Posts tagged business

Coach vs Consultant

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When people ask me what I do, I tell them that I am a Personal and Professional Business Coach and Consultant.

But isn’t a Coach and Consultant essentially the same thing? I don’t believe so.

If you know who Tony Robbins is, you’ll appreciate his breakdown:
https://www.tonyrobbins.com/coaching/coaching-vs-consulting/?gclid=CjwKCAjwiN_mBRBBEiwA9N-e_r9iYZdJVc4U2jQgJDs5KXqGQZ_dbrTFKCCX6FRZ0iD0CiNanUYsQBoCIl8QAvD_BwE

However, here is my simple definition of differences…

A Coach guides and advises you on taking action to solve problems, overcome obstacles, and achieve success.

A Consultant takes the action for you.

It boils down to two things: Capacity and Capability. Capacity means that you have the time and resources to take the action yourself. Capability means that you have the knowledge, skills, and abilities to take the action yourself.

You coach someone when they have the Capacity and Capability. When they don’t have one of the two, you step in as a Consultant.

What Was Your First Job?

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What was your first job? Leave a comment below.

My first paying job was a paperboy. When I look back on this now, I can see the lessons I learned and didn’t realize it.

Capacity Management. No matter how many papers I would have liked to deliver (and make money from), only so many would fit in the bags on my bike. This is why paper routes were taken over by people in vehicles.

Accounts Payable. If I didn’t collect the money from the customers, I didn’t get paid. This taught me concepts, like: “fee for service,” and “deadbeat.”

Customer Experience. I got lazy and I dumped my papers in the bushes one time. Tons of people called and complained. I don’t mind being lazy, but that just caused more work in the long run. People don’t like lazy employees.

I didn’t think I was a Business Owner when I owned a Paper Route. Maybe if I had, I would have run it different? In life, we often do see us as “owning” anything when we work for a company…we turn over our rights to someone else. Maybe we need to rethink ownership, regardless of our role?

Where did you start and what didn’t you learn from it?

Blogging Success Ideas

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Are you a #blogger or interested in social media #blogging? Let’s take this Sunday to discuss some Blogging #Success Ideas…please add your own ideas in the comments below 👇

#1 Always load a #video or #picture first. That way, if you use a link, like www.johnknotts-author.com in your post, it won’t automatically create an image link. Posts with videos and pictures get more #visibility with #socialmedia #algorithms.

#2 #Connect #engaging people to your #blog with the @ sign. When posting on your personal profile, your can connect people you respect, like @Matt Scherer, @Pat Whitty, @Joseph Toomer, and @Steve Taubman, this post pops up in their notifications. If they’re engaging in social media, they’ll chime in. You can also #connect business pages like Crosscutter Enterprises and Microsoft to drive people to a page. If posting on your Business Page, it is harder to take people.

#3 #Hashtag strategies work well–really well on #LinkedIn. You put them at the bottom, but you can also tag them right in the #post. They create search links that can connect like material. Use them wisely.

#4 Provide a #calltoaction in your post. Ask #readers to do something, like add their ideas, #like and #share, click the link, etc.

#5 LinkedIn only gives you 1,300 characters … use them wisely. Facebook, however, give you tons of room. However, make sure you make the post enagaging at the start of it’s long so people will click the #readmore link.

Your turn, go…

#incubators #business #mentoring #coaching

Do You Have A Business Plan

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Two thirds of all small businesses do not have a plan (according to a recent survey). However, I believe that number is much higher!

Are you an entrepreneur? Run your own business, even if it’s as a realtor, having a side hustle, or pushing a MLM product? Do you have a written business plan? I’ll bet 9 times out of 10, the answer is, “No.”

Those that actually have a written business plan, when was the last time you looked at it? When was the last time you updated it? When was that last time you used it to drive business decisions? Again, 9 times out if 10 the answer will probably be, “Never.”

Small businesses are twice as likely to succeed when they have a business plan. If it’s a well designed plan, and not something filled in off the internet, the likelyhood significantly increases!

A well designed business plan, built by someone that knows what they’re doing, costs very little. Especially, when you consider the amount of money and time you spend to start and run your business–why would you not invest just a little to increase your likelihood of success two or more times?

Do you have your own business–what is it?
Do you have a business plan?
Do you use your plan?

Energized by a business plan

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Ever been interested in starting your own business, but wasn’t sure where to start? Have you started to build that new business and lost some drive floundering on the next step?

Well, I’m in the process of building a new business, which requires writing a new book, an assessment tool, creating a website, developing extensive training materials, and creating a consulting approach and appropriate certification program.

I have the idea, but what gets me jazzed and on the road is writing the business plan. Maybe this isn’t for everyone, but I just can’t see anyone risking all the effort and potential money in the development of an idea as a business and not have a plan.

The best part about writing the plan is that it documents everything running around in my head, which gets in the way of other stuff I need running around in my head.

The first task is to outline the plan. Like any good paper, you need a framework. If you plan to seek funding (loans or investments) you will need a good business plan–ideas without plans are just that. Few will financially support that. So this is where you start.

I’m at the second step…the fun part. Describing the idea–the business–and writing out the mission and vision. This is what truly frames out what you are trying to do. Many people think that “Making Money doing something” is their mission–if you start there, you’ve failed. Chances are that your business will fail too, probably in the first six years. Your mission is really WHAT you do–the purpose and part of the why you exist. Your business will either plan to make something or to provide something (product or service); possibly both. What is the expected outcome of these products and services.

I always thought that Booz Allen Hamilton had a pretty effective mission statement.

We solve our clients toughest problems.

That in itself is powerful–we weren’t there to make money off whatever job you needed, no you were calling in experts to focus on the hardest things you had to deal with. Yes, we made money at it, but that wasn’t the purpose of the company.

Next is the vision. This is really powerful and can send a definite message as to what you are all about. Throw out the statements like being best, being world class, etc… Think big and think about what effort you are willing to put behind your vision. Being the best at something means devoting time and money into becoming the best. Are you willing to do that, because if you are not, your vision will be empty.

Consider Booz Allen’s vision:

Delivering results that endure.

What this meant was that we came in, solved your toughest problems and then taught you how to keep the problem solved. We didn’t build a position or a technology that required regular financial support to keep it running. Many contractors do that–they create solutions that you have to continue to fund or they will collapse.

This was very empowering to me–it meant that I had to be so good that I was the solution that they couldn’t live without. Basically, I would become their trusted provider and the person they constantly turned to for their toughest problems.

Your vision should reflect that. It should scare you and excite you at the same time. It should represent a belief that puts you at risk, but promises much more.

This is why writing a business plan jazzes me and motivates me when thinking about starting a new business. Not only am I clearing my mind by fully documenting my ideas, but I’m really framing out the why in my new business endeavor. This is exciting.