Hire a Business Consultant With Relevant Industry Knowledge

By: Grayson Thrush

There are many benefits to hiring a Denver business consultant. If you are considering hiring one, you already recognize that fact that your organization suffers from at least some deficiencies. By bringing in an expert, your business will get an immediate infusion of knowledge and insight. But what defines an expert? How do you know which Denver business consultant is right for your organization?

There are many expert business coaches available to step in and help you problem-solve. What differentiates between a good fit and a lesser one is simply experience. Not necessarily how much experience, but what kind. For example, if you run an information technology (IT) company, you should seek to employ the services of a Denver business consultant with an IT background. Having similar industry knowledge will allow the consultant to truly understand existing problems, and even to foresee forthcoming ones.

Furthermore, an individual whom has spent a period of time working in your industry will have a broader and deeper pool of knowledge to draw from than one who hasn't. More resources mean more possible solutions. The Denver business consultant will have built up a network of industry-relevant contacts over his or her career. Not only will they be able to leverage these contacts, they may also openly share them with you.

Clearly, it is important to hire a competent Denver business coach. At least as important is finding one with masterful competency regarding industry knowledge that applies to you and your organization. Never underestimate or discount the importance of a strong knowledge base that is relevant to your industry.

Business Coaches - Why You Should Consider Hiring One

By: Grayson Thrush

Hiring a Denver business coach can be extremely useful, even transformative, for a given organization. There are several reasons for this; nevertheless this type of expense can be a tough sell to key decision makers. After all, who knows more about the business at hand than they?

For one, a good Denver business consultant will bring perspective to the table. He or she will see your organization, and its strengths and weaknesses, the way only an outsider can. A Denver business coach will help identify successes to be celebrated, as well as opportunities to be pursued. Missed opportunities plague countless organizations, and a mentor figure can help mitigate this problem.

A qualified Denver business consultant has insight into market conditions of which management may be wholly unaware. This ties back to missed opportunities in that, if one is even somewhat blind to the true conditions of the marketplace, projects can and will be steered in the wrong direction. If you can gain a broader sense of your competitors, potential clients and market trends, you will find yourself poised for greater success.

A mentor can also assist in identifying opportunities for improvement with regard to organizational structure and human resource issues. Most organizations are not structurally optimized. You should seek to fully utilize each employee's skill set. Furthermore, a strong tradition of continuous learning will foster growth, and therefore effectiveness, within each and every employee in your organization.

Many regulated industries face mandatory compliance issues. There is Denver business consulting available for just this purpose. A seasoned professional will help you through the compliance process in the most efficient manner possible. For example, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act created enormous burdens on corporations with regard to financial reporting. Entire information technology (IT) systems and accounting departments had to be overhauled in order to ensure compliance. This type of paradigm shift can cause ill-prepared organizations either to spend more money than necessary, or fail altogether to achieve compliance. In this case, failure itself can bear out to be very costly indeed.

In many cases, it is simply the need for a fresh set of eyes that drives corporate leaders to consult with a Denver business coach. It is all too easy for an organization to get bogged down in old paradigms that are now outmoded by new ones. The money that is spent to hire a business coach will be recuperated many times over through gains in efficiency and avoidance of costly mistakes.

Life and Business Coach - Do You Need a Life and Business Coach?

Hiring a Denver business coach can be a life-changing decision that creates dramatic transformation in your life. A good Denver business consultant is entirely devoted to your personal success and evolution and will help guide you to the life that you genuinely desire. Rather than focusing on your problems and pains, a life coach helps you identify your innate strengths that have likely been suppressed. From a Denver business consulting perspective, allowing your innate gifts to surface and be fully expressed is the ultimate antidote to so many of the problems you may be facing in your life.

Most of us learn at a very young age that the most important pursuit in life revolves around the attainment of personal security and stability. We are taught a lot of so-called functional knowledge that will enable us to have the skills and education to get a good job and carve out a stable role in our life. The problem is that this learning process typically dwarfs our true genius and creativity. The conditioning that is imposed upon us serves as a direct barrier to the unfolding of who we really are and why we are here.

