One of the most satisfying processes we come across as coaches is the ability to move the coachees thinking to the point that they illuminate with the answer to their own thinking.

So often, it is that you already know the answer but have not had the time or energy or ability to un-clutter enough to see what is actually going on and more importantly what is the learning about what you are doing and the implications of:

1. Doing it the same way

2. Doing it a better way

Once you start to explore this thinking (as apposed to the problem, details or drama) then you are able to reflect enough on the process to realise where simple improvements or alterations can have tremendous impact.

As we move coachees through this journey, the benefits of thinking for them become more obvious.  It is a great experience to empower someone to think about something, identify their feeling and emotion with the item, learn from it and think through the implications of doing or not doing it.

A recent example was of a coachee who identified a needed to increase their sales.  This was multi layered but through insights, the client was able to identify that half of their stock sold in a certain time period when they had the stock loaded to a website.  The insight was to load up more stock after identifying which were the more popular stock items.

You guessed it, sales started to increase immediately by adding popular items and more of them to the website.  The turnover has taken off.

I trust that this gives you some insight in the benefits of having a coach (or mentor etc) beside you.

John Burkhardt – Amplio Business Solutions

All too often we as coaches are posed with a blank expression or the question of what does a coach do?

As a professional business coach, we use this expression to ensure that you can hear that we are:

1. Professional i.e. abide by a professional code of ethics and standard of conduct along with applying professional development through ongoing education.

2. Business.  We are in the business of business.  We specialize in coaching business’s and helping them achieve their potential through business development.

3. We are Coach’s.  As a coach we cover a range of skills which assist in maximizing your potential.

They include:

Goal setting – Application of Strategies and relevant action steps to achieve these goals.

A professional coach is the combination of four areas including: Mentoring, Management, Personal Training and Sports Coaching.

Coaching is a synthesis of elements from:

• Mentor

–        To really believe in you

–        To help you set big goals for yourself through vision

• Manager

–        To help you set strategies to work

–        To assist in setting deadlines

–        To keep you accountable

• Personal Trainer

–        To help you work out how to attack the big goals

–        To maintain momentum

• Sports Coach

–        To see things to improve your game that you can’t see

–        To challenge your perspective or thinking

–        To provide objective perspective for altering performance

We as coach’s are often covering a broad range of abilities, however we choose to specialize in one area.  For me this is Business Coaching and soon Executive Coaching as well.

These are the realization of the goals and relevant strategies and actions for myself as well.

Even as coach’s we need coaching to achieve our maximum potential.

Remember, If it’s going to be, it’s up to me!  But why not get some positive assistance on the way?

John Burkhardt - Amplio Business Solutions

There are several business planning software packages out there and available for immediate download on the internet.  What you need to establish in researching them is what do you want from these packages?

Doing a internet search on this term will reveal an array of options, both paid and free versions.

What are you expecting from your business planning software? A full plan including cash flow projections, marketing plans, KPI tracking, ability to view as charts/graphs?

Also be careful with cash flow projections as to what currency the software is based in and if you are able to change it to your local currency format.

Does the software handle start up costs such as assets acquisition, expenses and financing? Is there fields to enter contingency funding (for acquisitions etc)?  Does the software integrate into your existing financial software (or does your existing software have this function and you haven’t used it yet).

Start to do some research and work out what you expect the software to do.

Some links that I found via an internet search are:

http://www.businessplanpro.com/ppc/business_plan_software.cfm?gclid=CLfxj-mvi5wCFZcwpAodWgxWWw

http://www.bplans.com/

http://www.ebc.com.au/

http://www.businessplans.org/

Pick a product and go for it.  It does save time, asks questions you had not yet thought of and makes it easy to change and implement.  You are not after a 100 page plain, but rather a short concise, clear and workable business plan.

John Burkhardt – Amplio Business Solutions.