FAQs

According to the International Coach Federation (ICF), a business coach is a professional who partners with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximise their personal and professional potential. 

A business coach plays a vital role in helping individuals gain valuable insights and a fresh perspective on their businesses. While expertise in the field is preferred, the coach’s energy and embodiment of their coaching are equally important. 

Having a coach who can also act as a mentor or advisor when needed adds value. 

Trained according to ICF competencies, a business coach facilitates a bird’s eye view of your business, identifies bottlenecks and growth potential, and assists in creating a strategic plan to achieve your goals. 

Business coaching extends beyond the business itself, focusing on personal development and leadership, as the growth of the business is intertwined with the growth of the individual. A coach helps you uncover hidden potential, develop a growth mindset, overcome limiting beliefs and fears, and discover new opportunities for your business.

In this blog post you can find a detailed answer to this questions:

Things you need to know before hiring a business coach!

International Coach Federation,the ICF is a leading global organisation that sets the standards for professional coaching practices.

ICF-accredited business coaches undergo rigorous training and adhere to professional standards set by the ICF. They utilise powerful coaching techniques, such as active listening, powerful questioning, and providing feedback, to support clients in exploring their challenges, identifying opportunities, and making sustainable changes to enhance their business performance and leadership skills.

The coaching industry is not regulated, that is why so many influencers wake up one day and announce themselves as “coaches”. Anyone can sign up for a cheap online course and receive a certificate for coaching,this is totally legal!

However coaches who have not learned the scientific method of coaching might unknowingly do more harm than good to their clients. ICF certified coaches are obliged to follow certain rules of ethics and deliver their services in an ethical client centric way. 

Getting ICF accreditation is a costly, time consuming rigorous process. Coaches who go through this process have to do oral and written exams and have several hours of their coaching conversations with clients evaluated by mentors. They have to do at least 100 hours of verified coaching hours. ICF accreditation is an indication of commitment to ethical standard and high level service for a coach.

While terms like coach, trainer, consultant, and mentor are sometimes used interchangeably, it’s important to understand their distinctions. A business mentor is someone who has achieved the level of success you aspire to and can offer guidance based on their own accomplishments. They share their knowledge, experience, and steps they took to reach their version of success. A mentor typically adopts a directive style, providing advice and telling you what to do.

In contrast, a business coach takes a different approach. A coach helps you discover solutions and insights for yourself. Rather than giving direct instructions, they guide you through a process of self-discovery, allowing you to find your own path and answers. While being guided through a proven process may seem appealing, it doesn’t always guarantee the same results for everyone. Additionally, it’s important to remember that your mentor’s definition of success may not align with your own goals and aspirations.

When it comes to deciding who to hire first, such as a website designer, content creator, brand strategist, or a business coach, it’s important to consider the unique value that each brings to your business. While other experts may provide valuable insights and advice based on their specific areas of expertise, they may not have the holistic view of your business that a business coach, mentor, or consultant can offer.

While experts can provide specialised knowledge and support in their specific areas, a business coach offers a more comprehensive and strategic perspective on your business as a whole. 

By first working with a business coach to gain clarity and establish a solid foundation, you can then make informed decisions on which experts or systems to invest in based on your specific needs and the overall direction of your business.

A business coach can be instrumental in helping you launch and grow your business. They provide guidance in refining your business idea, defining your target audience, and developing a strong business plan. 

A coach helps you set achievable goals, create effective marketing strategies, and establish a solid brand identity. They also assist in overcoming challenges, optimising operations, and fostering leadership skills. Their expertise and personalised support can accelerate your business growth and increase your chances of long-term success.

An experienced business coach can help you become more aware of your potentials, strengths, blindspots and limiting beliefs. They help you face your fears and show up in your full power.I believe this is the most important part of my mission as a coach. If I help someone to wake up to their full potential then it actually doesn’t matter if they run or grow that specific business or not: they can be great at doing anything they desire!

Clients who hire coaches are often so tired of their existing state of career, life or business that can’t wait any longer. They want to transform their lives for the better now! They are not willing to tolerate a dysfunctional business or a toxic work environment. They can’t put up with their potentials and talents not being seen or respected. 

They are aware of the value of time and know the quickest most practical way to achieve their goals demands hiring a mentor or coach. Sometimes it’s not only the challenge and pain that pushes a client to hire a coach: it’s the strong desire to succeed and grow. 