A skilled Denver business coach recognizes this modern trend as one of the primary inputs into so much of what our society struggles with, from chronic health problems to financial stress to emotional ups and downs. The good news is that, no matter how old we are or how far away we feel from our true purpose, it is never too late to establish an entirely new way of being that reflects our core wisdom. A Denver business consultant is like a mentor who can guide you through this process with grace and awareness.

The deciding factor in whether you are ready to hire a Denver business coach is your willingness to change. If you are ready to evolve emotionally, spiritually, financially, and in your work, then a life coach should provide an incredible level of support. The key is that you have an inner knowing that you are indeed ready for change. You see, most of us have been taught to resist change. This is part of the conditioning we experience that suggests that change is threatening to our quest for stability and security. True change involves leaping into the unknown. We have to be willing to relinquish our need for control and stability. Your interest in the mystery of your own nature must outweigh the fear you have of the unknown. So long as you are attached to what you think about yourself and how life is, there is very little that anyone can do to guide you to a more evolved life.

Once you are ready, however, there is truly no limit to the quality of life you can create. It all depends on if you're ready to take responsibility for your life and choose a new way of perceiving yourself and the world in which you live.

(Source: Kevin Doherty, ezinearticles.com)

Become a Business Coach

Coaching someone when it comes to business can be hard, but for many people, teaching others is what they do best. Is this you? Well, let's see. Do you enjoy helping others when they open a business for the first time? Do people always come to you for advice when they want to start a business? These are all indications that you could be a great Denver business coach. To become a Denver business consultant will require some training that is very easy to do, and then you can hold your own seminars and work within workshops to assist others to become better businessmen, and succeed in their business ventures. So, let's look at how you can become a business coach.

To start off with Denver business consulting does require you to know and understand every aspect of opening and running a business right from the business plan, to the finances, to the day to day running, to the employees, to the accounting and legal aspects and more. Obviously this will all be based on the type of business you are Denver business consulting people in, whether it is general business practice, or specific to a certain industry.

The Denver business consulting can also be done in sections, for example, if you want to become a business coach for finances, then you will host workshops and teach entrepreneurs in detail about the financial aspects of a business, like how to collate tax forms, how to budget correctly, how to prevent a business from becoming bankrupt and more. You could be a Denver business coach for problems in business, teaching people about all the different things that can go wrong and how to fix them. These are just some of the types of business coaching that you can get and you will have to look at what you are good at and what are of business you were mainly involved in to see what business mentoring you can do.

To become a Denver business consultant does not mean that you have to be a business owner either. If you are an expert in the field of accounting, you can become a business coach teaching this aspect only. If you were involved in marketing, this could be what you teach people. These specific coaching jobs can be used to form a workshop of different business coaches, but you can still hold your own seminars if you wish.

When you want to become a Denver business consultant, you have to possess certain qualities and characteristics. These include being friendly and energetic, being positive and easy to talk to. You should be a good public speaker, although you can also learn how to do this, and you must most importantly inspire people in your teachings. If you want to improve people's lives, help people with their businesses in terms of finances, customer relations, employee relations, and more, then it is a great idea to get a little extra training and become a business coach. You can start a new business being a Denver business coach and is great for those who want a change from the corporate way of life.

(Source: Desmond Jenkins, ezinearticles.com)

Business Coaching - Change That Makes a Difference

A friend of mine has an interesting philosophy: that every person is right about half the time and wrong about half the time. My friend's perspective has given me food for thought over the years, because I'm generally the type of person who takes a position and tends to dig in. I can convincingly and vociferously argue my point of view, substantiating it with examples and "facts," until the proverbial cows come home.

What I began to realize, though, was that for every person I converted to my way of thinking, I alienated two or three. Moreover, I discovered that, when I began to actually listen to others' perspectives, I had a keener understanding of how they arrived at their points of view. As a result, I found that I began to modify some of my firmly held beliefs about issues great and small.

