The Business Growth Coaching Guide

For Impatient SaaS Owners

As a SaaS owner, you're probably impatient to see your business grow. You want to scale up fast and get to the next level.

But there's a problem: You don't know where to start.

With so many moving parts, it's difficult to know what works and what doesn't. Worse still, you don't have the time or money to constantly test different ideas, so you feel stuck.

That's why you need business growth coaching.

Business growth coaching helps you grow faster while avoiding some of the roadblocks that trip up most SaaS owners.

In today's guide, we'll cover everything you need to know about growth coaching, from what it is and how it works, as well as how to adopt it in your organization.

What is Business Growth Coaching?

Business growth coaching is a new approach to helping fast-growing companies.

Unlike traditional consulting, business growth coaching is hands-on and highly strategic. It's less about getting advice from experts and more about following a process to identify and overcome your challenges.

Growth coaching also deviates from leadership coaching. While there's a lot of crossover between the two, business growth coaching is much more focused on productivity and efficiency.

Business growth coaching is about solving one specific problem for your company: How to grow faster.

For example, you might want to figure out how your team can make more money or get ten times the results in half the time. Successful business growth coaching focuses on practical techniques and strategies that you can implement quickly.

Why Business Growth Coaching?

Growth is hard. 

Even if you have a great product and your customers love it, you face a unique set of challenges, including:

  • Limited resources: SaaS growth is expensive, especially when you first launch. You need to pay for marketing and sales while still focusing on building your product.
  • Shortage of talent: Most fast-growing companies are increasingly reliant on their employees to get things done. But turnover, recruitment, and training are expensive.
  • Shifting market conditions: Keeping up with changing market dynamics is tough, especially in disruptive industries like SaaS where technology moves at lightspeed.

There's also the issue of building momentum, which is crucial to success. You need to keep growing or you risk falling back into stagnation.

That's where business growth coaching can help. Unlike traditional consulting, it's not just about getting advice from experts — it's about building a roadmap to help you solve your problems and grow faster.

The right growth coaching program will provide you with the expertise, accountability, and motivation to get more done in less time.

So, why should you hire a growth coach? Here are four reasons:

  • More revenue: If you want to build a successful company, revenue is everything. Growth coaching will show you how to create sustainable growth strategies so you can generate more revenue and profits.
  • The right results: Growth coaching helps you identify and prioritize your key initiatives, so you can get the most from your resources and time.
  • Prevent future problems: Growth coaching is a great way to understand the dynamics of your business and make sure you don't lose momentum. A coach will help you keep your finger on the pulse so you always know what's working and what isn't.
  • More fun: Growth coaching can help you build a closer team. It gets everyone on the same page so you can focus on what matters most.

Types of Business Growth Coaching

There are two types of business growth coaching:

  1. Strategic
  2. Tactical

Strategic growth coaching is about fixing the root cause of your problems. It's about making sure your company is positioned to take advantage of your market opportunity.

Tactical growth coaching provides a systematic, step-by-step approach to executing tactics and processes. It's about solving specific problems and overcoming challenges.

For example, your tactical growth coach might help you create an effective strategy for acquiring new customers.

Your strategic coach, on the other hand, will help you think about your company's vision and where you want it to be in three years.

Some companies merge both approaches and give you a consistent, multi-faceted approach to growth.

At CLG, for instance, we provide you with strategic and tactical frameworks to help you and your team adapt and scale. We also create a roadmap to help you establish clear goals, prioritize your key initiatives, and make sure everyone is on the same page.

You not only get actionable advice and exercises. You also learn key growth concepts and models, and you receive personalized coaching that's tailored to your needs.

This way, you get the best of both worlds: a structured framework to grow your revenue, plus one-on-one support so you can act and get results.

How To Choose the Right Growth Coaching Program

When choosing a business growth coach, you need to know what you're looking for. Your decision should be based on three criteria:

1. Your Company's Growth Stage

Starting out? You'll likely need a business growth coach who focuses on startup and early-stage growth.

