You’ve seen Arnie’s commercials on TV: he’s pulling for the small businessperson with the help of Administaff. While the analogy may seem a little far fetched, running your own business is easier if you have a coach to help you along the way. Of course if you were opening a golf club, Arnie would be my choice, but what if you were considering a career change from corporate America to numero uno? If you’re like most of us, you might get the “yips” while putting a three-footer for the victory. If you will permit the golf metaphor I’d like to offer a few insights into why coaching rather than consulting might be the better play if you’re thinking of going out on your own.

Coaching is more personal than consulting. There are many business consultants who can help you with a business plan, financial projections, inventory and personnel, and banking relationships. In golf, the club pro can give you lessons to improve your mechanics to perfect your game. A business consultant does the same thing—he/she works on your performance skills by increasing knowledge while taking into account your ability for the game (business). A coach, on the other hand, is like your personal caddy, who walks with you from tee to green mapping out each hole and pin location, checking yardage, terrain, and wind conditions to help build your self-confidence. Most CEOs have personal coaches who tackle the biggest obstacle of all—and that is, the space between their ears. It’s been said that golf is a mental game and business is no different.

Let’s see why a coach makes sense if you’re moving from amateur to professional ranks in running your own business. First, you must give up the security of a salaried position with great benefits and paid vacation and sick days. Second, you give up a great staff who assists you in every aspect of your job: accounting, human resources, quality and risk management, operations, and a set of rules to play by. Third, you have the professional and social support of your colleagues to bounce ideas off if you are unsure of a decision. Fourth, you have a legal staff to protect your assets. There are many third-party administrators like Administaff who can handle all these functions with experience and expertise.

Sounds easy, but you’re standing over a three-foot putt relying on only your knowledge, skills, and ability. Your business consultant is safely watching the game at home, managing your assets and investments, and keeping you out of trouble. But look behind you and whom do you see? Your caddy is the one who helped you read the green, measured the slope and speed of the putt, and gives you the confidence you need to drop the putt in the hole. Most professional golfers have “swing coaches” who perfect their swing when they’re not striking the ball properly. In the same way, as a new business owner you want someone who understands YOU rather than your business.

Back to the golf analogy; your caddy travels with you from tournament to tournament—watching your practice rounds, work-outs, and pre-game preparation. He gets inside your head to fill that space between your ears that’s buried with self-doubt, over-confidence, miscalculations, or plain “stinkin’ thinkin.’” A coach, likewise, becomes your alter ego to challenge your assumptions, pre-judgments, biases, and mental game. As a coach, your caddy works on your timing, reaction, motivation, and physiologic responses in a high-stakes game where winning and losing can cost you your business, reputation, investment, and credibility.

So next time you see Arnie on TV espousing the benefits of having your own business consultant with you, remember the famous Ghostbuster’s line: who you gonna call? Who you gonna call at 2 a.m. when you’ve got to meet payroll the next day and you’ve already maxed your line of credit with the bank? Who you gonna call when you have doubts about growing your business too rapidly and you can’t keep up with new orders? Who you gonna call when you start second-guessing yourself after all the numbers make sense on your balance sheet?

I hope by now you see the difference between business consulting and business coaching. If you’re to have a successful business venture, both individuals are needed, each with a necessary, but different skill set for you to succeed. So the next time you think about leaving the comfortable surrounds of your corner office, hire a business coach first to see if you have what it takes to manage the doubt and uncertainty of running your own business. Your family may believe you can do it, but your coach will ask the powerful questions so you believe you can do it.

Helpful Hints:

1. Talk to a business consultant and business coach to see what each person emphasizes and how committed they are to your success?
2. Next time you watch a golf tournament, notice where the caddy is at all times; also pay attention to warm-ups at the practice tee before the tournament and see how many folks are standing near the PGA pro?
3. Look at a coaching model for effective leadership and notice how the client is empowered to make a difference.
   

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