If I were to begin my journey of owning my own construction
business again, I would refrain from the believe I had in the beginning of
thinking I knew what I was doing. Instead, I would have paid and sought the
advice from those who had already experienced what I was going through much
sooner than I did.
You see, back then, the Internet wasn’t available so you
did much painstaking trial by error by either doing it or wishing you had done
it differently … after the fact.
It was by luck that I met a man who had his Doctorate in
Business and was intrigued by what I was struggling with. Our offices were
close by, and one day we met in the hall and that started the most rewarding
episode in my journey. It literally shaved years off my journey and opened my
eyes as to what really makes a construction business work.
We took the business apart, piece-by-piece.
We worked
solutions and uncovered what really makes a construction business work.
It was an education because once you know what makes
something work, you can use it to optimize the business. Education is the
answer to reaching your dreams and true potential.
I’ve taught this business model to many other contractors. I
have spoken with many contractors as well. Some ‘burned through’ tons of cash
trying it their way with poor results. Partly because they believed they could
develop it themselves and for years never believed a business coach could put
them on the high road to success.
This group of people who try to solve all their problems
themselves on their own, no matter what, miss one important point. If you don’t
have the right tools, you can’t fix it. Imagine trying to repair a washing
machine with only a spatula and a pen as your tools.
Nevertheless, the effect of a strong attachment to doing it
yourself produces the constant struggling with problems that could be easily
solved with a business coach, not to mentioned the ongoing exorbitant cost of
the problem not being solved.
Maybe it is an ego problem? However, whatever it is,
working on them yourself without some outside eyes who are not attached to your
problem can be costly, time consuming, creates more problems, or gets you stuck
at a certain point and you cannot go any further. Which draws the conclusion
that doing it yourself without help doesn’t work.
Here are seven reasons why working with a business coach
will be more effective than trying to do it yourself, reading a book,
consulting with people who do not have a grasp on your business, or even
attending a seminar.
1.
Taking
the first step. Just by acting to setting up a meeting with a
business coach is very meaningful. It gives you the message that the problem is
meaningful to you. The action is also a turning point in your career as the
owner of your own construction business. It shows you care about your business,
it means you recognize and can identify the problem, and you’re willing to
confront it so it can be solved.
2.
The
Commitment Effect. Nothing in this world is free. Committing to
coaching requires you to pay a fee. The process also takes time. Moreover, as
you work with your coach in solving your problem, you are engaging with another
person who sees the problem from a different view. The synergy in this
increases the possibilities of solving the problem and revealing
interconnecting problems that need your attention as well. The effect makes
people more willing to keep their declarations and do their “homework” more
carefully.
3.
Stronger
Concentration. Two things that hamper a human is concentration
and comprehension. Have you ever read a book or listen to someone speak and
found yourself drifting away? This happens in business as well but more so when
you are working it alone, one’s vulnerability to distractions is higher when
working it alone. It is easy to get distracted or off-course, whereas a
business coach keeps you focused and on course.
4.
Knowledge.
The
business coach most likely has much deeper and broader knowledge on solving the
problem, and the experience of solving the same exact problem for others is saving
you time and money.
5.
Taking
Your Blinders Off. The real caveat of having a business coach is
that they can help you uncover the problems you don’t see or unaware of. The
business coach can help you put together the unconnected details into one
larger picture, and can point out the underworking or missing parts of a system
in your business (for example, perhaps you always intentionally ignore the real
reasons you don’t have cash flow). For example, I take my new clients through
22 question business evaluation that reveals the deficiencies in their
business.
6.
Concentrating
precisely on your needs and moving from theory to application. It is
one thing to listen or read about doing something VS doing it. Let me use this
example. You attend a seminar or read a book on marketing. During that
listening or reading process, almost everyone ‘thinks’ they know the basic
principles, such as finding your perfect customer, communicating the benefits
of working with you, or closing the deal. However, when it comes to applying
these principles in practice, many people can’t do it. This is because logical
understanding is something completely different from applying knowledge in real
life. A business coach helps you bridge this gap.
7.
Implementation.
The
true benefit of coaching is not only uncovering the problems, or presenting the
solution, but creating in the business owner the will to implement it in their
business. This means creating a new habit. The result of a business coach showing
you how to set up the process is all well and good. Teaching it to the business
owner so that he understands it is another positive factor. However, getting
the business owner to implement it and monitor it on a regular basis is
entirely another issue. If a person has a bad habit of not doing it, that means
the business coach must rewire the owner into creating the good habit of doing
it on a regular basis. Implementation is the key. It takes time and patience
but a good business coach is experienced is helping you accomplish it.
Too many business owners struggle with the same problems
year in and year out. The result is costly and destructive. Even worse is the
business owner who finds their excuse to ignore it. Their excuses range from; ‘it
costs too much’, ‘they can’t afford it’, ‘this is the way business is’, ‘I can
solve it myself’, or ‘their business is different’.
When you are absorbed in your problems, you can forget your
strengths. Your skills, positive circumstances, and past situations are taken
over by a black hole of chaotic thoughts and emotions.
Your ability to work and solve your business problems
becomes cloudy, and like being in a fog you can’t find your way out.
When faced with heavy issues that may shake your outlook or
working on a problem that may trigger overwhelming emotions, you can lose
control.
Sometimes the support from a business coach is just about
support, sometimes it’s about pointing you in the right direction or helping
you work the solution and encouraging you to follow through. And sometimes it
is more complicated.
I have seen massive changes in business owners who have
sought my help, worked with me and developed the good habit. They have made
more money, assembled a dynamic team, and found more free time for themselves
to spend with family, friends, or other pursuits.
Clients who have coaches start to think and act in a
constructive, positive manner as they implement the skills they are learning
from their business coach. Instead of reacting, they become process-oriented.
Unfortunately, business skills are usually left by the
wayside for many business owners. Instead, they focus on building their
construction skills to improve their business, all the while ignoring the real
problem, their business skills.
Contractors
don’t fail or struggle for a lack of business skills, they fail or struggle for
a lack of business skills.
If you are ready to roll up your sleeves and work on your
business, not in it. Click the link below and let’s talk.
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