Business coaching thrives in bad economy.

According to the Spokane (WA) Journal of Business, business coaches are seeing increased demand for their services, especially from small-business owners who want to become more efficient so they can weather the difficult business climate.

Kevin Weir, a Spokane Valley franchisee of Australia-based ActionCOACH, says in a recently published profile that the tough economy has boosted his client load significantly, spurring revenue growth of 54 percent over the past year.

Rick Thorpe, a business adviser at the Small-Business Development Center (SBDC) in Spokane, which offers similar services for free to small businesses here, says he also has seen more clients in recent months.

“Because of the economy, more businesses are struggling,” Thorpe says. The SBDC offers what it calls business advising, including teaching business owners how to read their financial statements and doing other one-on-one consulting with them.

Personnel problems are among the top three problems local business coaches say business owners typically identify, along with time management and a desire to increase their business’s customer base.

Business consultants are also seeing the positive impact of a bad economy on the demand for their services.

The use of the term ”business coaches” instead of “consultants” is one side of the same coin, at least according to some consultants. Calling coaching a “buzzword,” Spokane consultant Bob Petet says “coaching differs from consulting simply in that coaching typically is tailored to smaller companies, while consulting generally is a term used to describe providing such services to larger companies.”

Although some might disagree with Petet’s definition, one fact is clear: more small business owners are reaching out for help and business coaches and consultants can benefit.

Weir says the cost for services from his ActionCOACH office range from $300 for a planning workshop to $4,000 a month for intense coaching. He says clients usually work with him for an average of a year and a half. Petet says that the cost of coaching services can vary widely depending on client needs. For example, setting up a health program for a client’s employees might cost between $1,000 and $3,000, he says.

For more on this story, click here.

ActionCOACH selected as top franchise opportunity.

ActionCOACH, the world’s number one business coaching franchise, has been selected for the 2008 Franchise Business Review Franchise 50.

“We are pleased to have been recognized as one of the Franchise 50 by Franchise Business Review,” ActionCOACH CEO Brad Sugars said. “ActionCOACH prides itself on achieving business success by providing world-class franchisee support, and we look forward to continuing to work with franchise owners towards future goals.”

ActionCOACH is one of the world’s largest business coaching firms. Started by entrepreneur and CEO Brad Sugars in 1993, the company has more than 1,000 offices in 26 countries.

To learn more go to actioncoach.com.

ActionCOACH wins International Stevie Award

ActionCOACH, reportedly the world’s #1 business coaching firm and franchise company, has won an International Stevie Award for Best Overall Company. The International Business Awards are the only global, all-encompassing business awards program honoring great performances in the workplace.

According to a company news release:

Companies from all over the world are eligible to compete in The International Business Awards, and can enter in any of more than 40 categories from Best Multinational Company and Best New Product to Best Corporate Social Responsibility Program and Best Executive. Recipients of 82 International Stevie Award trophies were selected from more than 700 nominations received from companies and individuals in more than 30 countries. Members of the Awards’ Board of Distinguished Judges & Advisors and their staffs selected International Stevie winners from among the Finalists, which were determined by volunteer judges around the world during two months of preliminary judging.

Click here to see the complete story.