Thinking of taking your creative business to the next level and considering hiring a business coach or mentor? There’s more than one type of coach or mentor out there. In fact, we’re sharing 7 major types of coaches or mentors you could need for you…

I was in a Facebook group following along with the discussion a few months ago when someone brought up a really good question - what kind of coach or mentor is right for me? Someone else in the group started to break down each type of coach or mentor and I'm here today to break that discussion down further. (Source for the breakdown) This prompted a really great conversation on what kind of mentor or coach you need for your business. First, let's take a look at the seven different types:

7 MAJOR TYPES OF COACH OR MENTOR

Accountability Partner (The Supporter): A person who "supports it." This person is there to keep you accountable to make sure you do the things you said you would do. Typically, being an accountability partner is a two way street, where each person holds the other accountable.

Mastermind Group (The Achievers): A small group of people who "achieve it." A mastermind group is typically 3-6 people who meet periodically to help each other brainstorm, learn, provide/give feedback, and work together to help everyone be more successful.

Practitioner (The Doer): A person who has "done it." This is a person, such as an entrepreneur, who has started and grown a successful business.

Trainer (The Teacher): A person who can "teach it." This person may not have done what they are teaching, but they have the skills and know how to provide the right information, at the right time, taught in the right way so that the students can learn and be able to implement the knowledge.

Coach (The Puller): A person who "pulls it." This person is not the expert, but has the skills to be able to extract the objectives of the client and use that knowledge to guide the direction of growth and success.

Consultant (The Expert): A person who "knows it." This person is the expert and they use their opinions and expertise to guide the client towards success.

Mentor (The Guide): A person who "guides it." This person has expertise and is likely a practitioner.

Now, let's talk about what might be good for you. As you know, we offer consulting services here at LE Consulting so one could say that we have skin in the game as far as this conversation goes. However, it's still important to take a hard look at where you're at in your business and what your needs are. How can you do that? Give these tips a try:

Sit down and think about the skills needed to succeed in your business. Do you have them? If not, you might consider a Consultant or Trainer for your business.
Are you a successful business owner and you just need to be pushed to the next level? Consider a coach or accountability partner.
Are you looking to fine-tune the way you do things in your business? You might consider a practitioner or mentor.

At the end of the day, the relationship with the person you're thinking about working with matters too. If you can't be open and honest about where you're at and what you need, the relationship isn't going to work.

Let us know in the comments below what kind of support you need in your business!