What does a business coach do?

John Gates
Sep 7, 2025
7 min read

Updated: Sep 19, 2025

Note: I am a business coach to owners of service-based businesses. This article is specifically aimed at such business owners; however, much of the guidance here will apply to all.

Disclaimer: I write all my own blogs in my own write-as-you-speak style. I don't use ChatGPT, Copywriters, or tweak for SEO (probably to my detriment). This blog is written for you, the business owner. What got me here can get you there, wherever your 'there' may be.

Why are you reading this blog?

I'm genuinely intrigued to know the motivation behind anyone reading my blogs, in particular this one. The chances are, you're thinking about hiring a business coach. Why? My guess: something isn't quite working out in your business or personal life, or both!

It makes sense, we don't reach for the First Aid kit when we're feeling fine. The problem is, you're potentially about to embark on what could be, if nothing else, a very expensive journey by hiring a coach. Making life-critical decisions (I say life, not business) at a time when you're perhaps feeling stressed, deflated, and ready to give up is far from the best position to embark on your coaching journey. Nonetheless, the first step to success is recognising this fact and having a business coach who also recognises the likely position you find yourself in.

We all have highs and lows in business, but making decisions when in those low points can send you off on a totally wrong trajectory over the long term. You may have a short-term issue to address, fine, deal with it. Don't let it consume your coaching journey or the path you take.

What a Generic Business Coach Typically Does

If you’ve ever searched “what does a business coach do?”, you’ve probably seen the same list over and over: goal-setting, strategy, accountability, growth. And while that’s true, there’s also a hidden problem in the way most coaches operate.

Traditional business coaching often focuses on chasing bigger and bigger goals — hit this revenue target, then stretch for the next one. Achieve one milestone, and suddenly the bar is raised again. The result? You never feel like you’ve “made it.”

My approach is different. I believe the purpose of a business is to support your personal goals and lifestyle. Coaching should help you get to a point where you’re content, in control, and free — not stuck on a treadmill of endless targets.

Don't believe me? Just take a look in your attic, your basement or that cupboard under the stairs. There you will find the physical embodiment of what it means to chase one thing after another. A literal treasure trove of junk you bought thinking it would make you happy, that new phone, hat, shoes, coat. They're all in there, as our current purchases sit waiting to be replaced with the next new thing.

While this analogy might be a bit of a stretch, I think you get the picture. When is enough, enough? As a business coach, an endless stream of goals to chase, month in, month out, is good for a coach's business, but is it good for you? Will it make you happy?

When do you call time on your business ambitions and just enjoy the successes you've created?

Most business coaches will:

Help you set ambitious business goals — often around turnover, scaling, or headcount.
Create a strategy to get there — marketing plans, sales funnels, hiring strategies.
Keep you accountable — making sure you take action.
Push you to the next milestone — once you hit your goal, they’ll push you to aim higher.

On the surface, this sounds great. Who doesn’t want to grow and achieve more?

But here’s the problem:

The goalposts never stop moving. You’re always chasing the next “big thing.”
Contentment is overlooked. There’s no point where you can step back and say, “This is enough.”
Your personal life gets sidelined. Growth for growth’s sake can mean more stress, more hours, and less freedom.

The Trap of Endless Coaching

I've seen it first-hand. I've attended large group coaching sessions and events in the past, held by large franchise coaching companies. I saw the same faces every time, talked to the same people, and it seems like everyone is treading water.

No one is actually achieving anything to the point where they can hang up their hat, kick back and enjoy life. This, in part, was due to the fact that they didn't even have these goals in mind. They were typically fixated with whatever 'issue' had presented itself that month.

I have no doubt that many of the people I met there were making headway and achieving their goals, but only to write brand new goals the next time they turn up and work towards them instead.

Many business owners find themselves in long-term coaching relationships where:

They feel they need the coach forever.
They’re never allowed to stop at “enough.”
Success always means “more” rather than “better.”

This treadmill can leave you with a bigger business on paper, but a life that feels just as restricted as before — or worse.

Verbalisation

If you have ever worked with a coach before, you might have experienced the effects of verbalisation.

In summary, you're discussing a problem you're having out loud, rather than internalising it in your own head. As a result of doing so, and with a bit of probing questions here and there, you find a solution to the problem. Notice that it is you yourself who typically finds the answer; the coach is just coaxing it out of you by having you discuss it out loud.

I'm absolutely not knocking this approach; it definitely works. I'm very fortunate that I co-founded my accountancy practice with my wife. When we have a problem to tackle, we go for a walk and talk about it. I would say easily 9/10 of our best problem-solving was achieved while walking & talking.

While it's only my opinion, I don't feel coaches can justify their fees for verbalisation techniques alone. A coach should offer sound advice and counsel, too.

If you've not read Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, pick up a copy and check out chapter 10, Power of the Master Mind. In brief, Hill emphasises the advantages of surrounding yourself with people with whom you can grow exponentially.

You need more than just a sounding board; you need your own Master Mind.

What Does Coaching Solve?

I wanted to take a stab at answering this question based on my own experiences of coaching from the other side of the table. I think I can answer it in one sentence.

"Coaching seeks to solve the problems you bring to the coach"

That might sound obvious, I'm not saying it's not. Do you remember what I mentioned first of all? We often think about hiring a coach when we have a problem. It's these problems, plus future problems, that we present to a coach to help solve.

The problem is, we're playing around in the weeds. We're talking about the minutiae of problems that are taking up valuable headspace when we should be concentrating on the bigger picture.

You might be approaching a coach with the following problems.

I feel overwhelmed
I'm struggling to get clients
I can't manage my team

These are all valid problems to solve, but until you've cracked the bigger picture, how can you possibly address these issues through the lens that will achieve your personal goals?

My Approach as a Business Coach

I work differently. For starters, I've actually run a business, and I don't just mean a coaching business. I co-founded an accountancy firm with my wife, scaled it to a level that afforded us the time, flexibility and finances to do what we want, when we want.

The approach I take to coaching is the same approach I took to my own business and personal goals. This approach enabled me to uproot, leave the UK, and move to Portugal. This is my definition of success, and my approach can help you define and reach yours.

My coaching focuses on helping you:

Define your personal goals first. What kind of life do you want? How much do you really need? Ultimately, everything boils down to time and money.
Build a business that supports those goals. Instead of endless growth, we work out what’s “enough” for you.
Create systems and structure. So your business runs smoothly without consuming your entire week.
Know when to stop. Coaching isn’t about keeping you on the hook forever — it’s about getting you to a place of freedom and contentment.

My goal isn’t to make you dependent on me. It’s to give you clarity around what you want personally, a plan on how to achieve it, and the confidence to execute the plan so you can live the life you want.

Do You Need a Business Coach Forever?

The short answer: no.

If your coach’s approach means you can never step away, you’re in the wrong kind of coaching, in my opinion. A good coach should help you reach a point where you can say:

I’ve achieved the goals that matter to me.
I have the systems in place to keep it going.
I no longer need constant guidance — just occasional check-ins.

That’s the difference between coaching that keeps you trapped and coaching that genuinely sets you free.

The end result? A business that supports your life — not a treadmill that takes it over.

If that’s the kind of coaching you want, book a free discovery call. Together, we can design a business that gives you freedom, balance, and contentment.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does a typical business coach do?

They help you set goals, create strategies, and stay accountable — but often keep you chasing bigger targets indefinitely.

Do I need a business coach forever?

No. A good coach helps you achieve the lifestyle you want, build systems, and eventually step back from needing constant coaching.

How is your approach to coaching different?

I focus on aligning your business with personal goals, creating freedom, and helping you know when “enough is enough.”