If you don’t feel ready to hire a coach, maybe you ask yourself: how much more pain do you need to face to hire one? 

How important is it to solve your problem now?

There is no standard fee in the market. Every coach defines these prices based on the value of their services and what their ideal client is comfortable with paying. 

My services range from 250 $ to 12’000 $ depending on the length and depth of the service. 

You can learn more about my business coaching services here.

A business partner is someone who actively participates in the operations, decision-making, and shared responsibilities of a business. They bring specific skills, expertise, and resources to the table, and they are typically involved in day-to-day activities and long-term strategic planning. A business partner often has a vested interest in the success of the business and shares in its risks and rewards.

A business coach provides guidance, support, and expertise from an external perspective. They help you clarify goals, overcome challenges, and develop strategies for personal and business development. A coach can offer valuable insights, accountability, and a sounding board for ideas. 

As a coach the success of my clients is my success so I function almost like a business partner who does not have shares in their businesses and can part from the business whenever they want!

The earlier you hire a coach the less money and time you will waste on solutions that don’t bring value to your business. The value of a coach is to help you make better decisions and stay more focused on your goals.

The best time to hire a business coach is when you are ready and committed to investing in your personal and business growth. Assess your specific needs, goals, and challenges to determine if the support and guidance of a business coach align with your current circumstances and aspirations.

I wrote a blog post specifically about ways you can increase your success rate as a client of business coaching services:

Client questions: How to get the best return on investment from business coaching services

To get the best results you need to set clear goals and clearly define your desired outcomes before starting a coaching process. That is why I have a complementary roadmap session in place to talk with potential clients before even considering working together. 

Most coaches have a similar process in place to give you a chance to get to know them well before making a decision about hiring them.You need to be able to trust the coach to be able to work with them. 

Actively Engage in the Coaching Process: Be an active participant in the coaching process. Take ownership of your growth and development by being open, receptive, and willing to explore new perspectives and ideas. Implement the strategies, action plans, and recommendations discussed during coaching sessions. Do the work!

Business Coaching sessions involve focused conversations where you and I as your business coach discuss challenges, set goals, and create action plans. I sometimes ask powerful questions to stimulate your thinking and help you develop strategies. Sometimes I make an observation and give you  feedback on your thoughts or behaviours. 

Depending on the level of business experience among my clients I may decrease or increase the amount of mentoring and training support. 

I work with corporate employees who want to start a business on the side.Many of my clients are marketing executives, business consultants, financial advisors and IT professionals who already have extensive corporate business experience and don’t need much support in being told how to run their businesses, but they need a space to think creatively and declutter their mind so that they can make the best decision with the knowledge they have.

Between sessions, you take responsibility for implementing action steps, reflecting on progress, and applying insights. I am often available for my clients through email, voice or video messages ( Voxer) for any questions or challenges they face in between sessions.

The coaching relationship is collaborative, providing support, accountability, and resources for your personal and business development.

I have written a number of blog posts and articles on my own website or for others, I have been a guest on a number of podcasts and I do offer some free training content that shows a bit about who I am as a person. 

I have a free masterclass where I talk about the main reasons some aspiring entrepreneurs stay stuck and offer a unique solution that can help with their situation. 

I have a free cheat sheet that offers some low risk strategies for transitioning from employee to entrepreneur. 

And If you are on my email list you get invited to exclusive events and even sometimes free coaching sessions.All of these are for people to get to know me and judge for themselves if my style of coaching is right for them.

And for those who are serious about considering me as their business coach, I have a complementary roadmap session in place to get a taste of what my coaching session looks like and create a roadmap for success.And only if I feel we are a perfect fit to work together I will invite you to my coaching programs and share more details about working together. 

At this point you will have all the information to judge if our values are aligned and if my knowledge, experience and style of coaching is right for you to create the results you want or not!

Obviously I am not right for everyone, in that case I do my best to refer you to one of my trusted coach or therapist colleagues.

When you work with me we sign a confidentiality agreement. I have a clear privacy policy and what you share with me is never shared with anyone else. I make sure I use a secure system to store data so that your information is safe with me.

That is totally fine and has actually happened to one of my clients. In that case we changed the direction of work and focused on developing the client’s leadership skills so that they can navigate the challenges in their existing corporate job and prepare for getting promoted to a new leadership position. 

