them.

Things might be different if you intend to work in a group programme, but it’s still always a good idea to get social proof. You should be looking at testimonials to get clear and comfortable before you sign up. The last thing you want is to sign up for what you imagine to be an amazing experience and it does not turn out that way. Get referrals, listen to the experience of others, and even follow a potential coach for a while. You could even sign up to free courses. Absorb as much as you can about a potential coach, sign up for their emails, follow them online, and get to know them as best as you can before committing to investing with them.

Listen to your instinct when deciding on a business coach. If your gut is telling you this is the right person for you, go for it. Equally, if your gut isn’t sure, do your research. As a coach myself, I also invest in coaching, after all, I want to be the best version of myself. I want my business to be the best it can be. Therefore, finding people who hold you accountable, inspire you and drive you, and make space for you to talk about only you and your business is incredibly powerful.


Investing your time and money in yourself in order to grow is an amazing thing to do. There is nothing wrong with wanting to grow, there is nothing wrong with wanting a better business and having high aspirations. I love nothing more than meeting a client with those dreams, I want nothing more than to roll up my sleeves and help them. It’s a brilliant journey to be on because business owners already have all the tools they need to succeed, they just need the guidance that comes from a different perspective.

I coach, mentor, and consult, I do everything that will help my clients, but if you’re going to pick someone who solely coaches, make sure that’s enough for you. Find someone who gives you energy and someone you trust.

I hope this post has given you more understanding of what a business coach is and helped you decide how to pick the right one. If you’ve done this already and had a bad experience, please don’t let that put you off. Your coach might not have been right for you, it’s all about finding the right person that will work for you and for what you want, so please, go back out there and give it another try.

Good luck!

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