The best business leaders aren’t those who always know the right solution. They’re the ones who know when to seek advice and who build a trusted circle of advisors to challenge their thinking. Some of these relationships may be informal, but many business owners also look to formal advisory support through independent consultants, business coaches, and peer boards.
At TAB, we’ve seen many members benefit from both approaches — whether that’s through one-to-one business coaching or the peer advisory model of a TAB Board. But when it comes to business consultant vs business coach, what’s the real difference?
At first glance, they may look similar. Both work with business owners to improve performance and address challenges. But the approach, style, and outcomes are very different.
Here’s a simple comparison:
| Business Consultant | Business Coach | |
|---|---|---|
| Approach | Solution-oriented: provides answers and expertise in a specific area | Transformational support: helps you uncover your own answers and develop skills |
| Focus | Short-term fixes, often project-based (e.g. logistics, marketing, succession planning) | Long-term growth, clarity, and leadership development |
| Style | Provides solutions and may implement them | Acts as a business owner sounding board, asking questions and challenging assumptions |
| Outcome | Execution: immediate problem-solving | Strategy: sustainable growth, accountability, and improved decision-making |
Both consultants and coaches can add value, but timing and context matter.
Hire a consultant when you face a specific operational challenge that requires technical expertise or quick implementation. For example, improving a supply chain, implementing software, or restructuring customer service. This is where solution-oriented, execution-focused support adds value.
Work with a coach when you want to grow as a leader, build confidence, and make better decisions for the long term. Coaching provides transformational support, creating not just answers but skills that will serve you across every stage of your business.
For many SME owners, the best outcomes come from a blend of solving immediate problems with consultants while using coaching to develop leadership capability and long-term strategy.
Finding a trusted advisor can be challenging. Here’s how one TAB member describes the value of coaching.
From developing cash flow forecasts to strengthening processes, Yafit highlights how coaching helped her business grow, while also improving her personal confidence and clarity.
For SMEs, there’s another option that goes beyond the business consultant vs business coach debate. At TAB, we combine one-to-one coaching with the collective wisdom of peer advisory boards. On this confidential board, business owners hold each other accountable and share real-world experiences.
It means you get both the transformational support of a coach and the solution-oriented insights of your peers.
If you’d like to explore this further, why not download our free guide: Reasons for an Advisory Board.