But for many of us (raise your hands now if you are feeling lost, stressed, upset, depressed) that is exactly what we need. I’m sure there is an insane amount of psychology out there on the dynamics of having a Coach, but I’m not going to get into all that (you can google that on your own). However I am going to share a few of my experiences and thoughts on the matter – because I am a blogger now and from what I know about blogging, I get to do that. [superemotions file="icon_wink.gif" title="Wink"]

Top Signs You Need to Consider Hiring A Coach

When it’s time to start working, you would rather be doing the dishes/laundry/cleaning the toilet. (extra points if you actually clean the toilet rather then working)

When the person you talk to most has that glazed over look in their eyes when you talk about your business, cause you keep saying/complaining about the same things over and over. (my husband can attest to that)

When you sit down to work at the computer and you start your day by surfing the net for anything and everything NOT related to your biz. (stupid amazon.com gets me every time)

When people start emailing you wondering if you’ve fallen off the face of the earth cause you have not been twittering/facebooking/blogging like normal. (and it’s not b/c you’ve been on vacation or something)

When your actual vacation is approaching and you are filled with dread rather then excitement because you feel like your business will fall apart if you leave.

When you get a new lead or prospect and you react with a “oh, crap! not another one!” (believe me, it happens)

When you feel like you are  (or actually are) working non-stop but still can’t afford to buy yourself a morning latte (or in my case, red bull)

When you decide to take on a client who does not mesh well with you, knowing it’s only gonna be trouble, just to have a client.

And here’s #1 for me — the day you decide “I’m going to go back and get a ‘real’ job – it’s gotta be better then this”.

I know there are more signs, and for each person and type of business I’m sure the signs vary. I’m guessing if you take a step back and look at the low points of your business you will be able to recognize your own personal signs (so next time, you can nip it in the bud).

If one (or more!) of those signs hits home with you, I recommend looking into hiring a coach, even if it’s just for an hour. I can attest to the fact that even just an hour can make the biggest difference in the world. And here’s my personal opinion why:

What a Coach Can Do For You

Validate You. Speaking from a female perspective (cause, um, I’m a girl) there is little in this world that is better then having someone tell you what you feel/think is right/ok. As women, I think we question ourselves way too much when it comes to non-traditional female stuff (don’t be offended at this, please). For me, when someone questions my decisions/feelings as a mother I can say “screw you!” but when it comes to my business I feel timid and shy about my feelings, plans and ambitions. Having someone else (especially a peer) tell you what you think/feel is right is empowering.

Enlighten You. Many many times, even if you think you have it figured out – you don’t. A good Coach will open doors for you that you had never even thought of before. Maybe you know you need to do X, but the key to making that happen is to realize why you are not doing X already. A Coach can help you pin point what the real problems are (for example, point out some conditioned behavior that you never thought you had). When you can finally see what’s really standing in your way, you can knock it out -or off- a lot easier.

Motivate You. It’s true that you may already know exactly what you should be doing to solve whatever problem that you are having. If that’s the case, then why haven’t you started doing it yet? It could be partly because you need to be sure you are right (see “Validate You”) and it could be partly because no one is there to answer to. When you are only answering to yourself, it can be hard (sometimes impossible) to motivate to get that going.

I realized that when my family is gone, and I am alone in the house, I eat A LOT of cookies and potato chips. But when my family is here, I am eating things like bandanna and granola bars. Why? Because I can get away with the junk food when no one is hear looking over my shoulder (and it’s almost like it never happened). I think the same thing plays out in my business. Since no one is here looking over my shoulder, I can be as sloppy and unorganized as possible and then blame my problems on anything and everything else.

When you work with  a coach, more then likely they will be giving you challenges, checking in with you and keeping tabs on your work. Knowing that you are handing $$ to this person and they are watching you can really motivate you to make those changes needed to get you back into the swing of things.

Push You. After motivation there  is pushing. I call it pushing because I think there is a step past motivation that is uncomfortable and difficult – and that is going outside your comfort zone and accomplishing things you had written off, don’t want to do or had never even considered.

Empower You. This is my #1 reason for hiring a Coach. When you work with someone who knows what they are doing, who is confident and knowledgeable and strong – their attitude and strength carries over to you. When someone you respect tells you that you are worth it, that you are good at what you do, you have an easier time believing in yourself. And ladies, I know many of you can agree that lacking confidence is one of the biggest setbacks in our entrepreneurial game. When you walk away from a coaching session knowing what you need to do and how you are going to do it AND  feeling like you can do it, it stays with you.

