Do you need a coach or a consultant? Growing your business has a lot of moving parts and sometimes you need help to find the right path. But do you need a coach or a consultant? What is the difference between the two?
What is a Consultant?
A consultant or business consultant is a specialist you hire from outside to handle a specific project, add a skill, implement technology, etc. For example, if you are looking into a new enterprise resource platform (ERP), you might hire an IT consultant to help oversee the project. If you are having issues with marketing, you might hire a consultant to help with market research and competitor analysis.
What is a Coach?
A coach is somebody who works with you as a business owner to help you grow both personally and professionally. For example, you might hire a coach if you are struggling to manage stress and work-life balance, to help you set boundaries. Or you might hire a coach to help you enhance entrepreneurial skills.
So, the key difference is that a coach works with you while a consultant works with your company.
Why You Need Both
While both are seen as very different services, they are actually synergistic. In fact, many coaches and consultants offer both services and are trained in both. Some may even switch hats in a single session.
Ultimately, you need both because if you focus on consulting and problem-solving while neglecting your own growth, you are likely to burn out. If you focus entirely on your own growth, problems may go unsolved. You may also need multiple consultants to help with different areas of your business.
Empowered Pulse offers consulting to help small businesses with their marketing strategy. We also offer one-on-one business coaching. Your business needs both, so contact Empowered Pulse today to discuss what you and your business need to thrive.