With less than $1 million in revenue, you'll benefit from a hands-on approach to help you overcome challenges and create a solid foundation for future growth.

They'll have experience working with SaaS companies, so they'll understand the specific issues you face as a growing business. That means they'll be able to give you actionable advice and tips so you can avoid costly mistakes.

At CLG, for example, we have Executive Navigation.

This program is specifically designed for early-stage companies that want to grow to $10M faster. Executive Navigation is a proven process for getting more done in less time, so you'll have the time to build your company.

2. Your Business Model

Different business models require different growth strategies. If your company is subscription-based, you'll need a coach who understands how to create sustainable growth.

If your business is transaction-based, you'll need someone who understands the specific challenges you face in this type of environment.

3. Your Company's Group Dynamics

If you work with other business owners, choose a growth coach who understands the challenges of working in teams. That will help you get the most out of your growth program.

At CLG, for instance, we have Boardroom, a mastermind group composed of 8 companies with $10M – $100M in revenue. Each group is diverse and is made up of companies that operate in different sectors.

This helps you create strategies that are adaptable to the specific challenges you face and get the perspective of valuable outsiders.

You'll connect with top business owners who are successful, and you can collaborate to overcome the obstacles that impact your growth.

Pitfalls and Roadblocks You Should Avoid

Unfortunately, there are some common pitfalls you need to avoid. 

These include:

1. Unrealistic Expectations

Some coaching programs are too general. They try to cover everything, so they lose focus and don't include the specific advice you need.

At the end of the day, you don't learn as much as you should.

At CLG, we start with a strategic plan and goal-setting process. Then we prioritize your key initiatives and create a roadmap that helps you stay on track.

This approach ensures that you get personalized coaching tailored to your business model and growth stage.

2. Confusing a One-Time Coaching Session With a Full-Fledged Program

The difference between a one-time coaching session and a full-fledged program is accountability. One-time sessions don't provide you with the support and feedback you need to achieve better results.

In today's constantly-changing business environment, you need to keep improving your results and overcoming new challenges. So, choose a growth coach who will always be there for you and support you as you face new challenges.

The right program will provide you with a constant feedback loop and ongoing support.

3. Thinking That Growth Coaching Is Expensive

Many CEOs think that joining a growth coaching program is a waste of time and money. The truth is, the right program is a good investment.

It's a great way to get personal one-on-one support from someone who has been in your shoes. If you have the right mentor, you'll learn from their mistakes and avoid them yourself.

Waiting to learn from your own mistakes is way more expensive than learning from someone who has already made the same mistakes.

You should also keep in mind that your return on investment isn't just financial. You'll gain a lot from the experience and knowledge of your coach.

Should You Consider Joining a Growth Program?

At this point, you already know what not to do. The next step is to figure out when it makes sense to join a growth coaching program.

Let's explore some key indicators:

  • You've hit a wall: If you feel like you've hit a wall and aren't getting good results, it might be time to call in the experts. You're not going to learn anything from the same actions that created your current results.
  • You don't have a road map: If you don't have a vision for your future, it's going to be hard to get there.
  • You work in isolation: Are you doing everything on your own? Are you constantly overwhelmed trying to make decisions without getting feedback from others? If so, a growth coaching program might be a good fit.
  • You need a better strategy: Do you have a clear next step? Are your team members all pulling in the same direction? A growth coach can help you define and implement a strategy to take your business up a notch.
  • You know you can grow, but aren't sure how: Are you stuck in the same place? Do you know that there's more for you, but don't know where to start? A growth coach can help you find the answer.

Sounds like you?

If so, you're probably ready to work with a growth coach.

Take a look at Executive Navigation and get a step-by-step framework to take your business where you want to go.

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Executive Navigation™ is based on experience, not just theory. It is successful entrepreneurs helping growing entrepreneurs scale their business from $1M – $10M+ in revenue.

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