The world of busines, marketing and social media changes rapidly.

You already know that, as a business coach, you need to be at the very least one step ahead of your clients!

So in an information-rich, time-poor world, how do you keep up to date easily?

Well, of course, there’s RSS or Really Simple Syndication.

This allows you to have all the latest posts from industry blogs you find useful in one simple place.

I use Google Reader and although I can’t honestly say I’ve checked out its competition, it’s never given me reason to.  It works.

If you’re new to RSS and your reader, then you’ll have a blank page – which let’s face it, is not going to inspire you!

So how do you find good blogs?

1. Search a blog directory such as Technorati using your core areas of interest, eg. “marketing”, “social media” etc
2. Similarly, Google your industry terms and add “blog” to them.  So for instance, search “online marketing blog”, “business blog”, “sem marketing blog”.
3. Whilst visiting each blog, look out for blogrolls.  These are lists of other useful blogs recommended by the blog author.
4. Read a book and liked it? Search the author’s name and see if they have a blog. They almost certainly will.
5. Look for blogs from people you follow on social media platforms. These will usually have more comprehensive content than their social postings.

Firstly, I have to apologise for the big gap between this post and the previous.  I have been in the throes of launching the Rapid Results Business Coaching Programme and must admit my focus was taken off the blog!

As I was working with my new business-coaches-in-training, I got to thinking about the fact that, whilst each of them will learn the core skills and all the approaches that can be used to work with a business owner, they will also each have their own unique qualities that make them more or less suited to a particular kind of client.

Take me.  I am great at getting things started and I can carry that skill across to clients who are either just starting off or who have a business that is stuck.

I have a real knack for helping find a number of key strategies and tactics that bring results quickly and seed-fund further growth and the motivation to stick with it.

But I am less interested and therefore less good at taking a long established business and systematising it.  It’s just not my thing.  Nor have I have ever dealt with a franchise.  Or sold a company.

That doesn’t mean I can’t help a client who has these needs by using all the small-business coaching tools, processes and structures at my disposal.  I could!  But I don’t believe I would be as good as, or as confident as, someone who has made this their “thing”.

Now here’s the great thing.  Anything can be learned.  The question is, as a business coach, what interests you?  What excites you?  What makes you feel great about what you do?

For me, it’s helping people get results that get them on their way and time and again I have helped business people kick start from scratch or move from a position of stuckness.

What is it for you?

Perhaps you excel at making teams get brilliant results.  Maybe you can number crunch metrics and help the owner get stunning clarity on their financial position and needs.  Maybe you understand how to launch onto the global stage, or how to use social media for real results, or how to buy a company.

Answer this question and you’ll start to stand out from the crowd and be a truly sought-after business coach.