Startupcoaching

In her excellent post “You’re aren’t crazy you’re just an entrepreneur” for Open Forum, Pam Slim quotes Martha Beck.

She talk about the four stages of an entrepreneur.

Let’s look at them and how coaching can help

Square One: Death and Rebirth

Characteristics: This first stage of change happens when you consciously choose to move from employee to entrepreneur. Nothing is familiar anymore, and you grasp to both feel normal and explain your new work identity to others.

Recommendation: Stay focused inward, on your own insights and creativity. Exercise, eat right and stay grounded. Don’t worry about figuring everything out at this stage, just pay attention to how you feel, and stay open to possibility.

The coaching: It’s easy to get in information overload at this stage. So much stuff to think about. The fist phase of coaching has to be centered on “why” you chose that business, that way of “‘earning a living”. Making sure a purpose is driving you, energizing you. filling up your “energy tank”

Second phase, It’s also a moment where it’s easy to loose a lot of energy doing everything and being everywhere. Working on monitoring that loss of energy and making sure short term goals keep you in “focused action” and celebrating small victories. “Staying open to possibilities” means to “shoot” with confidence because you are looking for feedback. The feedback will help you “aim” better.

Third phase: It’s the time to put in place the “rituals” that will ingrain to good habits necessary to succeed. Either getting rid of bad habits that prevent you from moving forward; bad habits that are constraints, bad habits related to unproductive beliefs. Or, developing good habits to adopt to make sure results will be showing!

The coaching conversations will make sure you stay on track, on purpose!

Stay tuned for the next steps…

You’re always fighting for money that comes from someone’s pocket!

Who has a claim on that money besides you ?

That is a nail that we have to hit repeatedly with innovator and tech firms. And although I agree with a a “blue ocean strategy”, customer money will have to come from somewhere

Of course you can come up with a disruptive technology, but again, the money will have to come from somewhere.

From the customer’s pocket point of view, there is always competition going on. It’s a hierarchy of needs!

Finally, anyone that will look at your business model/plan will have their idea on what competition might be. If you don’t address that upfront, you’re cooked. If they “think” they have seen something you haven’t, your credibility (and partnership/money whatever) is gone!

Reading @startupPro’s blog post, I said to myself, so many struggling coaches, mentors and business advisors should apply to themselves that simple truth.

What is the “real” problem ?

Are you just a solution looking for a problem ?

Sure every client wants to start/run a business, but what is the real need behind hiring you?

Brainstorming, pat in the back, kick in the pants, understanding context, finding business partners, overcoming the business plan writer’s block, etc.

To find out the “real” need of your clients,;

• Remember to start by asking questions, many questions
• Coaches don’t forget to ask that “how do you feel about…” question.
• Remember to “really” listen to the answers
• Make sure you DO NOT have an hidden agenda
• Remember to focus on finding the right solution (even if it’s not yours)

Basically, you can’t listen yourself out of a sale but it’s real easy to talk yourself out of one.

Here are the questions that we’re sent to me
1.)Hello Alain, I personally know you as Alain but to most people,
you are the startup coach. Can you give us a brief insight into your
background?

2.) Have you been involved with any startups in the past? presently?
which ones?

3.) As we all know building and growing a startup is not an easy
endeavor, in your opinion what’s the most difficult part of the journey.

4.) Many Gen Y entrepreneurs are starting to build their companies
and we all know the economy is not the friendliest. What’s your opinion
regarding the best way to secure funding?

5.) Now to the issue of marketing, give us some advice on perfect,
cost effective ways to promote our start-up.

6.) What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned in business?

Answering @Genystartup questions from Alain Theriault aka Startupcoa on Vimeo.