Mentoring and coaching can sometimes help to speed you along your path.
This week I had a serendipitous meeting with a stranger at a cafe. Two hours later we were no longer strangers. As it turned out, they are about to move into being an independent coach. As we spoke, I gave them a few tips that I learned along the way of doing the same quite some years ago, each tip being one that I know is of value and can save time and energy compared to learning through experience.
I then had the latest WhatComesNextLive podcast (the last before a summer break) with my own VA, the amazing Katie Tew. Katie has a full slate of clients for herself as a VA but also loves to coach and mentor people stepping into the career of being a VA for themselves. Again, a number of tips in there for both people interesting in hiring a VA and also for those looking to be a VA.
Both experiences acted as a reminder to me that sometimes coaching someone is the way ahead, and sometimes they can gain real value from something as simple as mentoring tips.
One tip for me for independent coaches, consultants and advisors. You are in the business of adding value to your clients, not in the business of collecting on invoices. With that in mind, I recommend you invoice in advance for your work and require payment before you begin. If the client is unwilling to do so, find another client or adjust accordingly. For example, if they say “we bill on 30-day terms”, then ask if you can bill a month early so that they can pay before the start of each monthly retainer (I work on monthly retainers). That way they are working within their system but you are always paid prior to the start of each month.