Hiring a coach, isn’t that for ‘proper’ entrepreneurs?
Not long ago I thought that business coaches were for people who run, like, ‘proper’ businesses. Not like me. You know, little old me, who used to work from the spare bedroom, being a creative, and trying to make ends meet. Business coaches, I didn’t even have a clear idea of what they did. I imagined that they’d be talking about stuff like sales projections, the budgets of the company, the targets, whatever, blablabla. Not for me, anyway.
But now I am a coach myself. And you know what? It’s not like that at all. I am just like you.
I would be the last person to say that hiring a business coach was ever on my radar, all the years that I was a freelancer or had a creative business. I just battled on, I accepted my income was low, and I’d be working all hours. But boy, would I have loved to have a coach at times.
The lonely juggling entrepreneur
When you run a small business like you and I do, you are most likely the only one running the show. You may have outsourced part of it (like your accounts), but you are probably wearing ALL the other hats. And many of us are parents too. It is a lot to juggle. It can be lonely. And when do you ever take a break?
Don’t you feel anxious about keeping your social media updated daily, for example? Often half the day gets swallowed up by creating content, pushing stuff out, making yourself visible (again), and basically, making sure people don’t forget you exist. It can be so exhausting, can’t it?
The world would be boring without you
The thing is, you don’t have to do it all, every day. Give yourself a breather. And especially: give yourself a big pat on the back too! You are amazing, building a business all by yourself! I get it, you never feel good enough, I know. But please, hear this from me: You are good enough. I am ALWAYS blown away by people like you, and the passion you have for what you do. You are a fabulous human, and without you, the world would be a boring place. You just need some support, that’s all.
And that is exactly why hiring a coach is not such a bad idea at all. Yes, of course, you can hire other people too, like social media managers, or admin assistants. They will definitely take some load off you. But outsourcing these types of things doesn’t help you with the bigger picture, to help you grow professionally as an entrepreneur. Who will be providing you with a clear road map, navigating you to success?
A creative buddy to stop you procrastinating
Where do you want to be in a year’s time? How will you actually get there? Do you have a strategy? And are you using the right tactics? A coach is your partner-in-crime, who will be able to keep you motivated and hold you accountable, so you do get where you want to be.
And you don’t need to hire a coach forever. Often, investing in yourself and your business by signing up for a coaching programme will be for around 5 months. But by working with a coach, you are assured to get more stuff done and reach more of your goals than you probably would on your own. And hey, having a buddy beside you, who believes in you and cheers you on, and who understands your creative business, how nice would that be? No more procrastination, and you’ll feel incredibly proud of yourself as a result.
How would you feel if nothing changed?
So no, hiring a business coach is not just for the big corporate business guys and girls. And you are very much a proper business! If you feel like you’ve been struggling lately, and you really want to take your business to the next level, then hiring a coach is an investment you won’t regret. Just imagine what it would feel like if nothing had changed, by this time next year.
Now imagine how you would feel if you had more clients and sales because you had the right tactics and were targeting the right people who would pay your prices. You’d earn back the investment in no time.
I am a creative entrepreneur myself, and I know the creative brain inside out. I love supporting small businesses like yours, not just with marketing and business advice, but with personal development support too. Because we all struggle with mindset issues, and we all keep ourselves way smaller than we should. You deserve to be as successful as you wish to be. It’s your time.