Biz Consulting/ Coaching

Things to Consider Before You Become a Coach

The job of a coach is to listen, ask questions, and encourage the client rather than to advise or give instructions. As a coach you will be committed to your clients needs as well as to your own personal growth. It is important that you believe that all areas of your clients life are integrated, including their relationships, careers, finances, and outside interests. You should be of the firm belief that all areas of a clients life should be addressed while they are on their way to achieving their goals.
Before becoming a coach there are several things that you should consider and ask yourself.

1. Do you have the right qualities to become a coach? There are several qualities that are important for you to have so that you can succeed at coaching. The most important quality is the ability to listen to your client. This leads to communication skills. You need to be able to communicate effectively with your client so that you understand their needs and goals, as well as interpret their fears and discover their weaknesses. You must be able to communicate in a way that builds up trust and confidence in the coach/client relationship. Another quality is the ability to build a strong rapport with your client. Other qualities that you should have are flexibility, curiosity, motivation, and inspiration. You should be able to understand what motivate your client and believe that everyone has the capability to achieve more.
2. Are you willing to be self-employed? The coaching profession is very flexible and allows you to set your own hours as well as decide how many clients that you want to handle at one time. You need to ask yourself if you are willing to deal with some of the disadvantages that come along with being self-employed. Are you willing to be proactive when it comes to marketing your business? Are you able to budget well to ensure that you have finances available when your business is slow? You need to be certain that you are willing to take the good with the bad.
3. Do you have the qualifications to become a coach? Generally being a coach means that you are a specialist in the job of coaching. You will want to consider attending a program offered by a college or other educational institute to become qualified and experienced in the coaching profession. If you are going to specialize in a certain type of coaching, such as business coaching, you may want to consider taking some business courses to familiarize yourself with some of the business implications you may encounter, but this isnt necessary. As a coach you will be trained in the skills needed to make changes in the lives of your clients. You may be able to earn your coaching certificate in one year to six months.
4. What are the start-up costs for you to start your coaching business? You should do some research and make sure you understand exactly what is involved in setting up your own coaching business. You will want to make sure that you are aware of all the finances and other implications involved so that after you complete your coaching certification you are ready to start working.
5. How much does a coach earn? You will want to have some idea of how much a coach makes per client so that you are aware of your financial needs and expectations before starting your own business. Find out what the low pay is at the bottom of the scale and what the higher scale of profit is.
6. What is the average time spent with a client per contract? Find out how long you will be spending with a client. Most times the commitment is for a 3 to 6 month period. The more informed you are about what is expected of you the less you will be surprised when you have started your own coaching business.

Before considering a career as a coach you should also consider the challenges you may encounter. The more aware you are of all aspects of the coaching business the more successful you will be. Challenges include:

Listening skills. As mentioned previously listening skills are a very important quality that you should have to become a coach. Listening skills may also be a challenge when it comes to working effectively with your client. Many times you will have to adapt what you have learned about listening to a particular client. No client will be the same and you will have to learn to become adept at reading body language and interpreting signals.
Learn to avoid giving advice. Sometimes it may be difficult for you not to offer your advice and personal wisdom. Your job as a coach is to guide and ask the right questions so that your client can experience the process of making discoveries for themselves. Once you start giving advice you are crossing the line between being a coach or being a consultant.
Self-employment. As mentioned previously, being self-employed can be an advantage to being a coach or it can be a great challenge. When you have your own coaching business you are relying entirely upon your own resources not only to start your own business but also to maintain it. You may have to be prepared to experience a lull in your business from time to time.

If you are considering becoming a coach be sure to research carefully before making an abrupt career change. There are many aspects of coaching that you should be fully aware of so that you are prepared for the advantages and disadvantages of coaching. Hire your own personal coach to get a feel for how the process works and what is involved. Ask plenty of questions and take notes. Take the time to take a good look at your own personal qualities to decide if you have what it takes to start your own professional coaching business.
If you are looking for educational institutes where you can earn your coaching certificate be sure to find a school that is accredited. If you are spending time and money for your coaching education you will want ensure that you will be receiving an accredited coaching certificate at the end of all your hard work.