This blog post has been authored by Stand Out Online Member Tineke Rensen, Powerful Business Academy
As a business coach for female entrepreneurs, I’ve met many businesswomen who are reluctant to seek help and support. This can be because, as a woman, we are used to being strong-willed and self-sufficient. It’s just not in our nature to admit weakness or loss. But this kind of attitude is counterproductive. As female entrepreneurs, we need all the help we can get. Being a business owner doesn’t mean you have to be on your own. And you’d be surprised at how many resources are out there to help you achieve your goals of growing your business.
Another common oversight of female entrepreneurs is only seeking help when the business is doing bad. This shouldn’t be the case. Business owners need coaches, teachers, and mentors even when their business is doing fine to make sure that it continues growing. A coach will ask you relevant questions that will guide your growth, and help you find the answers within you. A teacher will teach you new skills and techniques you will need to aid you in achieving your targets. A mentor will act as a soundboard and give you pertinent advice on your state of affairs. All of these play an important role in the progress of your business.
When To Seek Help
As I’ve previously mentioned, it is always a good time to seek help and support no matter where you are in your business. Most female entrepreneurs do this when they want to start growing their business and need assistance. Others get help when their business is going south and they want to get it back on track. But what about when the business is doing fine but has stopped growing? This is called plateauing, and all businesses at some point has gone or will go through it. When you are stuck at a certain level of growth, breaking through can be a make-or-break opportunity. It is the perfect time to go back to the drawing board and reassess your strategies.
Figuring out what is preventing you from growing your business further will help you overcome them. At this point, investing on new knowledge and skills will give you better insights on your business so you can take on better actions and change course. And you don’t have to do this alone. Again, a coach or a mentor can help you get through this uncertainty.
It Is Better Not To Just Have A Coach But A Mentor As Well
If you want to continue learning and growing, having a coach and mentor can make a great impact. Some of the benefits of having a business coach for female entrepreneurs include:
- You will come up with new insights.
- You can get valuable tips and learn new skills.
- You see a different approach and direction. This will help you make better decisions.
- You become open to new opportunities and options.
- You will get in the flow again.
It’s also important to keep in mind that it is you who is in control. A coach and mentor will guide you, but in the end, you make the decisions.
What To Look For In A Coach Or Mentor
Now that you are aware of the advantages of having a coach and mentor, the question is: how can you find a good one? Here are some things you should look for:
- A good mentor or coach invests in herself by going through training and other learning opportunities to further her knowledge and expertise.
- A good mentor or coach has a mentor or coach herself.
- A good coach or mentor has vast experience in her particular field.
- A good coach or mentor has significant experience as an entrepreneur.
Basically, a good coach and mentor walk the talk. But knowledge and expertise will be of no use to you if you don’t click with them. Finding a qualified coach or mentor is different from finding the right coach or mentor for you.
You can check out these 20 questions you should ask a business coach for women before working with her.
Other Areas Where You Can Learn
If you cannot hire a business coach for women or a mentor for yourself, there are many other ways you can learn and grow.
- You can attend seminars and training. There are many paid and free courses you can take on topics you think can help you and your business.
- You can join mastermind groups. If being able to interact with a mentor or peers is important to you when you are learning, you can join groups that discuss the topics you want tips or feedback on.
- You can search and find like-minded friends or communities. If you have friends or know people who share the same interests, it’s a good idea to connect with them.
Summing It Up
Although taking care of everything on your own and being independent is not a bad thing, you should not shy away from seeking help. You must take all available opportunities to grow and scale your business. And this includes enlisting the help of professionals and experts who can take your business to the next level. The best way to grow is to keep learning and to keep adapting, with help and support from other people who want to see you achieve your goals and succeed.
Learn More
If you’re a female entrepreneur looking for extra knowledge and expertise, look for a good business coach for women because there are many out there who never even had their own business. This advice could make or break your business.
How do you know if someone is a good business coach for women?
Check out this article about the 20 questions you should ask a business coach for female entrepreneurs.
My name is Tineke Rensen and I am a business coach for women. I host monthly masterclasses about various business topics.
The next masterclass is on the 14th of July. The topic of the next masterclass will be: Generating Leads on LinkedIn. You can also check it out here.
For the first class, you only pay 1 euro ($1,20), so it is safe for you to check me out. Afterward, you decide if you’ve learned something and whether you want to continue to become a member for 47,- euro/month (with a lot of extra benefits). Or you just move on.
If you want to take it a step higher and work with me one-on-one to build your one-woman gig to a proper business and double your income within a year, without spending a dime, click here now to get started.
Tineke Rensen of Powerful Business Academy has been in business for 31 years. She built an international Outdoor and Survival business from scratch and sold it after 22 years.
Tineke was also a national whitewater kayaking champion.
She now is one of the most all-round business accelerators and mentors you can find. She helps businesswomen to “Scale & Grow, Make More Impact And Work Less.” There are very few topics she cannot help you with in your business. Many people find this hard to believe, but hey, how much do you think you know about scaling businesses if you live it day and night for 31 years?
Tineke created the system “A Women’s Blueprint To Business Success.” She is a multi-awarded serial entrepreneur and is the author of the book “Maximum Business Growth For Women.”