Building Better Local Businesses: The Value of Coaching

Are you a small business owner feeling stuck in your growth journey? In this eye-opening episode of the Leander Scoop podcast, host TJ Larkin sits down with Tanner O'Brien, senior partner and co-owner of ActionCoach Central Texas, to explore how business coaching can transform local businesses. Discover why successful entrepreneurs consider coaching an essential tool for sustainable growth, effective team management, and creating a sellable business asset.

The Hidden Value of Business Coaching

Most small business owners don't realize what they're missing until they experience coaching firsthand. As Tanner explains, "Coaching is kind of that invisible thing that's hard to sell because there isn't a tangible thing that comes along with it." Yet the impact is undeniable, with most of his clients staying for 2-3 years on average – an impressive retention rate in the coaching industry.

The results speak for themselves. Tanner shares stories of local businesses experiencing 20-30% revenue growth in just one quarter and another business going from a negative account balance to over $8,000 in just one month after implementing coaching strategies.

Breaking Free from the Owner's Trap

One of the biggest challenges small business owners face is getting stuck working "in" the business rather than "on" it. Tanner highlights that while there's abundant free education available online, the emotional aspect of letting go is where many struggle.

"There's a big difference between applying the things in the actual business and what that business building process looks like," Tanner explains. "It's not always the tactical, logical how to do it. It's the emotional side of things – that emotional letting go is so much more of a factor than most business owners recognize."

Building a Business That Can Be Sold

Whether you plan to sell your business or not, building it as if you might exit one day creates valuable flexibility. Tanner emphasizes, "When you build it as if you will exit it one day, because the reality is we're all going to exit our business one way or another... then you have flexibility and you have choice."

Most small businesses are valued based on net income, not revenue. If the owner is wearing all the hats and paying themselves below market rate, there may be little value left for potential buyers. This creates a painful reality for many business owners approaching retirement who discover their business isn't worth what they thought.

Embracing AI as a Business Tool

The conversation shifts to how business owners should approach AI's rapid advancement. Tanner advises, "You gotta learn it. You gotta know it. You can't be afraid of it. It's not going away, it's only going to accelerate from here."

For small businesses, AI offers unprecedented access to capabilities previously available only to larger companies. From appointment setting to sales agents, these tools create efficiencies that allow even modest-sized businesses to have greater impact.

"If you can tap into some of these AI tools... now you have access to things at a much higher level than you ever would have been able to have before," Tanner notes. "It creates efficiencies, creates better output. You can just do so much more and have so much more impact."

Why Every Business Owner Needs a Coach

The podcast concludes with a powerful observation: virtually every successful business owner has a coach. As TJ points out, "Even the best have coaches... LeBron James has a coach, Tiger Woods has a coach. Most of the really successful business owners have multiple coaches for different aspects."

Tanner himself works with a coach, emphasizing that continuous growth requires both accountability and insight into what's coming around the corner. Whether your goal is maximizing profits or community impact, the path to success often requires external guidance.

"If you want to continue to level up and grow, having that accountability and having that what's right around the corner, it's important at every single stage," Tanner concludes.

Resources Mentioned:

• Book: "Selling the Invisible" - Referenced for understanding how to market intangible services

• Book: "The E-Myth Revisited" - Discusses the importance of working on your business, not just in it

• Sesame AI - New conversational AI technology

• ChatGPT - AI tool for business applications

Ready to Take Your Business to the Next Level?

If you're feeling stuck in your business journey, whether it's with time management, team development, or growth strategies, ActionCoach Central Texas can help. Listen to the full episode to discover how business coaching might be the missing piece in your success puzzle.