Business Coach & Mentor: Supporting Personal Growth & Development.

As a business owner or leader, it’s natural to prioritise your business above everything else. Staff, clients, and the day-to-day demands often consume your time and energy. But at The Alternative Board (UK), we believe that prioritising you, the person behind the business, is just as important.

That’s why we champion the role of a business coach and mentor in supporting personal growth. Unlike a consultant who might focus solely on your business plan, a coach considers your goals, mindset, and well-being. Here are four ways coaching helps business owners achieve greater fulfilment and balance.

1. A Trusted Listener

There are many things that a business coach does. A good coach is more than a sounding board; they’re trained in active listening. That means asking thoughtful questions, challenging assumptions, and “reading between the lines” for what’s really going on.

What’s more, a business coach offers a confidential space. This gives you the freedom to discuss sensitive matters, professional or personal, with someone who is distanced from the situation. They may give you a fresh perspective, or sometimes just having them listen can take the load off emotionally.

For many business owners, this support can even help them reconnect with their purpose. Read more about how business support can help you fall back in love with your business.

“I’ve enjoyed working with Martin over the past year. He offers a good balance of listening and being sympathetic with asking hard questions, making me focus and hold myself accountable. He’s insightful about the trials and tribulations of being a small business owner. I particularly appreciate that he makes himself available at short notice for a quick phone call or to give perspective on a particular issue.”

Alison Wright

Fitzbillies

2. Building Confidence and Self-Leadership

A TAB coach will help you uncover personal insights, which include recognising your strengths and working on areas that hold you back. This self-awareness is a foundation for self-leadership and encourages a growth mindset that helps you adapt to challenges and opportunities.

The benefits of business coaching are countless. When you grow as a leader, you become more strategically focused on the effective growth of your business.

If you’d like to learn more about frameworks for developing that focus, see our Business Builder’s Blueprint.

“I was feeling quite lost — the business was doing okay, but I wanted more. I wanted more of a direction. I wanted a different approach to the business. I wanted to be a real leader. Having the 1-to-1 support from Jimi has really given me a focused approach to the business — and I didn’t want to let him down either!”

Adam Holland

Progressive Sports

Coach insight: How coaching supports behavioural change

A big part of personal development is not just knowing what needs to change, but having the support to follow through. Our TAB coaches work with business owners to shift behaviours and habits so they can become more confident leaders and make decisions with clarity.

Here’s Jon Bugg, founder of We Are DoodleBug, sharing how working with his TAB coach helped him change his mindset and approach to business:

3. Finding Your Personal Vision of Success

Your business coach and mentor will also help you identify your personal vision of success.

A Personal Vision Statement is a long-range view of what you want your life to be like. It guides every decision you make, both personal and professional.

For many business owners, success isn’t only about maximising profit or selling price. It might mean spending more time with family, building a reputation in the local community, or having the freedom to step back from day-to-day operations. Through coaching sessions and confidential discussions, a coach can help you shape that vision and start living it.

When you’re aligned with your personal vision, the psychological benefits can be enormous, including clarity, confidence, and renewed energy for both business and life, alongside a sense of personal mastery over your choices and direction.

“In our one-to-one sessions, Stuart helps me to reflect on what I want to get out of my business and how I am going to make that happen. In the last year we have achieved around 40% growth and I am looking at a new business acquisition.”

Alastair Shanks

Right at Home

4. Achieving Balance and Fulfilment

When coaching enables you to talk openly about your needs, recognise your strengths, and define your vision of success, the result is often a renewed sense of fulfilment.

TAB has been providing SME support for over 30 years, and we’ve seen how this approach helps owners fall back in love with their businesses.

With an outside perspective, you’re able to make better decisions, delegate effectively, and stop doing the things that drain your energy. The result? More time for yourself, your family, and the things you love, with a business that works for you — not the other way around.

“In that time, he and my Board have grown my confidence, and my business. From encouraging me to pitch to potential new clients both here and in Europe, to helping me forecast and budget, to supporting me with the many challenges a small business owner faces, I’m not sure I would be seeing anywhere near the success I am if I hadn’t joined TAB.”

Kate Shanks

Cosy Meerkat

Ready to put yourself first as well as your business?

Talk to your local TAB coach to see how business coaching and mentoring can support your personal growth, strengthen your leadership, and give you the balance you’ve been looking for.