Business Strategy

Coach, Consultant, or Strategist – Which one should you choose?

As a Canadian small business owner, are you struggling to decide whether you need a coach, a consultant, or a strategist to take your business to the next level?

We’ll break down the roles of a coach, consultant, and strategist, and help you determine which one is the best fit for your business needs.

The Business Coach: The Cheerleader

The Worldwide Association of Business Coaches defines business coaching as “the process of engaging in regular, structured conversation with a client. The goal is to enhance the client’s awareness and behaviour to achieve business objectives for both the client and their organization.”

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A business coach is often viewed as a supportive and inspiring figure, providing an external perspective to help you stay committed to your objectives.

Business coaches can help business owners better understand themselves and their businesses, whether they have a specific area of focus or are generalists.

Business coaches may use assessments, exercises, and conversations to help their clients develop solutions independently and guide them to become their best selves.

Coaches typically have experience and education in their area of specialization. They can translate this into being able to successfully help you out of a situation they have been in before sharing what they have learned and using that to help guide you to the best solution for you.

Business Consultant: The Project Manager

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Business consultants are known for their project-specific approach. They are brought into a business to solve a specific problem with their specialized knowledge and expertise, addressing immediate business needs on a project-by-project basis.

Most business consultants have a specific area of focus, such as management, finance, marketing, operations, or technology. Their expertise in these areas allows them to provide targeted solutions to businesses.

When asked how they would describe a business consultant, the consensus is that a consultant is hired for a project or one-time situation, shares their knowledge, and then leaves. Business consultants are there to help and do the work with you.

Business Strategist: The Visionary

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The Strategy Institute defines a business strategist is someone who is “collaborating with organizations; they innovate solutions, establish targets, plans, and approaches to execute strategies, and continually assess and research to identify improvement opportunities.”

Business strategists have specialized knowledge in a specific area of business. They have this knowledge because of education and years of working in that area. Many business strategists focus on one area, such as management, finance, marketing, operations, or technology.

Business strategists might be the least understood of these three professionals when it comes to the differences between them, but they are there to help you long-term and set the right goals and steps. They are there to detail out the next steps you need to take and work with you to keep you accountable.

Which is Right for You?

There can be some crossover between coaches, consultants, and strategists. Many coaches will offer strategic suggestions during coaching sessions, and many strategists and consultants will incorporate coaching elements into their sessions. The mission of each involves helping clients succeed in business; they just have different focuses and methods.

At Clear Direction Advisors we are business strategists. We help you look at your business differently, as a whole instead of separate parts; help you set goals, assessing not only the business but the environment the business operates in; we create an action plan to get your business to the next level. We are here to help you determine your future and create the detailed roadmap to get you there.

Want to see how we can help you? Let’s chat.

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