As a business leader, you probably invest in things like equipment and new employees. You may also invest in stocks and real estate – these are all investments that you make secure in the knowledge that you'll gain a profit from the money spent. But can you guess what investment will give you the highest Return On Investment (ROI)? An investment in yourself!

When you invest in yourself, you're investing in something that will pay dividends and increase in value for the rest of your life. Investing in you isn't always easy – it requires time, energy and commitment – but don’t all good things in life require a little work? Simply put, if you want to be a successful business leader then you’ll invest in yourself – because you're worth it, and the benefits are enormous.

Hiring a business coach is one smart investment you can make in yourself. You work hard managing your business, putting in long hours, managing your employees, solving problems, dealing with customers, and often feeling as if all the pressure to succeed rests on your shoulders. A professional business coach can help you to prioritize your goals and work more efficiently, and can advise you on how to increase your business's profitability. The business coach will make you and you're your goals the focus of all their attention, helping you to make a plan and move forward rather than just "putting out fires" every day while you wallow in the same old rut.

Business coaching costs money – anywhere from a few hundred per month to thousands of dollars – but their effectiveness is proven. Fortune 500 companies use business coaches to develop leadership strategies and train managers in time management, and find that their productivity triples, or even quadruples, by following their advice. The biggest investment that any business can make is in its people, and coaches help managers and businesses owners to develop strategies that work for them in very specific ways. You'll meet with a coach and work with him to assess specific goals for your business – and then make a plan to achieve that goal. Whether you want to expand your business, increase profits or simply identify your long-term goals, a professional business coach will bring their experience to the table and work with you on your specific business needs.

When you hire a professional business coach, you'll find they generally offer two basic approaches to helping you reach your goals, "change-oriented coaching," which works on teaching or changing skills and behaviors, and "growth-oriented coaching," which focuses on performance enhancement. In return for their attention and expertise, which usually runs from six months to a year, the coach will charge anywhere from a few hundred dollars per month up to about $30,000 a year, depending on the size of the company and the services provided. Business coaches can be hired to work with employees, managers or as one-on-one personal advisors.

But don't think that by paying a business coach you can just walk away and they'll do all the work – they're coaches, not contractors. The job of the business coach is to work with you to help you achieve your own goals, and that means that you'll need to commit time and effort to the process. If you're open to new ideas and willing to make the commitment toward reaching your full business potential, you'll find the return on your investment in a business coach is a great investment in your business's most important asset – yourself!




BusinessCoach.com is a full service Business Coaching firm, founded in 1989 and based on the philosophy of Gary B. Henson, an entrepreneur and business owner for over 25 years. Chari Darneal is Vice President and Senior Business Coach. Our clients manage anywhere from five to 500 employees each, and cover more than 60 industries. Visit http://www.businesscoach.com for more information, free articles and be sure to sign up for our newsletter.