Setting Up a Business Career Coach

How Can a Career Coach Help You?

Deciding to start your own business can be exhilarating and frightening at the same time. Getting a business started involves a lot of steps. Instead of figuring out everything that has to be done as you go along, it makes sense to seek help from a professional who can help you navigate the business start up process. Even though it may be your first experience with setting up a business, career coaching professionals who have experience guiding new business owners through the start-up phase can take the guesswork out of making important decisions.

Selecting a Career Coach

People seek the assistance of professional coaches for different reasons. Some coaches specialize in working with executives to fine tune their leadership skills. Others primarily work with individuals who are transitioning from one type of career to another. You'll find as many different types of coaching specialties as there are life changes. When selecting a career coach to help you get ready to open a new business, it is a good idea to select a coach who has experience working with start-up entrepreneurs.

Along with verifying that the prospective coach you are considering has experience working with clients in situations similar to yours, it is also important to select a coach with whom you are comfortable. For a coaching relationship to be beneficial, open communication is a must. You need to be able to speak freely and frankly with the coach about your goals, strengths, weaknesses, plans, and fears.

When setting up a business career coach interview, keep in mind that the best coach for you might or might not be someone located in your geographic area. Many coaches offer virtual one-on-one and group sessions for clients.

Free Setting Up a Business Career Coach Resources

The Senior Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) provides free coaching and consultations for individuals in the early stages of setting up a business. There are SCORE offices, staffed with volunteer retired executives and business leaders, located around the country. Entrepreneurs may also request assistance online. It’s easy to locate a SCORE counselor who has expertise in your field with the organization’s expertise search list.

Another resource for free start-up advice is the Small Business Administration (SBA). Local offices throughout the United States and its territories provide various types of training, counseling, and technical assistance for entrepreneurs. The SBA also provides loan assistance programs for small businesses.

The SBA’s Office of Women’s Business Ownership Entrepreneurial Development has Women’s Business Centers (WBC) around the country which offer counseling, training, and other business development resources. For example, the WBC in Mobile, AL provides counseling, support, referrals, networking, and affordable opportunities for all types of business owners.

Career Coaches for Entrepreneurs

• Bill Baren specializes in helping entrepreneurs become successful while at the same time cultivating their creativity and allowing it to flourish. His mission is to enable clients to "integrate creativity and life balance with financial success." Baren’s clients may select from transformation and maintenance coaching packages. He also offers a free coaching package that includes one phone consultation, a free monthly newsletter, and a one-year workbook.

• Karyn Greenstreet with Passion for Business works exclusively with aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners. She offers personal and virtual one-on-one coaching and consulting services, and teaches a variety of courses and teleseminars for individuals interested in learning more about setting up and growing a business. She also leads Mastermind Groups for entrepreneurs.

• David Lorenzo offers entrepreneur, sales, and executive career coaching services. He also publishes the Career Intensity blog, which is full of information that offers great advice for people who are in the process of setting up a business.

• Robert Moment is a Florida-based small business coach who works with new business owners to teach them how to start up their small businesses for profitable results. He is the author of It Only Takes a Moment to Score, which provides entrepreneurs with advice on successfully selling small business ideas.

• Beth Ross, Ph.D. is a New York-based professional coach who works with individuals at all stages of their careers, from people starting careers to those venturing out on their own for the first time to experienced corporate executives. She offers a free 10 minute consultation for those thinking about career transitions and she writes a monthly column for Daily Career Connection.

• The Center for Coaching represents many different types of coaches and offers complimentary consultations with placement specialists to help clients select the coach who best meets their needs.

Benefits of Working With an Entrepreneurial Career Coach

Working with a professional career coach can give you a competitive advantage as you pursue your entrepreneurial endeavors. Why reinvent the wheel when you can work with a professional who can help you figure out how to get your new business up and running and off to a great start?

Are you interested in setting up a business to be a career coach? Read our latest interview with Aurelia Williams about a personal coaching business.