The Growth Coach continues to attract thousands of business owners as clients each and every year. In the last eight months of 2008, in particular, the number of clients served has jumped dramatically over the same period for 2007. With a softening economy, a negative presidential race, trouble in the capital and housing markets, and a volatile stock market, how could this be? While The Growth Coach brand and reputation are getting stronger throughout North America, so is the fear of loss in the minds of business owners. Fear is a great motivator if harnessed properly.
Economic storm clouds on the horizon for the last 6-12 months have been a major wake-up call for many complacent small business owners to get their act together ... for them to be more focused, effective and strategic. While it is always more advisable to work on the leaky roof or foundation when it's sunny, the potential storm clouds have motivated clients in droves to seek out our business coaches and their guaranteed coaching process. We are more than happy to help them regardless of their motivation and wake-up call. Coaching in good times and bad is always beneficial and valuable for the client -- there are always problems to solve and opportunities to seize.
Having been in the business coaching industry for over a decade and a half, I have been fascinated by the needs and motivations of small business owners in both good times and bad. Since 1992, there has always been a strong and growing demand for business coaching in good and bad economies, including a prior recession. Overall, business coaching has been validated as one of the most effective and permanent methods to improve mindsets, behavior and results. Furthermore, in good economic times, small business owners want to aggressively grow their companies and maximize their opportunities. Conversely, in bad economic times, they don't want to lose what they've worked so long and hard to create ... they want to minimize their losses.
For owners, like all human beings, they are driven to seek pleasure or avoid pain. In good times, they want the pleasure of more ... more customers, more sales, more stores, more money. They want to move ahead so that's why they seek out business coaching. In bad times, they want to avoid pain ... the pain of less customers, less sales, less stores, less money. They don't want to fall behind and so that's why they seek out business coaching. Again, either way, owners are drawn to business coaching to gain more or lose less.
When the economy gets a bit tougher, the competition gets a bit tougher, the government or tax regulations get a bit tougher, or the industry as a whole gets a bit tougher, owners get a wake-up call to get a bit tougher themselves ... more focused, effective and strategic. They instinctively know it's time to prepare more (fix the leaky roof or foundation) and listen to an objective adviser or coach who will help them face reality, decide on strategic changes that need to be made, help put a focused action plan together, and then provide on-going accountability to drive results. With a softening economy, everything is on the line. There is no coasting, no taking things for granted, no easy wins. Now is not the time to be complacent or go into denial. Business owners, like athletes, need to step up their game, get focused, and execute their game plan if they want to avoid getting beat.
Regardless of when an owner seeks to benefit from business coaching, in good times or bad, out of inspiration or desperation, the important thing is they get help. Whether they are seeking the pleasure of more or preventing the pain of less, the good news is they come to work on themselves, on their business and on their personal life. Besides, with our money-back guarantee, there is no risk testing out our coaching process. Business coaching is always a good form of insurance. After all, being prepared, focused, strategic and effective is never a bad thing.
Daniel M. Murphy
The Growth Coach
Business Coaching Franchise System