Small Business: Picking a coach to help

Small-business owners don't have all the answers. They often need help solving a problem or taking their business to the next level, and that's where a business coach can come in handy.

In fact, it's estimated more than 20 percent of small businesses use coaching services.

But with thousands of coaches out there, you want to make sure you're finding the right match for your company and not just settling, experts say.

"In this world anybody can call themselves a coach," says Karyn Greenstreet, a self-employment expert and president of PassionForBusiness.com in Revere, Pa. "You don't want to pick just anyone."

Here are some guidelines for choosing the right coach:

Ask around: You many not recognize it, but one of your peers or colleagues may be using a coach and have a great recommendation. There are also other resources that provide guidance such as the International Coach Federation (coachfederation.org) and the Long Island Coaching Alliance (licoachingalliance.com), says Rita Maniscalco, a Huntington-based certified career, life and business coach and president of the LI alliance, which provides support, continuing education and professional development for local coaches.

Check credentials: Small-business coaching is a skill, says Greenstreet, who offers more coach selection tips at her website. So it's important to select someone who has graduated from a recognized, credentialed coaching school, she says. Specifically, someone trained through an ICF-approved coach training program (check the ICF website's credentials program search), Greenstreet notes.

The ICF itself is tightening its membership requirements. Starting in January, to be a full member individuals will need to have 60 hours of ICF-approved coach-specific training, explains Bernie Siegel, an ICF board member and a Manhattan-based business coach. There was no set minimum before, he notes.

Set goals and expectations: As a business owner you need to ask yourself what you're trying to achieve so you can find a coach tailored to your needs, says Siegel. He advises starting with an understanding of how you will know if the coaching is successful (i.e. increased sales, better return on investment). The more specific you can be about goals, the more chance you'll be successful.

Check testimonials and

references: Does the coach have much experience working with business owners like you? Greenstreet asks. Was he or she successful in helping similar companies with problems like yours solve their issues? "Ask them to tell you about two or three recent client success stories they've had," she says. Look for specific results.

Trust your gut: You need to meet your selected coach to see if the fit is right, Maniscalco says. Ask yourself if he or she is professional, whether you and your staff will enjoy being coached by this person and whether the person clearly understands the challenges at hand, she notes.

You have to be comfortable with your coach, adds Jerry Elfassy, founder of Progressive Consulting, an information technology consulting firm in Westbury that benefited from using a coach. Elfassy met his coach, Marc Miller of MLM Coaching & Consulting in Plainview, through a networking group they both joined, which made it an easy transition to work together.

"There's a lot of trust between us," says Elfassy, who says Miller helped him make several improvements, including learning how to delegate and free up his time for pressing tasks. "I've organized my shop big-time," Elfassy notes.

Get it in writing: If you feel the fit is good, have the coach submit a written proposal outlining his or her understanding of the problem or goals, method of coaching to be used, estimated time frame, and fees, Maniscalco advises.

Fast Fact

Clients are looking increasingly more at a coach's credentials. According to a 2011 Sherpa Coaching survey, 70 percent of coaches that responded were classroom-trained and certified, up from 64 percent three years ago.