Like most people who become less rigid, I didn't have a single "light bulb moment." My change was gradual. Looking back, I can see that the seeds of change were planted when I wasn't moving forward in my career as quickly as I had hoped. I thought I was a stellar performer, and could efficiently and effectively complete the tasks assigned to me. However, my workplace evaluations, while generally favorable, noted that I had difficulty working in teams and motivating those around me.

Eventually, my frustration led me to engage the services of a Denver business coach. I know that some people swear by business coaching and life coaching, but I was resistant at first. A former colleague, who had really moved up the corporate ladder with the help of a Denver business consultant, was instrumental in getting me to visit my coach. Early on, I recognized that self-development and self-improvement were critical to my success. I don't usually go for the self-help gurus, but I have to say that my Denver business coach really helped me. In large part, this was due to the coaching tools he used.

Although he used a variety of strategies and coaching games to help me with introspection and self-development, the one that really changed my perspective involved associative playing cards. These Denver business consulting cards helped me to understand how specific issues were manifesting in my career, and taught me that there were multiple ways to view a situation. They weren't at all like tarot cards, but rather were a launching point for me to examine the ways in which my rigid framework was holding me back.

My Denver business coach guided me through these exercises, and shared with me a book that had sections corresponding to each of the cards. For each card, there was a story, relevant quotes, questions, and associative thoughts. Afterwards, he'd work with me to compile insights that arose from the coaching cards, and them to devise an action plan to integrate those insights into my career and my life.

Since then, I've changed employers and have been thriving in my new position. I find that I'm more open to other people's perspectives and that I'm a much better team player. I've also realized that my friend was correct: I'm only right about half the time, so it pays to listen to what others have to say.

(Source: Chris Robertson, ezinearticles.com)

Business Success - Do You Really Need a Business Coach?

Lately, in the last few years or so we see thousands and thousands of websites popping up with so-called Denver business coach. Perhaps, this is because the word Denver business consultant is now dead, beaten to a pulp and over used. Today, anyone who is a Denver business consultant is mostly likely unemployed, ah, but a Business Coach, well that is something truly incredible we are led to believe. Denver business coach is the new buzzword and even people with Six Sigma certification are using it, but why?

A consultant with a Six Sigma certification is certainly worth their salt, so why are they starting to use the word; Coach? An even better question is; why would an entrepreneur or CEO hire such a "business-coach" who had never been in Denver business consulting or worked at the level they are? Interestingly enough, Dave Thomas Founder of Wendy's Hamburger had an interesting saying; "Why on Earth would I take advice from someone about financial affairs from someone with less money than me?"

Now, many coaches might say that sports coaches are older and cannot compete with their star athletes, but they still do a great job. Do they? A good sports Denver business coach in my opinion would be someone who had achieved the same level previously, even if they are older now and cannot today.

So, does Lance Armstrong, Tiger Woods, Wayne Gretsky, Pele, Magic Johnson really need a coach? If you say yes, and I say no, then this is where we disagree, but that's okay, because you are probably a coach and I am not buying your services you see?

(Source: Lance Winslow, ezinearticles.com)

How to Boost Your Credibility As a Coach

Each Denver business coach understands the process of coaching and how it can help most people. It can help people figure out exactly what they want to achieve and helps remove any mindset issues that's stopping a client moving forward. Most coaches understand the importance of having a niche so that they can focus on one area for marketing, and business success.

I have listed 3 main areas on how you can boost your credibility as a Denver business consultant.

• Become an Expert. 
• Write Articles online or in papers. - Become an Author. 
• Organise talks in your area.

1) In order to boost your credibility Denver business consulting, you do need a niche so that you can tell your clients about your expertise in the particular field you have chosen. When you share information openly with your clients, they will begin to trust you and your expertise and are more than happy to spend more on one of your Denver business consulting programmes. If you read 7 or more books on similar topic, you will know more than most people on that topic. Check your home library to see what type of books you are reading to help you choose.

2) When you have lots of information in your head, it is easy to get it down on paper. All you need to do is figure out what you want your readers to get from the articles your are writing. By using points, it helps separate each point and helps your mind focus on a small paragraph for each point. You should start each article with an opening paragraph, some points with additional information and a closing paragraph.

