It’s still early in the year, so if you’re like most people, you’ve probably just about given up on that exercise and diet plan you resolved to on Jan. 1!  It happens to SO many of us every year, but why?  We have the best of intentions – we can actually see our new physique, and we love it!  We knew it would be work, but the payoff would be worth it.

Plus, we all know the basics: cut the fat, cut the sugars, pick up the weights. But as everyday people, what would make us think we really KNOW how to diet and exercise to maximum performance for our bodies?  Maybe you do know how to work out and eat well, but you just can’t seem to find the right combination of what foods to eat, and what exercises to do, to give you the results you want.  

More likely than any of these reasons for abandoning your well-intended health plan is that it’s difficult and much easier to NOT get up and get to the gym. And there’s nobody there with you to hold you accountable, so missing today turns into this week, turns into next week. . . turns into you’re done.  See you again next January.


That’s why there’s an entire industry of fitness professionals called personal trainers to help us with this dilemma.  These fitness coaches teach people what programs would be best for reaching particular goals. Then a good personal trainer shows how to perform and implement these exercises so they’re done properly, with good form, and to maximum performance. 

Lastly, these people actually SHOW UP at the gym – on time, excited, ready to work their clients out. They hold them accountable in the very way the clients themselves never seem to be able to do. The result? People learn about their options, set goals, learn what it takes and how to perform the essential tasks – and stay on course! 

This is how a healthy body is made and maintained. For the few who can do it themselves, great. But for the rest of us, these fitness coaches are the difference between healthy and unhealthy.

This is exactly what a business coach does for the health of a small business owner’s company. 

A great business coach helps the small business owner set the goals that make sense for his or her business, and shows them what actions it takes to reach and exceed these goals. The business coach then teaches the small business owner the all-important “how to” for whatever essential tasks must be undertaken. Remember, form is important to results! 

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, a good business coach is there with small business owners to hold them accountable for getting their work done! Just like a personal trainer, the business coach attends to the health of small business owners by empowering them with options, knowledge and a gentle push. And like our bodies, we can then have a business that operates consistently, and be business owners who can take command of what our business does, rather than just reacting to what it faces.

This lesson is a good one for other areas of expertise that your business might require. Want great advertising? Hire a marketing coach. Want your pro formas to be powerful? Hire a strong CPA. Be the business owner who is not afraid to reach out for help, but who’s afraid to wake up and find your business is unhealthy!  

Options, learning and accountability – these are the values that business coaching can bring to any small business owner who wants a healthy, strong, flexible business.

Bill Keeler is a certified professional business coach, as well as a certified professional behavioral analyst and radio marketing master. He’s been helping small business owners improve their operations since 1994. Contact him at (804) 332-6486 or at http://www.richmondcoach.com or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).