Getting the right business advice means much more than someone telling you when to file a tax form or showing you how to record business financial information.  It is a process that should be looked at much more holistically.  Though essential titbits of legal information and legal and accounting facts are important, it is observations  like that coming from business coaches and advisors  that can lead to a more successful enterprise.

Getting the right advice can be viewed as a value-added proposition. For example:

• What inputs into the decision making process are needed to make the best decision for the long term health of the organisation?
• What value does the advice give the business?
• How does advice from the attorney mesh with advice from the accountant?
• Did the human resource manager offer the best advice concerning a new employee health plan after considering legal and accounting issues?

No Manager is an Island

Many problems within an organisation begin when decisions are based on what could be called “island style” management.  All the bits of information are coming at the small business owner like darts from all directions, and it can be overwhelming.  For example, the customer service representative knows customers are unhappy with the level of service provided but doesn’t know how to respond to customer inquiries.  The staff member also “forgets” to tell the business owner of the brewing problems and only complains to other employees. The business owner discovers customer service needs to be improved only when sales begin to decline even as payroll costs remain the same or when the salesmen or women bring complaints in from the field.

In another example, the accountant looking strictly at numbers on a page advises you to cut costs or lay-off some employees temporarily.  But are these highly trained people critical to the operation of the business and their loss to another firm would be difficult to overcome?  In addition, the morale of the employees would be damaged.  There might be a better solution to the need to reduce costs but it takes the right advice from an outside consultant like a business coach to get a clear and comprehensive view of the situation.

That is exactly why so many small and medium business owners hire a business coach who can evaluate the organisation from a broader perspective.  You might be thinking that is the job of the entrepreneur, but it can be very difficult to maintain objectivity when dealing with a situation for an extended period of time.

Most economies around the world are built on small to medium businesses, but it’s also true that being a great entrepreneur does not necessarily equate to being a great business builder.  That is why small businesses fail in such high numbers. The owners try to grow faster than available capital, don’t understand how to establish a workable internal structure and have difficulty managing the myriad of responsibilities including sales, product development, staff training, hiring, financing, morale building and so on. But he or she sure had a great idea!

Businesses can enter periods of doldrums where it seems like nothing creates excitement or moves the business forward.  It could be because disjointed advice is being offered day in and day out that this atmosphere is being created.  The kind of advice managers get has a direct impact on the efficiency, productivity and profitability of a business.  Business coaching can bring the excitement back into the business while providing advice on improving staff morale, increasing productivity, team building, customer service and all the other components of a small business.

Catch the Darts!

So what is the right advice? How do you recognise it is right?  How can you be assured the advice they are receiving will advance and not hinder company progress? How do you know the business coach is giving you good advice? The business advisor will help you:

• Identify what you want and what is desired out of the business.
• Establish a plan or reaffirm the existing business  plans on how to bring the business to that point.
• Look at the current systems and structures of the business and whether it is adequate to  accommodate the future growth of the business.
• Work with you on the required efforts and milestones to achieve  agreed goals.
• Help build a well rounded team of employees that include people from within and without.
• Confront organisational weaknesses as an opportunity for change
• Encourage creative input from all levels of the organisation
• Create a strong mission based organisational culture so people give advice and make decisions with a clear purpose in mind

A business consultant can be the change agent that brings together the staff and professionals you already rely on for advice.  Filtering advice is often one of the most difficult jobs business managers must handle.  In the final analysis, it’s all a matter of perspective. If you find yourself ducking darts instead of catching them and placing them where they need to be then it’s time to get some business coaching.