3) Start talking at every chance you get, local clubs, TV, Radio . . . anyone who will listen to you! By talking to people about your subject for free, you then will start getting paid offers for speaking. Check out community centers, churches, the local library, business talks etc

These are just some points to help you gain creditability as a Denver business coach.

(Source: Anne Geraghty, ezinearticles.com)

What Exactly is Business Coaching?

Based on relevant studies and research, there are still thousands of people from the business world who still get confused about a Denver Business Coach. Are you one of them? Then, let me explain to you what corporate coaching is really all about.

A Denver Business Consultant is involved in the process of conducting one-on-one or group meetings with employees within a certain organization to conduct training and development sessions in order to achieve performance improvement. In simple terms, its main focus is to help employees become more efficient and more productive in the work place.

Based on several researches, Denver Business Consulting, when done correctly can improve a business' ROI by up to 400%. You see, when you equip your workforce with knowledge and you take time to really improve their skills, they are most likely to perform better and bring more business to your doorsteps.

Corporate coaching is often confused with life coaching. Although these two aim to help individuals realize their full potential to succeed in life, they are very different in the sense that a Denver Business Coach focuses more on the professional level. Life coaching on the other hand, is all about improving someone else's relationship with other people, helping him manage his time wisely, and sometimes, help him find his purpose in life.

Denver Business Consultant services can be delivered through either a designated business coach or through a third party (freelance corporate consultants or consulting firms) who is very knowledgeable about the goals and the mission of the company and who have what it takes to deliver measurable and specific results through pre-determined benchmarks.

(Source: Sean R. Mize, ezinearticles.com)

Business Consultants Can Help Your Company Achieve Better Positioning

An important factor in any company's success is their market position and this is an area where a business consultant can have a positive effect. Achieving the best position can best be accomplished by utilising the services of a professional who knows how to guide your efforts.

You may have started your company with a clear vision for its future but chances are that, as the years passed, you lost sight of that original focus. Success depends on knowing where you want to go and then working backward to ensure you get there. One way a business consultant will help you to achieve position is by working with you to define your company's mission, values, and vision.

The Mission

A company mission statement clearly identifies its purpose. It should be based on the reason you are in your business and keep in mind your motives and values. Think of a mission statement as a way of expressing why you do what you do: why you offer your products or services, why you are targeting particular customers, why you want to make your business profitable.

Company Values

The values your company integrates into doing business are largely tied to a personal belief system. Values create meaning which guides your personnel, as well as their behaviours. A business' values dictate how people and the environment are treated.

The Vision

Think back to that first vision you had for your company. This concept of the future needs to remain clear in order to become the motivating factor in your success. Assess whether or not your current business environment is conducive to that original vision. If you have already achieved your preliminary goals, then it is time to set new ones and create a new vision that will cover the next five years of operation.

Positioning

You will want to ensure that all stakeholders in your business are aware of the mission statement and values and vision you created. Promote these concepts through consistent publication. Don't make customers or vendors guess what you stand for or what you wish to achieve. They can become your strongest allies in getting your company to a better position in the market.

Too often a company forgets its vision of the future, but a Denver business consultant can quickly and efficiently get them back on track. By examining, or re-examining, the mission statements and values and vision of the business, it will be poised to achieve a greater market position.

Chris Jenkinson has been a business consultant for many years. He provides further advice about consulting services on the GizTheBiz blog.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Jenkinson

How to Choose the Right Coach for You

HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT COACH FOR YOU

The coaching industry attracts consultants, therapists, and people with good intentions who want to help. But because there’s currently no regulatory board or set of, the prospective coaching client should choose a coach wisely.

Evaluate their credentials
A business coach should have some formal training, and have some understanding of organizational dynamics including how to navigate corporate culture.

Other questions: Is the coach part of any organizations? Does the coach publish books or articles? Does the coach offer products and services in addition to coaching?

But don’t take degrees and certifications at face value. They tell you nothing about the quality of the coaching.

