Business Consultant or Coach: What Do I Need Now? What's the Difference?
Posted on September 10, 2019 by Brandi Kokos, One of Thousands of Business Coaches on Noomii.
Working with the right business consultant or coach can truly help you take your business to new heights!
Think about it…You have a professional who has actually built a successful business providing you with support, knowledge and know how. The support and guidance you receive will save you SO much time and money, when it comes to creating and nurturing a profitable business.
BUT there is a big difference between the role a business coach and a business consultant plays.
Let’s get you some much needed clarity, so you can decide which one you need! (Or if you require the services of both.)
What Does A Business Coach Do?
A business coach works with you to develop the skills you already have. They work to bring out the “best” of you.
A business coach helps you develop your purpose, brainstorms with you and motivates you in your business.
Many business coaches also address mindset issues such as: limiting beliefs, fear and self-sabotage (which are extremely important to address).
They also provide support and accountability to ensure that you’re following through on your action steps!
Overall, the result is you having a “plan of action” for your business (after brainstorming), and your coach will support you as you implement it.
What Does A Business Consultant Do?
A business consultant is more of an expert you turn to for help with your business. They teach you skills you don’t know, analyze your business and create an action plan for you to implement.
They are well versed in business planning and strategy, which they use to help gauge the direction and scale-ability of your business. They also work with you regarding customer acquisition and retention, systems, packaging of services, pricing, sales and marketing!
Business consultants analyze the goals you have for your business and help you create the plan of action required for you to accomplish those goals!
Which One Do You Need?
Honestly, I think you need both to run a successful business! And that’s why in my business, I operate as a coach/consultant hybrid. I combine the clarity, accountability and support with the more technical side of business, such as: sales, marketing, brand and customer strategy etc.
If you’re trying to decide which business support service you need right now, here’s a great way to look at it —
A coach is like a partner, while a consultant is more like an adviser… make sense?
When trying to decide which you need to hire, think about:
1. What you know about running a business.
2. The level of support you require.
3. The results you would like to achieve.
Then, get out there and start scheduling consultations or discovery calls, and be VERY upfront as to the level of support you’re seeking!
Knowing the difference between a business coach and consultant can save you a lot of time and disappointment, so I hope this has clarified the difference for you.
