Following is a list of very special articles about what coaching is and is not, about how the coaching process can help you, and about how to select the right coach.

What's the Difference Between a Small Business Coach and a Consultant? By Karyn Greenstreet A business coach will help you understand how and why you ride a bicycle, help you to determine what's holding you back from riding properly, and jog along next to you as YOU ride. A business consultant will explain why one bike is superior to another, teach you how to ride the bike, and if necessary, ride the bike for you.

Frequently Asked Questions About Coaching... By Karyn Greenstreet Does the coach work on personal goals or business/professional goals? Both, actually. And, with the line between personal and business life blurring in the this new millennium, the coach is the only professional trained to work with all aspects of you. Coaches work with you on a holistic basis, though you may at first want to focus on only one area of your life.

What Is Your Legacy? By Karyn Greenstreet During a recent speech, I told the audience that my mission was to empower the self-employed to succeed. Instantly a hand shot up in the audience. "What's your definition of success?" I smiled to myself -- I love it when they ask this question!

Family Business. Move Ahead Together in Uncertain Times By Marilyn Edelson.
In these uncertain times, preserving a family business and strengthening it for the next generation are crucial undertakings. Many once-thriving businesses are at serious risk of failing as the result of "funnel vision" or by being driven apart by seemingly irreconcilable conflicts.

Why Small Businesses Fail (or Fail to Thrive) By Karyn Greenstreet Dunn and Bradstreet recently did a study and determined that "90% of small businesses that fail do so because of a lack of skills and knowledge on the part of the owner." However, D&B also did a study that showed that over 90% of small businesses were still in business after five years IF they had the help of a Small Business Development Center (SBDC) or other expert assistance.

How To Make The Most Out of a Business Networking Event By Karyn Greenstreet You're not alone. Most people are uncomfortable walking into a roomful of strangers. But networking at business events can help you grow your business, as well as allow you to do hands-on marketing research. Learning to mingle and to follow-up with business networking contacts is crucial to your self-employment success.

Business Coaching Basics By John S. Nagy I was recently in an "interview" type conversation with a gentleman who owned a local financial advisory firm. He got my name through a business buddy who recommended he contact me to possibly have me provide some business coaching to him. As the conversation unfolded it became apparent that he had the typical challenges most small business owner have - time crunches, poor delegation, few systematic or automated approaches, marketing inconsistencies and financial tightness to name a few.

Busyness Investments By John S. Nagy To be successful in business, the first level requires a person to move inventory. This means that the person must make sure that they are selling a product to people who are willing to purchase it. I call these people "investors", although most of the people in the business call them "customers, purchasers or buyers." No matter what they're called, they're any persons who invest in the product for end use. From a business stand point, the first level requires you to have a product to sell and then for you to sell it to others.

A Hand Up Coaching Helps Women Succeed By Cardell Phillips After downsizing wiped out her $80K salary, Jane was having trouble finding work. Just released from jail, 22-year old Marie didn't know how she was going to provide for her four kids. Frustrated and frightened, both women needed "a hand up" to help them take charge of their lives and move forward.

The Importance Of Having A Mentor By Larry Denis When you first start your business everything can be quite confusing. There are many pitfalls and problems that are difficult to work out on your own. Choosing the right business for you. How to get the edge on your competitors? What to do first? How to really make money and escape that 9-5 job? These are just a few of the confusing questions that face the beginner. If you try to begin without help, you are setting yourself up for failure. Very few can succeed in business without someone to help you and steer you in the right direction. You are indeed like a ship without a captain when you try to start a business alone.

COACHING: When It's Beyond Oprah and Dr. Phil By Dr. Robert A. Eubanks How many more servings of the daytime self-help salad will it take to sooth your appetite? To actually get your life to where you want it to be? To actually start seeing changes for yourself rather than just on the tear-filled faces of Oprah's latest guests?

Buyer Beware: Choose A Business Coach Carefully To Get The Results You Want By Jim Jenkins In the past several years, coaching has become one of the most effective ways to cultivate the professional and personal skill-sets of teams and individuals. Coaching has proven results. Fast Company magazine reports that up to 40% of Fortune 500 companies hire coaches to improve their businesses. There's a proven, significant return on investment. A 2001 study by the Manchester Review said that the output of executives involved in coaching programs averaged nearly 5.7 times higher than the initial investment.

Coaching - An Adapting Tool For Attaining Fulfillment In The Global Economy By Philip Okrend Fortunately, there is a powerful vehicle emerging to assist people in finding focus, purpose and fulfillment, and to keep them on track during uncertain times and into the future. That vehicle is called Personal and Professional Coaching. Personal and Professional Coaching works through a dynamic partnership focused entirely on the client and the client's agenda.

Get Coached! By Philip Okrend Coaching is a hot trend at a growing number of companies, from IBM and Dow Chemical to entrepreneurial start ups. According to a recent survey by The Hay Group, an international human resources consultancy, between 25 percent and 40 percent of Fortune 500 companies use executive coaches. A coach is defined as being "part advisory, part sounding board, part cheerleader, part manager and part strategist (Business Journal)."

Change or Die! To Change Your Organization, Hire a Business Coach By David S. Levine It is a common business axiom - change or die. As a small or mid-sized business owner or a manager, there will be times you will need to make changes in your organization but may not be sure how to go about it. Change is hard to implement and even harder to sustain. Think about all of the people who have trouble sticking to a diet or quitting smoking or keeping up with an exercise program, let alone just starting. If changing yourself is hard, how can you change an entire business, organization, process or department?

MY CAREER IS IN THE DOLDRUMS...Do I Need a Coach or a Therapist? By Nina Ham Is Monday the worst day of your week? Can you hardly remember when you enjoyed going to work? Do friends ask why you seem so down? Maybe this has been going on awhile, and you're realizing it's time to do something. But where do you turn? At one moment you tell yourself "It's just my career…Change that, and everything will be OK". Another moment, you acknowledge you're living under a cloud and a lot of old emotional ghosts are returning. Your friend who's recommending you consult her therapist may be right.

Coaching for Success By Terence R. Traut Coaching is perhaps the most effective method of increasing performance available to managers, team leaders, and colleagues. This article defines coaching and outlines a process for effective coaching.

Sales Coaching...Fact or Fiction By Paul Shearstone The old adage in selling has always been, "Find out what they want, then, give it to them." The fundamentals of selling are clearly that elemental. The application thereof, however, continues to be the litmus test that quickly separates the skilled from the rest.

Guidelines For Choosing A Guru, Coach, Or Mentor By Chuck & Sue DeFiore The following tips are meant as a guide for those of you who wish to enter into a coaching or mentoring relationship with a Guru, Coach or Mentor.

Ten Keys to Your Success By Kathy Sanborn Whether your goal is to find career success or achieve a personal goal, here are ten keys that you'll want to practice in order to make your way to accomplishment easier.

What Is a Coach? By Kathy Sanborn What does a success coach do? And do you really need one? Read on to find out more about what a coach does and why you may need help in achieving your career or personal goals.