Evaluate how they work with clients
Many organizational consultants direct you toward answers without involving you in the solution. That’s not coaching. A skilled coach will engage you in dialogue, give you a new look at an issue, and ultimately let you decide what’s best.

The coach’s role is to provide support to enhance the skills, resources, and creativity that you already have. Coaches are trained to listen, to observe, and to customize their approach to meet your needs. Coaches will elicit solutions from their clients; but a skilled coach also knows when to jump in and provide direction when you get off track.

Make sure they’ve been in your shoes
Make sure your coach has experience in your area and speaks your language.

Many therapists jump on the coaching bandwagon. While the therapists may have skills and knowledge that help them work on personal transformation, they’re not necessarily best at helping you adapt your leadership style or improve work performance.

Other ways to learn about a coach:
-- Read their bio, and ask about their background.
-- Ask them if they’ve worked through the issues you’re having.
-- Visit their website and see how they market themselves.

Look for testimonials and get real referrals
Most coaches will post a client list or testimonials on their website so you can see what their clients think. Beware of anonymous testimonials.

Ask for names and numbers of clients to contact, to validate the coach’s work. Call them. Ask specific questions such as:
-- What was it like to be coached by this person?
-- Did they help you achieve your goals?
-- Would you hire this coach again?

Make sure you fit with your coach
Trust your instincts when deciding whether or not the coach truly understands who you are and what you need. You may want:

-- A coach who’s direct and will act as a constant “swift kick in the behind.”
-- A coach who provides advice and talks about their experiences.
-- A coach who listens as you pull the answers from inside yourself.

Ultimately, you will want a business coach with whom you have great rapport, who you would trust with certain details of your life as well as your observations, who will not judge you.

Denver's Best Business Coach

If you are a business owner or manager, you are probably wondering what you can do during these tough times to keep business up and your employees motivated. Have you ever considered hiring a mentor or business coach? There are many areas a business coach can help you improve the way you not only run your business but the way you manage your staff.

Mike Tafoya is one of the best Denver Business Coaches and has worked with many business owners throughout the Denver metro helping them increase sales and cut expenses. The difference between Mike Tafoya and the other business consultants in Denver is he has ran many successful businesses himself, all of which he either started himself or helped start up. Mike is able to use his previous business experience along with the Estrada Strategies business training program to ensure the ultimate training and optimal results.

If you are interested in working with a Denver business coach, check out some of Mike Tafoya's video business tips: Business Tips. This is a great way to get to know Mike a little better and see if you like what he has to say. A business coach is more than just a teacher, they are a mentor, an advisor and friend.

Mike Tafoya can be contacted at (303) 524-1270 or emailed at miket@estradastrategies.com

Business Tip of The Week: March 15th, 2009

Executive Briefing for Denver Business Owners

Mike Tafoya, one of the best business consultants in Denver will be giving a an executive briefing for business owners about marketing, advertising and branding.

Mike will be discussing the differences between marketing, advertising, and branding in this action packed presentation. Learn how to use marketing to create market exposure and name recognition. Also, learn how to identify the most productive advertising campaigns for you business and much more...

• What roles does marketing and sale play in growing sales?
• How does advertising differ from Marketing?
• What role does branding play in the sales process?

Reserve your space today! Take advantage of this opportunity to increase your tools for growing your business.

Upcoming Dates:

Wednesday, April 1st, 2009
@ 9:30 a.m to 11:30 a.m Register Here

Friday, April 17th, 2009 Register Here
@ 9:30 a.m to 11:30 a.m

Many people are in need of a Denver business coach but do not know where to go and possibly believe they cannot afford it. This is completely wrong, business coaching is very affordable and is sure to increase the profit of your business. Mike offers this executive briefing at no charge so you can get to know him without the concern of finances. You will get a taste of what he has to offer you and then you can get an idea if working with a Denver Business Coach would be ideal for you.

Who Holds You Accountable?

Working for yourself is great, but how do you know if you are doing the best job you can possibly do? What if there is a better way to complete the task(s) you've set for yourself. Are you really making the best use of your time?

