How to Choose a Business Coach in Australia

Choosing a business coach starts with what you want to change in the business, not with a polished program. Look for relevant commercial experience, a way of working you can explain, and someone you'll actually be honest with. In a first conversation, ask how they measure progress, what happens between sessions, and how either of you can end the engagement. In Australia, there is no licence required to call yourself a business coach, so the checking sits with you.

Owners come to this question for different reasons. The business may be struggling, or you may be struggling as the owner. It may depend on you too much, or it may be going well and you want support for the next stage.

What a business coach actually does

A business coach is a thinking partner for the work of running and growing the business. You bring the live issues: growth that has stalled, a team that still comes back to you, a chance to scale, or a business that's doing well and needs a clearer next step. The coach helps you see what's actually going on, decide what to change first, and follow through until it sticks.

At Everett Coaching, we work across eight areas of the business: Mindset, Wellbeing, Strategy and Vision, Marketing, Sales, Delivery and Operations, Finance, and People.

Signs you may be ready

You don't need a crisis, although that is a good reason to consider an outside perspective. You're probably ready if you want the business to grow without everything running through you, you're open to being challenged, and you're willing to act between sessions.

A quick test: if you were unavailable for four weeks, what would happen to your business? Most businesses that are owner dependent would falter.

If the business still depends on you, that’s a common reason to start, and we’ve written about how to build a business that doesn’t revolve around you. If things are already going well, coaching can still be useful: the next stage often needs a different way of leading, deciding and building the team.

If you're unclear on your goals, a good coach will help you define them up front. You don't need them perfectly formed before you start.

What to look for

A coach doesn't have to have run your exact business. They do need enough commercial experience to understand how businesses like yours grow and the decisions you're facing. Ask what work they have done with owners at a similar stage, and listen for specifics.

Look for training or a commercial background you can check, and a method they can explain in plain language: how they set direction, what happens between sessions, and how progress is reviewed, including what should be visible within 90 days. Rapport matters, but it isn't enough on its own. You should leave a first conversation clearer, and able to explain how they would actually work with you.

Formal coaching training is a good sign, such as a postgraduate qualification in coaching or accreditation with a professional coaching body. For context, Rich holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Organisational and Executive Coaching from Swinburne University of Technology, is a Prosci Certified Change Practitioner, and has been coaching since 2015, after more than a decade in management consulting.

Questions worth asking in a first call

Bring one live issue from the business, not a polished brief. It also helps to take the Owner-Dependence Scorecard first, so you arrive with a clear picture of where the business relies on you. Then ask:

• How would you work with a situation like this?
• What experience do you have with businesses at a similar stage?
• How do we set goals, and how will we know this is working?
• What happens between sessions?
• How are engagements structured, and how does either party end them?

Notice what they ask you, too. A coach who jumps to advice before they understand the business is showing you how they work.

Red flags

Walk away, or at least slow down, if they:

• guarantee a revenue number or a transformation
• can't explain their approach in plain language
• pressure you to sign on the first call
• offer a long lock-in with no clear way to leave
• never challenge you, or do all the talking

An impressive program is not a substitute for any of the above.

How long it usually lasts

We structure our coaching engagements to run for six to twelve months initially. That is long enough to set a direction, put new ways of working in place, and see whether they hold. Most of our clients then roll into another engagement.

At Everett Coaching, there is no lock-in. A one-month notice period applies to end the engagement. Many clients stay three to four years, not because they are tied in, but because the work stays useful as the business keeps changing.

If you lead inside an organisation rather than own one, executive coaching is likely the better fit.

If this is on your mind, the next step is a confidential twenty-minute call with one of our team. No pressure and no pitch. Book a call when you’re ready, or read more about us.

Not ready for a call yet? Take the free Owner-Dependence Scorecard to see how much your business relies on you, and where to start.

Frequently asked questions