Career Coaches Creating Winners.

Career Coaches Offer Advice on Choosing a Coach or How to Become One

SOUTHBURY, Conn. -- Oprah uses them, so do CEO's of Fortune 500 companies and now more individuals are turning to career coaching professionals to help navigate the challenges of today's new career economy.

"I think the advantages of using a coach are pretty clear: they are another set of eyes on their client's life that can provide objectives and a course of action as their client goes through a process of self-discovery," said Terry Powell, founder and CEO of The Entrepreneur's Source.

The number of business coaching and consulting services has risen dramatically in recent years. According to the International Coach Federation, their membership has grown 500 percent since 1999.

"In my particular coaching practice, I walk people through a discovery process helping them to define what they want their lifestyle to look like," says Powell. "And oftentimes this leads to considering self-employment options, including franchising."

Powell says some of the most common reasons for choosing to work with a coach include:

* To work with a knowledgeable professional who can offer options not yet explored, including self-employment options;

* To be held accountable to identify and work towards meeting their long-term goals and dreams;

* To work with an objective, non-biased, outsider who can offer a different perspective;

* To help individuals identify his or her core strengths and learn how to leverage them.

Several recent surveys extol the results of using a career coach, including one by Lee Hecht Harrison that said people who use a career coach find career options 15 to 40 percent faster than those that don't.

Career coaching can be an excellent opportunity for individuals, corporate executives or small business owners who are looking to change careers themselves.

"Baby boomers who don't want to retire, people looking to leverage their corporate training or someone who is looking for a career change are all candidates to become a coach," said Powell.

Publications such as Entrepreneur magazine and Money magazine have recently mentioned business coaching as an excellent entrepreneurial opportunity, Powell said.

For additional information about The Entrepreneur's Source, go to their Web site at www.EsourceCoach.com.