It’s 6pm and you’re only just leaving the office. You told yourself this morning you’d get to the gym after work, but you’ve had a long day and no longer feel like it. The commute home is a long one, and by the time you get home to your family, all you want to do is grab a quick bite, sink into a lounge chair and then go to bed.
Sound familiar? Have you had enough of the red tape, the long hours, the time away from your family, and the lack of flexibility your current role offers you? If so, it may be time for a career change. If you have skills and experience in sales, marketing, finance, or management and are wondering what you can do to capitalise on them, perhaps becoming a business coach is the perfect next step for you.
But how do you go from wanting to use your skills and taking your career to the next level as a business coach in Australia? In this article, we are going to take you through all the important things you need to know about becoming a business coach in Australia, and the skills you need to get there.
The Benefits of Becoming a Business Coach
There are numerous benefits of becoming a business coach, so if you’re still deciding if it’s the right career move for you, check out just a few of the amazing benefits below.
- The freedom to live and work anywhere you want. As a business coach, you can work from your home, an outside office, or while on the road traveling. Because business coaching can be conducted via the phone or online, location and geographical limits are irrelevant.
- Fast-track your personal and professional development. If you enjoy consistently learning and challenging yourself, you’ll excel as a business coach because it’s an environment that demands your own personal growth as well as that of your clients.
- A high income. Business coaching is a highly profitable business, and you can begin to enjoy a high income from the get-go. At ActionCOACH, our business coaches earn on average $347 per hour, but really, your income potential is limitless based on how much you want to put into the role.
- It’s easy to start. If you have experience in sales, marketing or management, and you have a passion to drive success within yourself and others, chances are you will make a great business coach. The best part is, you don’t need to take 3 years off to become a full-time student again in order to earn the title of ‘Business Coach’. You can work at your own pace and easily transition into the world of business coaching, especially if you have the aforementioned skills.
The Skills You Need to Become a Business Coach in Australia
Not everyone can become a business coach. It takes a special kind of person – someone who is passionate, driven and determined. Below are some of the other important skills you should have if you want to become a successful business coach.
- A leader. A business coach is more than just a coach. They are a leader, a motivator and someone who inspires others. It’s vital that as a business coach you have the skills to lead, and the skills that bring out the best in the people you’re working with.
- Translatable skillset. If you want to become a business coach, having a background in sales, marketing, finance, business or management is incredibly important. While business coaches come from a variety of industries, such as; legal, financial, medical, education and construction, it’s not for everyone. You do need prior skills and experience in either sales, marketing, finance or management if you truly want to be a successful business coach.
- Flexibility. The best business coaches are flexible in their approach to their clients. While yes, there are certain systems and processes in place, there are times when clients might throw you a curve ball, and it’s important you are flexible so you can offer the guidance and support they need.
Steps to Becoming a Business Coach in Australia
Here are just a few steps you can take to start your venture into becoming a business coach in Australia.
- Build your skills. While we’ve already covered that it’s important you have skills in either management, finance, marketing, or sales, it’s always a good idea to continually be working to build your skills. The most successful business coaches never stop learning or growing, so before you become a business coach and even when you start working as a business coach, it’s important you constantly work on developing your own skills.
- Think about your ‘Why’. Before you become a business coach, it’s a good idea to think about why you’re doing it. Are you looking for more flexibility in your work life? Do you want to change peoples’ lives? No matter the reason, knowing your personal ‘why’ will help keep you going when times get tough and you hit the inevitable speed bumps along the way.
- Come up with a business and marketing plan. If you choose to buy a business coaching franchise, this step isn’t necessary as you will be given all the tools and resources you need to be up and running in no time. However, if you’re going at it alone, it’s important you come up with a business model and design, as well as a marketing strategy. Things you’ll need to include are; vision, service offerings, pricing, and lead generation.
- Choose a niche. Decide whether you want to be a business coach that focuses on a certain industry or size, it makes sense to work with people in an industry you know and understand well.
- Learn from the best. In order to become the best business coach you can be, you need to learn from the masters. When you buy a business coaching franchise like ActionCOACH, you’ll have mentors at the ready who’ve been through everything you’re about to go through and can help you come out the other side on top. If you’re building a business coaching business from scratch, reach out to the people working in the niche you want to go into. Ask if they will mentor you or if they can offer you any advice. If you don’t ask, you’ll never receive.
Want to know if you really have what it takes to become a business coach? Click here to find out more about ActionCOACH Franchise opportunity.