"For a business owner who feels stuck, the value they receive from business coaching is the clarity, confidence, and strategies needed to build the business that they always dreamed of."
A client that I had been working with for about 8 months invited me out to lunch. It was approaching Christmas and he wanted to show his appreciation for the value that I had brought to his business. He made reservations at an expensive steakhouse where we met the next week.
The client was waiting for me at our table when I arrived. I was 5 minutes early which is typical for me when making business appointments. He had already ordered a very nice bottle of merlot and poured me a glass. After offering a toast to his business’s success, he cut to the chase and said,
“Tony, the reason I am having lunch with you today instead of my accountant is because you have brought more value to me and my business in 8 months than they have in many years combined.”
I was shocked by his comment. I have always recognized the immense value that an accountant can bring to their client. As a matter of fact, contacting an accountant is a common outcome from my coaching sessions when their expertise is required. Accountants have saved my clients hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxes and ensured that they were compliant with government regulations.
The client went on to explain that before working with me, he had been struggling with his focus and leadership skills, which is very common with small business owners and managers. He felt like he was on a mouse wheel and was spending his day working on low value tasks. He didn’t have a clear vision or goals for his business, and it wasn’t near as profitable as it should be.
So, what was the great value that my services brought to this client to earn me this expensive lunch? I did the same things any well-trained business coach does for their clients. We started by going through a proven process to develop his vision and core values which helped him become a more effective leader. We then developed some goals and strategies to align the team’s activities with the company’s vision and values, then monitored and adjusted the plan as needed. This was followed by developing a budget and cash flow strategy to ensure that he wouldn’t fall victim to a cash flow crunch.
In the following years the client’s sales, and profits, more than doubled, and his lifestyle greatly improved.
There is no doubt that most accountants are worth every dollar that their clients pay them. However, for a business owner who feels stuck, the value they receive from business coaching is the clarity, confidence, and strategies needed to build the business that they always dreamed of. The sense of inner peace that comes with being in control of their destiny is priceless. If you are looking for a career that changes lives, become a business coach.
If you are a business owner that feels stuck, don’t fire your accountant, hire a business coach.
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Tony Malyk, CPBC and Author
Tony is a blue collar business coach because he's a blue collar guy by nature and by background. His education and training is in business management and he's spent most of his working career managing blue collar industries.
Tony has been in your shoes. He knows what it is like to struggle with cash flow, people problems, and work/life balance.
As a Business Performance Coach in Vancouver BC, Tony has over 25 years of corporate management and entrepreneurial experience in building profitable and effective businesses. He has hands-on experience in sales, operations (blue collar businesses), budget development, customer service, and front office processes. Tony enjoys sharing his business experiences with small and medium sized contracting, trades, manufacturing, fabricating, transportation, and distribution business owners to build their business into the enterprise they always envisioned.
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