Having a Business Coach who takes the time to understand you and your business, and can help in holding you accountable for the task you have set for yourself can make all the difference in continued growth or stagnation.

Estrada Strategies invites you to sharpen your business skills and devise a working strategy for success. Register today and see what Estrada Strategies is all about "YOUR NEXT MOVE"

Find out more or register to attend:

Sincerely,

Mike Tafoya
Estrada Strategies-DTC
Phone: 303-524-1270

Business Leadership Training

(Source: Thomas Morva)



Today's businesses operate in a uniquely competitive world. Not only is there cut-throat competition among companies, but there is also an acute shortage of people with the right business leadership training to take business outside the clutter of the competition. Most of the people who hold the top positions have gotten by hard work and by learning from their experiences. However, in a fast-paced business environment, learning by experience and mistakes is indeed a very slow and unsatisfying process for many. The best way then to acquire business leadership skills is by attending business leadership training programs that are now being offered by a lot of institutes and universities across the country.

Business training is held in an organization in order to equip and develop successful executives and managers. These trainings help to redefine people's visions and broaden their horizons. In turn, those who have received the training are able to help boost the profits of the company. Such training has also proved to be quite successful in lowering people's stress levels and enable them to manage stress effectively and to avoid panic. There are many types of business leadership training programs available in the country. While the most obvious ones are classroom seminars on imparting skills, there are others that have gone beyond this age-old method and now offer books, tapes, audio newsletters, and even telephonic consultation and training.

The main idea of such a seminar is to provide information about the changing market scenario, what needs to be done individually and at the organizational level to keep pace with it, boost market share, compress sales cycles, and build dependable and successful leaders. Thus, these seminars motivate people to manage the company irrespective of the unfavorable factors and enable them to deal with crisis. The idea behind such business training is to give concrete ideas and workable plans that individuals and organizations can implement.

Many people undergoing such business leadership training often express surprise and delight at the things that they have learned and how their new knowledge has enlightened them and helped them to see things with a new perspective. They are now more determined and optimistic than ever and carefully plan out their every move.

Home based Business Advice

Here is some helpful business advice for the individual starting a home based business:

People may start a home-based business for several reasons. Some of these reasons include dissatisfaction with their employment, being jobless, having a wish to be their own boss, or a need to spend more time at home with either their small children or aging parents.

The first thing to remember while starting a home-based business is to be realistic in your expectations from the home based business. There are too many advertisements of home based businesses that boast of making quick money, but in reality, it actually takes between one and three years to make a significant profit from the business.

People who want to make fast money or who think they can start a home based business without spending any money until earning some money should not venture into the small home based business arena. Another piece of advice for home based business entrepreneurs is to spend time as much time possible researching their business idea by making sure there is enough of market for your product or service.

Learn as much as you can about small business by going through the various small home business sites. As with other jobs, it is better to write a business plan and to earnestly stick to it. Seeking the advice of a tax professional is very important in a home-based business. Although this activity may seem a bit expensive in the beginning, you will certainly make up for this expenditure by the different forms of savings you will be taught by the tax professional during the tenure of the home based business.

(Source: Kent Pinkerton) Back to Denver Business Advice

The BIG 10 Questions that Could Change your Business

by Life & Business Coach Dieter Pauwels October 17, 2008

Successful organizations understand that the key to increased productivity and profitability lies in the ongoing professional and personal development of people.

These companies create an environment where people can grow, develop their unique talents and align their values with a corporate vision.

Your answers to the following 10 questions might illuminate some areas for improvement:

1. What is your level of commitment to the personal development of your staff?


2. Do you know what motivates and inspires your staff and/or employees?


3. What are your company’s vision and core values, and how do you communicate them within your organization?


4. Are you confident your top people will be with your organization 1 year from now? How do you know?


5. If you would be asked to rank your leadership skills on a scale from 1 to 10, how would you rank yourself? How confident are you with your answer?


6. How do you empower your staff or employees to help them co-create your company’s culture?


7. Does your organization inspire creativity and open dialogue?


8. Are you getting the results you want?


9. Do your managers and/or employees have the necessary tools, skills and commitment to help others develop their true potential?


