What is ActionCOACH?

ActionCOACH is a global business coaching company that was founded by CEO Brad Sugars in 1993. Having successfully implemented proven business growth models that have helped numerous business owners worldwide. It's safe to say they are the world's number one business coaching company. Currently, ActionCOACH has offices in over 80 countries.

What is business coaching?

Imagine you're an average track athlete with a dream of making the Olympic Team, but you only have 12 months to make it happen. Would you spend endless hours trying to improve on your own, potentially ingraining bad habits, or would you invest in an experienced coach who can help you identify your strengths and weaknesses? By providing you with opportunities to improve and identifying potential pitfalls as you progress, a coach can help you on your journey to success. The same principle applies to business coaching.

We may have been taught ‘business studies’ at school, college, or university, but this never prepared us for the reality of owning or leading a company. Your business coach will train you, guide you, mentor you, and hold you accountable for your goals and actions. Your coach will help you analyze your ‘business goals’ but they will not run the races for you. They will become your confidant, your teacher, and your compassionate, yet uncompromising friend.

Why would I need a business coach?

There are endless reasons why a business owner, leader, or senior manager would benefit from the support of a professional business coach. Being a business leader can be a lonely occupation as you need to wear many hats and often have little support outside of your family and friends.

Your Action Coach will become your mentor, confidant, and compassionate yet uncompromising friend. Your Action Coach will be there to guide you through the tough times and celebrate with you as you achieve your successes.

What is one-to-one coaching?

Our one-to-one coaching programs are the most intensive and effective methodologies we offer to help you achieve both personal and business growth. These programs are tailored specifically to your needs, focusing on all areas of your personal and business development to ensure no aspect is overlooked. 

You will gain cutting-edge business development techniques, learn new sales and marketing strategies, and develop the skills necessary to build powerful systems and a high-performing team. Throughout the program, you will be held accountable for completing the work required to achieve your goals. 

What is group coaching?

Group coaching is a method that involves coaching multiple individuals at once. In this approach, the coach works with a group of people who share common goals, challenges, or circumstances. The group is a supportive environment where members give each other feedback, provide mutual support, and develop a sense of community.

Our membership group coaching programs are designed around our ‘CARE’ philosophy.

‘C’ stands for ‘community’. Each of our group programs harnesses the power of shared learning and sense-making in a safe personal development ecosystem with other business owners and leaders at a similar stage in their journeys.

‘A’ stands for ‘Accountability’. Here you will be held to account by other members of your program in a supportive, fun environment. They want you to succeed and will challenge you to ensure that you achieve the goals and actions you set for yourself.

‘R’ stands for ‘Results’ as you will share and celebrate your successes with your peers and inspire one another to achieve even greater heights.

‘E’ stands for ‘Education’. All of our programs are facilitated by a World-Class certified Action Business Coach and supported by the world’s No.1 resource for business growth and education. You will learn new strategies, tools, and frameworks to implement into your life and business straight away, ultimately empowering you to achieve the goals you have set for yourself.

How long do coaching programs last?

This depends on your goals and how far you want to grow. Just like everything else in life, true performance requires a life-long commitment to self-development. There are no ‘quick fixes’ and we recommend undertaking a program of a minimum of 24 months to experience a significant, lasting change. In reality, our clients stay for much longer as there’s always a new challenge and their horizons are constantly evolving.

Whether you're just starting out in business, have reached maturity and you're unsure where to go next or you're wanting to exit your business and get it working without you there, business coaching can start and continue at any point of your business journey.

Can I cancel my coaching if I'm not happy?

Absolutely! There are no long-term contracts, and you can cancel your chosen program with 30 days’ notice or change to a different program. Simply put, we want you to feel comfortable and secure that this is the right investment for you and your business. We even guarantee our results!

Are there extra charges to implement the strategies?

Absolutely not! You will find that implementing these strategies will actually save you money! Whether you are on a group or 1-2-1 coaching program, you will be shown how to implement strategies and then be held accountable to do or delegate the work by your coach and your peers in the community.

Everyone in the ActionCOACH family is committed to your business and personal growth and you will find support is happily given whenever you need it – whether that be from your coaches team or our wider ActionCOACH Global community of incredible business leaders.

Will business coaching work for my business, industry, or specific problem?

The ActionCOACH coaching system has been proven to work in businesses of all shapes, sizes, and industries, and at every stage of development. Thousands of businesses worldwide have been coached to success using these proven methodologies. While every business and team is different, the challenges they face are often remarkably similar.

