Have you ever felt like you're juggling all the aspects of your business without a clear plan? In the contractor world, it’s not just the tools in your belt that matter, but the strategies in your “playbook.”
Navigating the complexities of your business, promoting teamwork and leadership, and keeping clients happy requires more than industry know-how—it demands a business coach's perspective.
But what can you expect when working with a contractor business coach?
Ready to discover what it’s like to work with a coach? Let's break ground on what to anticipate when you work with a coach on your business.
Navigating the maze of the contracting world is no small accomplishment. And just as every contractor has their specialty, a contractor coach guides businesses like yours toward success.
Picture this: You're at a challenging crossroads in your business journey. At this point, imagine having a seasoned professional, someone who's been down these roads before, guiding you.
That's your business coach—a blend of a teacher, mentor, and strategist for your company. Their arsenal is filled with experience and insights to help you make informed decisions, overcome hurdles, and see your business flourish.
Have you ever seen a sports team without a coach? They may have the raw skills, but victory is unattainable without direction, strategy, and cohesiveness.
Similarly, even if you're well-versed in your trade, many business challenges can trip you up and make business success unattainable. A business coach is key to identifying and leading you through these times.
They help pinpoint areas in your business that are working well, need a tweak (or a complete overhaul), and guide you in implementing actionable strategies to propel you toward your business goals.
Getting started with a contractor business coach is like tackling a new project: the better your prep, the smoother the process.
The key to a successful first coaching session? Preparation.
Start by gathering your thoughts. Jot down questions that have been lingering in your mind. Reflect on areas of your business that feel lagging or could use expertise.
And, importantly, visualize where you want your business to be in the next year, 5-years, and 10-years. Having clear goals is the foundation of a productive coaching relationship.
Coaching isn’t just about where you want to go. You must have a clear picture of where you are. You should gather your financial statements, samples of recent marketing pieces or ads you’ve run, the number of customers you have in your database, and any other information you want to share with your coach about the current state of your business.
How are your employees performing? Do you have a firm grip on your profit margins? What's the conversion rate from a lead to an actual project/job? These are just a few questions that can provide a valuable baseline for your coach.
Consistency is key! As you progress with your coach, each session builds upon the last. Your coach will give you specific tasks to complete between sessions.
Before each meeting, take a moment to review your assigned tasks. Did you complete them? Did you have questions on any of them? Were there any you could not complete? Note any developments or changes in your business since the last session. It’s a good practice to keep a notebook for your coaching. Write down any notes from your session and your assignments. During the week, it’s important to keep a running list of new questions or subjects you're excited to explore in your next session.
Businesses change, and new challenges can emerge out of the blue. Always be ready to discuss these fresh challenges or updates. The more transparent you are, the better prepared your coach will be to guide you, and the more you will get out of these coaching sessions.
Here's generally what the coaching trajectory looks like:
The initial meeting is an interview. Here, you lay out your business's cards—its current standing, the bumps you're facing, and what you envision as your endgame with coaching. Your coach will ask you questions. You should ask the coach any questions you have. It’s vital that both parties are completely transparent. You’ll both determine if coaching is the right path for your business.
Now, the gloves come off. It's time to get into the nitty-gritty. Your coach will delve deep into the mechanics and metrics of your business—how it ticks, its strengths, and which changes will have the most immediate impact on your business. A major part of this step is ensuring the right statistics are tracked so you can clearly monitor improvements in your business with hard numbers. For some contractors, this step also includes clarifying goals.
With a clear lay of the land, you and your coach create a blueprint—a strategic plan tailored to your company’s goals. This isn't a one-size-fits-all approach; it's a customized roadmap that addresses your unique challenges and ultimately achieves your goals.
All said and done, it's time to roll up those sleeves and start implementing. No one will do the work for you!
The strategies you've discussed, the plans you've laid out, it's time to bring them to life. A critical point is that here, you have to start really working on your business and build new habits as a business owner. Running your business will get harder at first because you will have to make changes to implement the plan. You can’t achieve your goals by doing the same old things. Your coach will give you specific assignments to carry out to implement the plan and hold you accountable for completing them on time. With your coach guiding, cheering you on from the sidelines, or kicking your butt when needed, you start implementing and transforming your business day by day.
Change is an ongoing process. As you implement, you'll meet with your coach regularly, discussing the strides you've made and hurdles you've experienced, and tweak the plan as necessary. It's a dynamic process, ensuring your business stays on the right trajectory.
Like every important meeting, each coaching session holds promise for change. But how do you get the most out of each session?
The session starts with a review of the weekly graphs for your company’s more important statistics. This helps determine where improvement is occurring or if any part of the business isn’t improving. The actions necessary to improve the weekly numbers are added to the weekly plan. Next, the tasks assigned the previous week are reviewed. If any were not completed, they are discussed, and any issues preventing their completion are resolved. Those undone tasks become part of the current weekly plan. The overall plan to achieve your goals is reviewed, and additional tasks are assigned to ensure you’re making progress toward your goals. Those tasks are added to the weekly plan. Finally, you discuss any questions you have, any challenges that came up since your last session, or anything that may have changed in your business.
Most coaching is done on a weekly basis. There are some circumstances where coaching can be done bi-weekly or monthly. When those things occur, the schedule will be adjusted accordingly.
A typical coaching program is one year. However, there may be shorter or longer terms called for due to the client’s needs.
Do you have a particular challenge or a specific project that's baffling you? A short-term coaching program can be beneficial in those situations. Such a program would last for the duration of that project.
This is a one-year relationship. It is our typical service. Achieving your goals may require reworking several aspects of your business, changing processes, implementing strategies, improving marketing, hiring new employees, and training your employees to be highly productive, valuable members of your team takes a lot of work.
A long-term partnership of over a year may be necessary to achieve long-term growth or to implement large-scale plans. Suppose you’re preparing for business succession to a family member or are readying to sell your business in the next few years. In that case, this may create an opportunity for a longer-term relationship.
The contractor business world is complex, with each owner running things in their own way and many stuck in their own ways...
But with the right guidance, setting your business on the path you need is within reach.
Contractor business coaching is more than just mentorship—it's placing your business on the road to success, offering insights, guidance, strategies, and the opportunity to shift your mindset. Each session is a step forward, an investment in your business and yourself as the owner and captain steering the ship.
If you're on the fence about this, remember that sometimes, you only need that outsider expert perspective to turn things around.
Ready to make the transformative choice to work with a business coach?
Action Management Pros is here to champion your journey. With unique solutions, strategic planning, and a relentless commitment to your success, we aim to propel your business to the next level.
Reach out to Action Management Pros today and start on a journey to redefine success for your contractor business.