10. What do you want more of within your organization? What’s missing?

More and more companies hire a business coach to work with individuals or teams within their organization to facilitate changes within the context of the organizations’ culture to achieve extraordinary results.

Business coaching is focused on individuals, not business systems. It allows you to move your organization to the next level by investing in your employees at the highest level: in them as people.

Coaching is about developing the most important aspect in business today: leadership from within. It is only when people can effectively manage themselves that they can effectively manage, inspire, encourage and lead others.

Companies hire a coach to work with individuals or teams within their organization to:

• Improve individual performance and self confidence
  
• Increase effectiveness and productivity
  
• Establish open dialogue and creativity
  
• Improve communication skills (interpersonal and negotiation)
  
• Retain employees
  
• Align personal values and beliefs with a corporate vision
  
• Create a leadership attitude
  
• Gain clarity to make objective and thoughtful decisions
  
• Assist in developing measurable goals and taking responsibility
  
• Improve time management
  
• Build leadership, management and team building skills
  
• Manage work related stress
  
• Increase energy and overall well-being

Thinking about 2009

written by Kevin Kragenbrink

Wow, it is hard to imagine that 2008 is almost at its end. It has been an incredible year. An economy in turmoil, a presidential election of historic proportions, and a greater degree of uncertainty than I have seen in the business community in more than a decade of business coaching. Despite all of that, I am optimistic about next year. I have a plan in place that I think will help me reach new heights with my business. Speaking of plans, I wanted to talk with you all about how you are developing yours for next year.

Here is a planning principle I hope all of you have in mind.

Plan from the Vision Back

Over the years we have helped hundreds of businesses develop strategic business plans. Along the way we have seen some of those plans produce tremendous success and some of them fall far short. The difference between success and failure is often where the plan starts.

In my experience, the most successful strategic plans start with the vision and plan backward from there. Those that fail are most often those that start with what happened in the past and try to build on that alone. Here is the problem, if your plan is based only upon what has happened, you are always limited by what you know you can do. You will plan to grow or change only in comparison to your accomplishments in the past. You may indeed grow in this way, but you are not likely to reach your potential.

Think of it like climing a mountain. When you start out you fix your eyes on a distant peak that you want to reach. Along the way your path will take many twists and turns. You will likely find that sometimes you have to down or back before you can continue your climb up and forward. Still, if you keep your sights set on that peak, you will always know where you are headed. If, on the other hand, you turn and look back and try to decide your next move based on where you have been, you will not be able to set a clear path. You may gain a sense of accomplishment and pride from what you have already done, but that will not get you to the top of the mountain.

When you plan from your vision back, you change the process completely. Vision in business is about your potential regardless of obstacles and roadblocks. It is about that future level of accomplishment or success that creates and sustains your passion and gives your team something to work toward. It is that mountian peak that you believe you can reach even though the entire path is not yet clear. When you start your planning with this in mind your plans define a path to that vision and gives you the tools to make the right decisions along the path.

Here’s a tip: As you prepare your next strategic plan, take the time to review your vision. Make sure that everyone on the team has a clear idea of that vision and talk together about the path you will take to make that vision a reality. Now ask the question as you develop each piece of the plan, how will this contribute to accomplishing our vision. If you make every part of the plan meet this standard, your plan is much more likely to be effective and your chances of success will be the highest they can be.

Of course, I also want to encourage you to plan with your business coach alongside. Remember that your business coach is a valuable asset who can help you expand your perspectives and see that mountain peak with greater clarity. They can act as a guide along the path, helping you to avoid pitfalls and wrong turns because of their experience. You don't have to go it alone.

Six Reasons to Work With A Business Coach

By: Estrada Strategies (Kevin Kragenbrink)

1.) Create higher profits while spending less of your energy and time in the business.
You already work hard. Sometimes too hard. Working with an Estrada Strategies business coach will introduce you to tools, strategies, and ideas to keep your bottom line growing even as you discover ways to reduce the amount of time you spend in the business. Your business coach will use encouragement and accountability to motivate you and your team to work smarter for peak performance.

