By JUNO KUGHLER CARLSON
The Business Press

Q: What motivated you to become a business coach?

A: I knew people in the business, and they'd sometimes come to me for advice on the automotive industry -- I own a company called Safetime Automotive. I liked the ActionCoach system and felt it would be a good fit for me.

Q: So how's business?

A: Well if you asked me that back in November or December I would have said things looked bleak. Now I'm seeing more people looking for answers. Their attitude is more positive, but they feel that something is missing in their business. Usually the problem falls into one of three categories: time, team or money. If it's a time issue, I can set up a plan to help them get organized. If it's a team problem, we look at their staff and work on ways to make them more effective. If it's a money problem, we look at marketing strategies and cash flow.

Q: Can you give me any examples of a typical business problem?

A: One of my clients was a carpet cleaner who attended some of our coaching classes. His clientele had dropped by 30 percent and he needed help in order to keep the company afloat. I worked with him on his phone technique and the way he dealt with clients. A few months later his business was back up 30 percent and he was planning for another 30 percent increase over the next year. Sometimes it can be as simple as the way you communicate with people. In my own business, for example, I found that mailing oil change reminders didn't work. Mailers tended to get trashed. We started making phone calls to our existing clients whenever they were due for a change and got an immediate response. Instead of people bringing their cars in two, maybe three times a year, they were coming in on schedule four times a year.

Q: What's the biggest mistake most companies make?

A: Too many people feel they have their hands full just taking care of their current clients -- they don't have time for anything else and no plan for bringing in new business. A lot of them think they can just hang out a shingle and the customers will come. Marketing is different from selling. Marketing drives customers to you; selling is about closing the deal. You have to be able to do both to be successful.

Q: How important is social networking and the Internet to a company's success?

A: Extremely important. It's absolutely essential for a business to have its own Web site, and it should have a Facebook presence as well. Facebook is very successful as a networking tool and LinkedIn is up and coming. Social networks aren't the future of business -- they are already here.

Q: Who should consult a business coach?