by Jan Rutgers
Last week I had the pleasure of joining DESIGNER DISCUSSIONS on Clubhouse, to contribute to their discussion on “What is it like to hire a business coach?”
We had a great chat on the topic and as a Business Coach myself, I wanted to share some of it with you.
As an FYI, DESIGNER DISCUSSIONS convenes a Clubhouse Room every Friday at 12:30 PM CDT.
The founders of DESIGNER DISCUSSIONS are Jason Lockhart, Maria Martin and Mirjam Lippuner.
Check them out individually online and don’t forget to dial into their Clubhouse room on Fridays, or pop by their Facebook page for more information.
If you would like an invite to Clubhouse, reach out on my contact page and I’ll arrange to send you one.
So, should you consider hiring a business coach for your Kitchen Design Business?
Questioning if you are happy with your business 
I’m happy with where my business is
To make the decision on whether to hire a business coach or not for you Kitchen Design business, ask yourself this question:
If your business was exactly the same in 5 years as it is now, would you be happy?
Maria Martin
The answer to this question will help you make the decision on whether to find a coach or not.
If you are happy with the status quo, carry on with what you are doing and enjoy yourself.
If your goal is to make some changes, big or small, a business coach may be the route to go.
Here are a few changes you may want to make in your business that a coach could help you with:
- Changing or defining your target market
- Refining you service or product offering
- Improving your processes
- Developing your marketing strategy
- Changing your role within your company
Additional reasons for working with a business coach can be more philosophical.
I’m feeling overwhelmed
Maybe you are just feeling stuck or overwhelmed and need someone to talk to.
Many solo entrepreneurs feel this way at some point in their careers.
Even though the design business can be a “glamorous” occupation it can be lonely.
An online Business Coach can be just a “zoom” call away
Having a Business Coach that you can check in with can be a lifesaver for the independent Kitchen Designer.
My experience has also shown me that many independent Kitchen Designers could use a Business Coach to play the role of Sales Manager for them.
In large sales organizations, it is customary for the “boss” to sit down with each sales associate weekly and discuss all of their client files.
The purpose of this is for the sales manager to provide advice based on their experience to help the associate close a deal, overcome objections or deal with a conflict.
Often another perspective is all that is needed to move on.
The Business Coach can be the ideal person to play this role for the independent Kitchen Designer.
In some cases, even a Kitchen Designer working or a large organization can benefit from this type of coaching and mentoring if they are not receiving all the attention they need at the office.
Not all relationships with a Business Coach need to be long term.
As a Kitchen Designer you may have a special project that guidance from a Business Coach would be beneficial.
A few examples that come to mind are:
- Setting up a showroom for the first time
- Reconfiguring your existing showroom
- Planning a Home Show booth
- Adding additional staff to your operation
- Expanding your product offering
- Building a new website for your business
As you see there is no one size fits all approach.
You will get the most from the experience with a Business Coach if you invest the time!
An important aspect that also cannot be overlooked when you decide to retain a Business Coach is that you need to be committed.
Of course there is a financial commitment to hiring a business coach, but there is also a time commitment.
Both of these require an investment to get value from the relationship.
Before you jump into a client/coaching relationship there is one additional thing you should do.
Write out your business goals for your coach.
Jason Lockhart
To make the relationship successful, both you and your coach need to be on the same page and you need to be committed to making a change.
Having a written document of your goals will help you evaluate your progress and provides a road map for your coach.
During the Clubhouse talk on DESIGNER DISCUSSIONS, a question that came up was “What should I look for in a coach?”
The answer from the panel was:
- Do your communication styles match? Will the coaching sessions have strict agendas or be free flowing?
- Are you looking for a generalist or a specialist? Do you want a general business processes coach or a Kitchen Design specialist coach?
- Are you looking for one-to-one coaching or group coaching? Maybe a mastermind group would be a good solution for you.
- Is the coach enthusiastic about you and your industry? Your coach needs to be your cheerleader!
A Business Coaches Network can be a benefit of hiring them
The DESIGNER DISCUSSION Clubhouse chat reminded me that there is one great advantage to hiring a Business Coach that is often over looked.
Your Business Coaches personal contact list has great value.
Often a specialized Business Coach has been involved with your industry for many years and will automatically know where to direct you to get additional information.
This information can be invaluable to the Kitchen Designer looking to take their business to the next level.
I would love to hear your thoughts on hiring a business coach. Please leave me a comment below.
If you are interested in talking to me about coaching please send me a note through my contact page. I would be more than happy to set up a no obligation call with you.
Jan Rutgers has been designing kitchens and products for over 25 years and is a recipient of Kitchen & Bath Design News’ Top Innovators in 2020 for the Kitchen & Bath Industry. She has designed more than 1000 kitchens learning valuable skills with each one! Her experience in Kitchen Design, Millwork Manufacturing and Product Development has led her to create VESTABUL SCHOOL OF DESIGN where she educates and mentors people passionate about the Kitchen Design Industry.
Jan, You are such a wealth of knowledge. ThankYou for joining us to share how a business coach can can change Interior Designers and Kitchen Designers business trajectories. It’s so much better to learn from someone who has been there and can get you though the hard things.