2.) Build your systems for more consistent business operations.
Estrada Strategies business coaches are experts in systems development strategies. Your Denver business coach will help you understande each of the "Core Disciplines of Business" and show you how to develop systems to make sure that each discipline is operating just as it should.

3.) Build your team.
Building a great business means recruiting, training, and keeping a great team of managers and employees so that the business runs at peak performance even when you are not there. Your Estrada Strategies business coach offers you tools and techniques for all of the team building systems you need to create and keep the best people.

4.) Learn to Successfully Navigate the Ups and Downs of the Economy.
Keeping up with the changes in your market and economy is critical for the small business owner. Your Business Coach will help you identify the strengths and weaknesses of your business and work with you develop strategies to use both to your advantage as the economy changes around you. The Denver business coach at Estrada Strategies helps you focus on what you do best and plan to do it well no matter what.

5.) Create Accountability.
Your business coach will hold you accountable to your goals and objectives when no one else will. The Estrada Strategies "Coaching Journal" will help you establish a list of priorities tasks and initiatives to keep your business on track and your Estrada Strategies business coach will be there with you to make sure that you and your team stay focused to get it all done.

6.) Discover New Ideas for Growing and Strengthening Your Business.
Your Estrada Strategies Denver business coach has a wealth of business experience to you brainstorm to find the most effective way to improve your business and help you plan how to make the changes you need. Your Denver business coach is also part of a network of professional business coaches that they can call on to multiply the ideas available to make a difference in your business plans.

Denver Small Business Startup Consultant

Starting a business of your own in Denver can be daunting, but there are always ways of getting help for yourself from small business consultants. It is actually while starting up your own business, big or small, that you realize that you need some professional help to not only guide you along the way but also to give you professional business advice on a host of other things.

• Starting a small business or a home based business can be an exciting prospect until you come to the sobering realization that you're expected to know everything.
• Know the pitfalls and avoid them. Work smarter and harder only the latter will get you no where.
• Research the competition to ensure your business image and services can be stacked up accordingly.

These Denver business consultant firms often apply their greater business ideas and resources as well as experience to give the small business owner a unique edge. The relationship hence grows from becoming a short-term small business adviser to a long-term consultant partner.

• Since you spend so much time working at your business that you don't have the time or the energy to learn how to work on your business. That's where a business consultant can help you.
• You need some one whom you can trust as well as be able to give you unbiased professional advice.
• Business consultants show you how to start a small business the right way and avoid critical mistakes that almost every new business owner makes.

Some of the immediate effects of small business startup consultants that we see around us are abundant, those like providing support for your computer systems in the long run, saving you time and money by increasing the longevity of your systems apart from saving the time of your other personnel, it also helps in reducing the cost of running an IT operations. In the areas of Internet business, small business startup consultants help provide you with specialized knowledge of diverting higher traffic towards your web site.

• The best method of improving your ranking in the search engines is by applying the methods of search engine optimization to your website.
• A good website design needs to be easy for human visitors to understand; moreover it should also be intelligible for the search engine robots that visit your site.

You could actually make a jump start ahead of your closest competitors, while even competing with larger corporations, which have on-site support staff, you also have the freedom to divert your staff to the actual work they are skilled to do while others look after things that need not be done by the core group. Apart from that you gain the expertise of business specialists, wherever and whenever you need it, without the cost of additional staff.

• The Denver business consultant helps you with behind the scenes matters, too. From presentations, proposals, and office forms to contracts, certifications, etc. So that you outdo the competition, attract new customers, and project an image of confidence.
• Efficient operations, professional design, consistent communication, effective marketing, and improved revenue opportunities are some of the tailored made benefits to your small business.

Contrary to opinions which warn you about cost control, the presence of a small business consultant can actually help you increase your productivity and let you enjoy what you like doing the best. Putting together a winning combination of management consulting and a self-devised entrepreneurial outlook, the small business startup consultants can be your X factor in this widely competitive field.