Your Action Coach will help you identify the root causes of your challenges and the barriers that prevent you from achieving success. Instead of just addressing the symptoms, your coach will work with you to choose the best strategies that will help you overcome these obstacles. Together, you will create a strategic roadmap that will guide you to the success you desire.

How much time or work will I have to put in?

The main purpose of coaching is to help you become more efficient and effective in how you invest all of your resources, especially your time, which is the most valuable of them all. At the start of the coaching journey, we focus on time management to help you analyze your relationship with time, identify how you're currently spending it, and provide you with clarity around your choices. This will help you make significant improvements in both productivity and efficiency, allowing you to invest more of your time working on the business as a true leader rather than in the business as just a part of the machinery. We strongly recommend that you dedicate at least 20% of your time to working on activities, and we will assist you in finding ways to achieve this goal.

What do you know about my industry?

In reality, your Action Coach having an in-depth knowledge of a particular industry is not necessary for your coaching program to be successful. What you need to know to grow your business is independent of the industry or sector in which you operate. You are the expert in your business and your coach will work with you to fill the gaps in your knowledge of your market while training you in world-class business and personal development techniques.

That said, one of the most powerful advantages of working with ActionCOACH is that we are part of a network of over 1,000 certified business coaches in over 80 countries across the globe. This allows us to reach out to our community to assist in areas requiring specialist knowledge and/or expertise. We are abundant and freely offer our time to assist our colleagues around the world.

Will you tell me how to run my business?

Of course not! Coaching is all about giving you the tools to create the results you desire. This is done through a process of learning, application, iteration, and reflection. You will gain a better understanding of what you want to achieve in life by improving your business results. Your coach will work with you to come up with new ideas and strategies while helping you choose the ones that are most appropriate for your desired outcomes. However, the final decision will always remain in your hands.

From our experience, our members generally know what needs to be done in their business on a day-to-day basis, but often struggle to apply themselves consistently or with sufficient focus to achieve the results they aspire to. Your coach will help you to define what success means to you, identify any barriers to success, and formulate an action plan to overcome those obstacles by using the ActionCOACH proven 6-Step formula.

What topics will I be coached on?

The ActionCOACH system is designed to help businesses develop expertise in six foundational areas of business mastery. These areas include Marketing, Sales, Finance, Operations, Product/Service Delivery, and Team Performance. Working with your coach, you will assess your current performance in each of these areas and prioritize which ones to work on first. This strategic roadmap is tailored to your business's unique needs and is an evolutionary process that adapts to your performance and business environment as you grow and your systems evolve. 

At the heart of this process is you, the business owner, and your leadership team. You will focus on key areas such as Self-Mastery, Decision Making, Communication, Leadership, and Management. You will learn about the 'Cycle of Business' and concentrate on areas where you can add the most value to your organization while empowering your team to run the business for you.

Should I include my business partner, directors, and/or key employees?

We highly recommend that all partners, key employees, and decision-makers are engaged in the process. Of course, there are various ways in which they can participate in the coaching programs, but all need to support the journey and be open to achieving improved results through positive change.

ActionCOACH offers programs that can accommodate multiple team members so everyone grows together at the same pace, regardless of their direct involvement in the program. Your coach will work through a group strategy session with you to find the right program for your needs.

What is the difference between a life coach and a business coach?

It's interesting how the line between personal and business goals can often become blurred. That's where a business coach comes in. Their first task is to help you gain clarity around what you truly want to achieve in life. After all, being in business should give you more life! Once you are clear on your personal goals, your coach will help you build an action plan for your business that aligns with your desired lifestyle.

Your Action Coach will work as hard on you as they do on your business. They understand that your values, beliefs, skills, behaviors, decisions, and actions will ultimately determine the success of your business. Your coach will guide you to ensure your business can work without you if you so choose. This will allow you time to pursue other interests and passions.

A life coach can help you uncover what your passions are, identify hidden talents, and explore how to best use them.

What is the difference between a consultant and a business coach?

Business coaching and business consultancy are both aimed at improving business performance, but they are different in several ways.

Business coaching is a process where a coach will work with you one-on-one or in a group to help you achieve your personal and professional goals, improve your skills, and maximize your potential, just like a sports coach will work with their team to continue development even if they're at No.1.

Business consultancy, on the other hand, is a process where a consultant works with an organization to identify problems, inefficiencies, and areas for improvement. The consultant provides expert advice and recommendations and implements strategies to help the organization achieve its objectives. 

If you want to develop your skills, build your confidence, and achieve personal and professional goals, then business coaching may be the right choice for you. If you want help to implement and improve your business operations, solve specific problems, and achieve specific outcomes, then business consultancy may be a better fit.