Coaching is about personal growth and developing new skills. It’s about helping you understand your needs, goals and desires better. If at any point in our business coaching journey you decide you don’t want to launch a business then we can focus on helping you make improvements in other areas of your life and career.It’s all about helping you show up in full power no matter what!

90% of my clients are women because I have more access to them. To simplify my marketing and content creation I often focus on a female client base. My group programs are often female only as this is something some clients request: they feel safer about sharing their unique challenges as working women in a female group. But in my 1:1 work I work with anyone. Gender doesn’t matter, it’s our values that need to align!

Getting their first sales, increasing their income, getting clarity on their launch idea, developing their product, getting clarity on their next steps in their corporate career, promotions , ditching imposter syndrome and showing up with more confidence are some of the results they have had. For more details have a look at client reviews and testimonials.

Sure you can contact those who have shared their details publicly on my website , some of my clients don’t have public profiles and based on their request I keep their details private. In those cases I can ask for their permission to connect you with them.

My clients are corporate women with a desire and passion for entrepreneurship who want to launch their business on the side of their full time jobs. Most of them ultimately want to quit their corporate jobs and focus on their own business but need a low risk transition strategy. They only want to quit their jobs when they have stable income from their own businesses. 

Some of my clients love their jobs and the social status and connections they get from them. They never intend to quit. 

My unique methodology helps the clients to grow a business working only 5.5 hours a week which leaves a lot of free time and flexibility to focus on life!

No and you should stay away from anyone in the business world that is offering you guarantees! It’s unethical and impossible to control the results of something like business. The results you get is not only dependent on coaching : it depends on the amount of work you put in the business, the type of your business and its market. 

What I can guarantee as a coach is that you will learn a priceless life skill that will help you make better decisions. But only if you want it!

I am based in the eastern part of Switzerland and if you are based in canton St Gallen or Zürich I can arrange to meet you in person too. Most of my work is online through Zoom.

I don’t do the usual sales calls and “closing clients”. Working closely with clients demands massive time and energy investment from my side too. I only work with a client when there is a clear match of chemistry and values. Our introductory call is a chance for us to evaluate each other and decide if we want to work together. You will never be pushed to make a decision that you don’t want.

Yes, business coaching has proven to be effective in supporting individuals and businesses in achieving their goals and improving performance. Numerous studies and testimonials demonstrate the positive impact of coaching on business outcomes.

The effectiveness of business coaching is influenced by the individual’s engagement and the quality of the coaching relationship. 

A study conducted by the International Coach Federation (ICF) found that 86% of organisations that used coaching reported recouping their investment, and 96% of the individuals being coached stated they would repeat the process.

The Manchester Consulting Group conducted a study revealing that coaching produced a return on investment (ROI) of almost six times the cost of coaching.

Time is a valuable resource, and it’s important to consider how coaching can actually save you time in the long run. While it may seem like an additional commitment upfront, coaching can help you streamline your efforts, prioritise effectively, and make more efficient progress towards your goals. By working with a coach, you can gain clarity, develop strategies, and overcome obstacles more efficiently than if you were navigating the process alone.

Coaching also helps you identify and eliminate time-wasting activities or ineffective approaches, allowing you to focus on what truly matters for your business.

At the end time is a concept: We make time for things that matter to us. If receiving transformational coaching is a priority for you then you will make time for it. 

And if your personal development and growth is not a priority to you then you are less likely to create time for it. 

While there is a cost associated with coaching, it’s essential to recognize the value it can bring to your business. Coaching can help you gain clarity, set actionable goals, overcome obstacles, and achieve meaningful results more efficiently.

It’s worth considering the long-term benefits that coaching can provide, such as improved business performance, increased profitability, and accelerated growth. 

I offer flexible payment options or packages tailored to different budgets.

Investing in yourself and your business is an investment in your future success. By working with a coach, you can tap into their expertise, leverage their experience, and gain valuable insights and guidance that can propel your business forward

We have blindspots: Things we can’t see or know about ourselves.

Blind spots are things we don’t know that we don’t know! Issues we are totally unaware of

And those blind spots keep us stuck!

That’s why high-level successful entrepreneurs all seek 1.1 support from coaches , mentors, therapists or psychologists!

You can self teach yourself a lot of things but certain skills are just very difficult and time consuming to master on your own , like swimming, rock climbing, entrepreneurship is just like that. 

The kind of mindset that wants to do everything on their own by acquiring knowledge can’t go far! If you want to become a master at something then you need to invite coaches and mentors into your life.