Originally published in June 2020. Updated in September 2026 to retain the central reflection while removing time-specific references to pandemic support.
I choose to support people who are raising their hand. I will not impose my views or a strategy on someone who does not want it. Coaching begins with a willingness to examine the situation together.
When you have spent years building a business, a disruption outside your control can be especially difficult. Not every business can simply “pivot”, and determination alone cannot remove every constraint. Sometimes protecting what matters most is the immediate priority; growth can wait.
Three useful questions frame the conversation: what needs stabilizing, what needs strengthening and what might eventually be ready to grow?
Stabilization: what needs attention first?
Identify urgent commitments, missing information and decisions that cannot be postponed. Who needs an update? What must you understand before making the next commitment? Where do you need qualified advice rather than another motivational push?
If the concern is cash timing, use the cash-flow review guide to prepare questions for your accountant. Coaching is not a substitute for financial, legal or insolvency advice.
Fortification: what would make the business less fragile?
Look for dependence on one customer, one supplier or one person who holds essential knowledge. Choose a practical improvement: document a handoff, clarify a responsibility or test a backup arrangement. Assign an owner and a review date, and check whether the change is actually useful.
Growth: what is the business ready to take on?
New work can create new demands. Before pursuing it, consider delivery capacity, cash timing and the effect on existing customers. The sustainable growth planning guide explores these questions in more detail.
These are prompts, not a guaranteed recovery formula. Your circumstances may require a different order, specialist help or a decision to stop an activity that no longer makes sense.
A conversation about your next step
Supporting the Vancouver business community remains central to my work. If you want to explore whether coaching suits your situation, book a free 15-minute fit call.
Business owners interested in the two-week free coaching offer can complete the assessment and application. Applications are manually reviewed and acceptance is not guaranteed.
