The case for a business coach
According to Roberts, most coaching models are relatively affordable, costing less than $10,000 a year. Roberts puts the investment in this perspective, "How many $10,000 business mistakes is the typical contractor going to suffer each year?" asks Roberts. "Once you've got a coaching relationship going, the owner is likely to avoid catastrophic mistakes. The coaching investment is not always how much did you make me, but how much did you keep me from loosing?"

As you can expect to have in the range of 50 conversations a year with a business coach, they are well suited to be an impartial sounding board. "Purchase decisions are very emotional," says Roberts. "If you have someone who understands your wiring and skills, they can be the trusted voice of reason."

The Goal
One thing most all management consultants and business coaches do is ask the Owner to identify his or her long term goal. His or her exit strategy if you will.

Most contractors have not taken the time to thoroughly think through and figure out their ultimate goal. Without identifying and working towards a long term goal, the majority of business owners end up heading down a path that tends to have a harsh ending: breaking their back to maintain their current lifestyle.

This habit often leads to dissatisfaction with their job. As Roberts points out "Contractors are usually unhappy with the hours they work for the income they generate and are blind to the high risk of losing everything. Few understand they are working without a safety net."