So…how do you find this magical solution to your problems? I know there are a lot of Coaches out there. There are Coaches for everything, too. It can get confusing as to who is right for the job, who knows what they are talking about and who would fit well with you. Especially when it comes to paying for it, because if you are like me  you don’t have a money tree in your backyard and every dime counts. My first suggestion is to not look at their fees. Don’t hire one coach over the other because they are cheaper. While a low-fee coach may be the best person for you, that should not be your deciding factor. Make the decision  up front that you are going to part with whatever amount of money it takes to hire the coach that fits with you. And make it happen — start with one hour and see how you feel after that. When it comes to hiring a Coach, you have to consider the big picture — a few hundred dollars now (while it may hurt and you may be eating pb&j’s for a while) can equal increased profits out the wazoo down the road (and then you can celebrate with an expensive steak dinner).

Searching for your Coach.

Since I work with (and know) a lot of coaches, I know it’s hard to find the right one right away. My best tip for finding that match is to do your homework. Look for some Coaches (get references and search the web) and read their stuff – subscribe to their newsletters, read their blogs, download their freebies, follow them on twitter. Find a Coach that writes in a voice similar to yours. Find a Coach who’s topics make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. You’ll know. Once you have found that one (or a few) that you feel connected to, ask for a free consultation. If you leave that call feeling like you’ve found a new friend – then they are the one for you.

Need Somewhere to Start?

Here are a few coaches who make the hair on the back of my neck stand up when they write. I invite you to follow them on twitter, subscribe to their newsletters and see what they have to say. While my opinions are just that – my opinions- I can attest that reading their freebies and newsletters alone have changed my business and my attitude. (You may notice some of these are my own clients – no, I have not struck a deal with them or anything, but since I spent a lot of time reading their materials while I worked, I got to know them and fell in love with what they are about)

Elizabeth Genco Purvis: The Marketing Goddess. This lady is top notch when it comes to empowerment. If you feel your business -and income- is sliding off into oblivion, she has the right tools to pull you back up and get your business moving again. [also twitter.com/elizabethgenco]

Michele Woodward. If you are feeling lost in what you are doing right now, whether you are still at a crappy corporate job, running a less-then-successful home business or in between work, she will show you why you are where you are at and how to change it. She also makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside about yourself. [also twitter.com/michelewoodward]

Elizabeth Potts Weinstein. Despite the fact that she is my sister (and typically I do not listen to my sister) I have gained immense knowledge about “the biz” from her. She’s been there, done that. She can show you what things you should stop doing, where you need to bulk up the efforts and how to piece together a financially successful business from scratch. [also twitter.com/elizabethpw]

Laurie Foley. I akin Laurie to Apollo Creed in Rocky III. She’s that Coach that’s right there training you for the big fight, and is on the sideline when you’re in the ring, pushing you to get back in there for the knock out. She brings out the championship fighter in you. [also twitter.com/intuitioneer]

Have you had an awesome experience with a life or business Coach? Please share your experiences by adding a comment below or email me with your thoughts – I would love to add some more names to my list of recommended Coaches!! Or just let me know your theories or thoughts on hiring a Coach – I’d love the insights!! [superemotions file="icon_biggrin.gif" title="Big Grin"]

~Victoria Potts Keale is a newbie blogger, website designer, entrepreneur extraordinaire, mom, wife, daughter, sister… well, you get the gist. She lives in her hometown of St. Louis, MO in an old haunted farmhouse with her 2 kids and drummer hubby. She has 15 tattoos and wants more. She loves 80′s music. She thinks writing bios in the 3rd person is wacky. You should email her and tell her what else to put in her bio – victoria@lynnraedesigns.com – but don’t spam her, cause she’ll get angry.

Please feel free to use this blog in whatever, but make sure you credit it back to the author (link it up here!!) and send us a note that you used it, cause we’ll give you some link-love right back.

I launched my web design business 4 years ago when the list of people who needed my services grew to a point where I could not ignore the need anymore. So I spent just 3 days building my own site – taking design cues from my peers and creating a very “industry standard” website. It was a nice enough site; it brought in business and allowed me to quit my “real job” to invest all my time into design. I had a steady client base but no real niche. I was dealing with clients who did not really mesh well with me personally and I found myself more stressed then satisfied.

Since that time I have had 5 incarnations of my business site. When I got frustrated, to the end of my rope with stress, I would redesign my site hoping it would draw in a different clientele. Each time I took cues from other design sites or utilized the newest fad in design and each time I got a new batch of clients… but walked away with the same stress and dissatisfaction.

So what was I doing wrong?

In the summer of 2008, with my introduction (and slight addiction) to the social networking site Twitter, I figured it out. What was I missing in marketing my business? Me!!

The one thing all those design incarnations was missing was my personality. So once again I went and redesigned my site – and instead of designing something that “fit” with my peers, I created a style that screamed “Victoria!!”

