As a business consultant who also happens to be a business coach, one of the questions I am  asked most frequently is, “What’s the difference between business consulting and coaching?”

The truth is, consulting and coaching often overlap these days, and many consultants also work as coaches (and vice versa). However, that doesn’t mean they’re the same job. Both consultants and coaches are focused on helping you solve problems in your business — the big difference is in their approach.

A business consultant is a subject matter expert whose job is to understand their clients’ problems and provide solutions through hands-on strategy and involvement. 

There are many pros to having a business consultant in your corner.

We save you time and resources.
A business consultant will advise on your business decisions and help you make the right ones from the get-go, saving you time and money in the long run.

We create (and help you execute) a winning strategy.
Before you can start to scale, you need a clear strategy in place. We work alongside you to look at the whole of your business and create a well-planned strategy before commencing execution. We also consider elements of business like scalability, systems, customer retention, sales, marketing, and more!

We are subject matter experts.
A business consultant is somebody who knows about a specific topic like the back of their hand and is an expert in that field! My expertise lies within sales and marketing, so I help clients boost their digital presence, create smart marketing campaigns, and develop laser-sharp strategies.

We hold you accountable.
When I work with consulting clients, I care about their businesses as if they were my own. This occasionally means that I need to hold them accountable and step in with a bit of tough love. Most good business consultants will do the same. They will make a point to keep you disciplined and on track because they want to see you succeed!

Now that you know exactly what a business consultant does and why they’re so good for business, you’re probably wondering how a business coach differs.

Business coaches play an important role in business as well, just a different one.

The job of a business coach is to help motivate you in your business, dig deeper into your mission and purpose, address mindset issues, and brainstorm ideas with you. Whereas a business consultant may tell you exactly what decisions to make in your business, a business coach will guide you towards making those decisions yourself. 

Having a business coach on your team is a good idea for many reasons.

• We can help you with your mindset.
  Mindset is one of the most underrated yet important parts of business. A coach can help you address any mindset blocks or feelings of imposter syndrome, which will in turn make it easier for you to run your business with confidence.
• We act as a support system.
  Coaches are strong listeners who are always there to cheer you on. Having somebody there to support you during the good times (and the bad times) who also understands your business is invaluable. My coaching clients have access to me for questions and feedback whenever they need it.
• We allow you to forge your own path.
  Unlike consultants, coaches won’t necessarily advise you on a specific topic. Instead, they’ll ask the right questions so that you can figure out what your business needs through self-discovery.
  

Bottom line? A consultant is like an advisor, while a business coach is more like a partner. The one that is right for you is entirely dependent on your goals and business needs.

To find out whether a business consultant or a business coach is the right fit for your business, take our free quiz.

No matter what level of support you are looking for, I’m here to use my 10+ years of industry experience to help you transform your business and get real, lasting results.

You can learn more about my 1:1 Business Growth Package and my 1:1 Business Coaching Package here.

Olivia x