In the weeks after I made the switch to marketing myself rather then my business, I witnessed a complete turnaround, and boom (Yay!), in my business. Instead of trying to figure out what my clients wanted me to be, I was simply myself. In my web presence, my social networking and my communications with clients and prospects I stayed true to my personality and the response was phenomenal! The best part about this newfound business identity: I’ve developed friendships with my clients and a true pride in the work that I provide for them.

This idea of marketing yourself is nothing new. Throughout the ages, women have utilized their appearance as a signature of their style – from clothing, hair, or accessories, woman have found a way to distinguish themselves by their look. When we get dressed in the morning or for a night out, we take care in choosing the right look so that we can show who we are to everyone, ultimately marketing ourselves socially.

As we venture into this new Web 2.0 world, our online style becomes a virtual “look” for our business, distinguishing what the business it all about. As important as first impressions are in the “real world”, the online world works the same. The look and feel of your blog, website or social networking profile will tell your visitors who you are and help them decide if you are the right person to do business with.

Think about the look that you personally display everyday – do your graphics, logo and style for your sites match that look? Do your clients know who they are doing business with?

In my design business, my sites act as my virtual wardrobe. I do not have one particular style all the time in the “real world” just like I do not have one particular style for my designs – but they all have parts that represent me. When I build my sites, I take the piece of my style that fits in with the theme of that site (i.e. my site catering to musicians has a different feel then my site catering to online marketers, but both have their own “Victoria” flair.)

Whether you are selling a product or a service, you are ultimately selling you. Is your website a virtual representation of you?

Capturing you… and your audience.

What does your website say about you? Take some time and review your own site, through the eyes of a prospect. Ignore for a moment the content (while content is the main ingredient of a website, it is the look and feel of a site that will keep your visitor engaged) and look at your color scheme, your fonts, your picture, the flow of the page. What does it tell someone who does not know who you are? If you were the prospect, would you be compelled to hand your money over to this person? Why?

Challenge: poll a group of people who do not know you on a personal level to look at your website and try to describe you.

Now check out your competition. Your competitor’s site can tell you a lot about what you should – and shouldn’t- be doing on yours. Analyze their site the same way – what does their design say about their personality? What would make your target market hire them before you?

Next, take a look at your current client list. Those clients that you love to work with, who give repeat business and referrals, what types of people are they? If you have found your niche already, great! If not, it’s time. One of the biggest teachings in marketing yourself as an entrepreneur is to find your target market. It’s a struggle at first to put limitations on who you market to for fear that you will then limit your income. On the contrary, most often you end up increasing your income… and your sanity. Look a little deeper into who hires you and you will probably find that the majority of those people who love to work with you and who you love to work with have personalities just like you.

What now?

So you reviewed your site… and something about it doesn’t scream ‘you!’ Where do you go from here?

1. Decide where it’s going wrong. Make a list for the designer of the good and bad of your site – from style all the way down to function.
2. Figure out the ‘you’ that you want to represent. Here’s a tip: Check out your testimonials! Most testimonials include something that points out a character trait that makes that client love you. Is there a common theme in your testimonials that can help you see why your current clients work with you? If most of your clients stress how “down to earth” you are, then there’s a pretty good chance that’s what sets you apart from your competitors!
3. Look for a designer that ‘fits’. Ask your clients, friends, family if they know designers – then surf their sites and find one that appeals to you emotionally. There’s a good chance that once you find a site you like, you will probably like working with that designer. Be wary of design firms that offer to customize a pre-built template – while it may be cheaper, tweaking a canned template does nothing for promoting your uniqueness.
4. Start small when designing a new brand – logos are the easiest to start with. Most designers will send you multiple examples to choose from. Before choosing, ask your peers their opinion on the designs. Sometimes others can see things that you cannot.
5. Build your entire online empire around the new vision of ‘you!’ Branding is everything to entrepreneurs – and when you overhaul your website, follow up by using that style in your eNewsletters, Blogs, Social Networking Sites, etc. Since the key to sales is trust – when you show your prospects that you remain consistent across the board, their trust in who you are grows. Keep in mind what makes you stand out from your competitors is the “you” factor. Whether selling a product or a service, you are ultimately selling you.

Your business identity should reflect your personality. When you look over your website, when you see your logo, when you review your eNewsletter, how does it make you feel? If it feels impersonal to you, chances are it won’t pull in your prospects either. Showing off how awesome you are in your brand will not only help you develop strong relationships with your clients and bring in the new business that you really want, but it gives you confidence and pride in your business and yourself.

About the Author

;Sign up for my FREE Special Report: Twenty Quick Things You Can Do to Boost Your Online Presence at http://www.lynnraedesigns.com or tweet with me at http://Twitter.com/victoriapk

Photo of me courtesy of Corey Woodruff.

Photo of “wardrobe remix” courtesy of Mai Le via Flickr.