Introduction
I am Nathan Baws, and I’ve been on both sides of the table. I’ve paid for coaching when I was flat-out broke running a supplement chain in the 90s, and I’ve been the coach for the past twenty-plus years. I know exactly what it feels like to Google “business coaches in Australia” at 11 pm, wondering if you’re throwing money away or finally getting the help you need. This article is written for every Australian who has ever asked that question – from the café owner in Launceston to the tech founder in Brisbane, the corporate GM in Perth, and the university lecturer in Adelaide who wants to turn research into revenue.
Let’s get straight into it.
Key things you’ll know by the time you finish reading:
- Why most business coaches in Australia miss the mark for real operators
- The exact questions I use to separate the genuine ones from the marketers
- How coaching actually works in the Australian context (with real local examples)
- What fair investment looks like in 2025–2026
- How to start with almost zero risk
Why Australian Businesses Are Different (and Why Most Overseas Advice Falls Flat)
Our country is long distances, high wages, brutal seasonality in many industries, and a taxation system that can bite hard if you get it wrong. I’ve had businesses in Queensland when tourism died overnight, in Victoria when lockdowns crushed retail, and in Western Australia when the mining boom turned to bust. Generic American funnel advice or corporate frameworks from the UK rarely translate.
Business coaches in Australia who actually deliver understand payroll tax thresholds, instant asset write-offs, cash-flow timing around BAS quarters, and the realities of hiring good people in regional towns.
The Unique Pressures on Australian Owners Right Now
- Skills shortages in almost every trade and profession
- Rising fixed costs (energy, insurance, super guarantee)
- Customers who comparison-shop in seconds
- Staff who expect flexibility and meaning, not just a pay cheque
A coach who hasn’t paid an Australian wage in the past five years is guessing.
What I Look For When People Ask Me to Coach Them (and What You Should Demand)
After mentoring hundreds of owners and teams across the country, these are the non-negotiables.
1. They’ve Built and Run Real Australian Businesses – Plural
One lucky exit doesn’t count. I want to see multiple businesses launched, scaled, and in some cases closed or sold. Closing a business teaches more than most successes.
2. They Still Have Skin in the Game Today
The best business coaches in Australia are still running or investing in companies right now. Markets move fast; advice from someone who stopped operating in 2018 is already dated.
3. They Can Read a Set of Australian Accounts in Five Minutes
If they can’t tell you within minutes where your profit is leaking or why your labour percentage is too high, they’re not a coach – they’re a motivational speaker.
4. They Work One-on-One and Don’t Delegate to Juniors
Group programs have their place, but when you’re making decisions that affect your family’s future, you want the actual person you hired, not their “team”.
5. They’re Comfortable Telling You Hard Truths
Your marketing sucks. That product should be killed. You’re the bottleneck. The good ones say it early and kindly.
How Business Coaching Actually Plays Out in the Australian Market
Here are five recent(ish) examples from my own client work (details changed for privacy).
Example 1 – Regional Manufacturing, Ballarat, Victoria
Family engineering business turning over $4.2 m, profit stuck at 4–5 % for years. Twelve months of monthly coaching focused on pricing for margin, apprentice systems, and quoting accuracy. Profit lifted to 19 % without increasing turnover. The owner now works four days a week.
Example 2 – Trade Services, Sunshine Coast, Queensland
Plumber with 14 vans, owner still quoting and doing payroll at midnight. Built a proper org chart, hired an operations manager, and implemented Jobber + Xero integration. The owner bought a beach house twelve months later and only goes on site when he feels like it.
Example 3 – Corporate Leadership Team, Sydney CBD
GM brought me in for the top 11 executives of an ASX-listed company. Focused on decision speed, accountability, and psychological safety. Voluntary turnover dropped from 28% to 9% over 18 months. Share price responded accordingly.
Example 4 – Events Business, Byron Bay, NSW
Wedding and festival stylist crushed by COVID cancellations. Shifted to micro-weddings and corporate retreats, built a repeatable acquisition system using local SEO and partnerships. Now books out 18 months in advance at double the original pricing.
Example 5 – University Side Hustle, Perth, Western Australia
An academic with a mining-related software idea. Six-month intensive took it from zero to first $180 k in government and enterprise contracts. Still lectures three days a week.
These are normal Australian businesses, not unicorn outliers.
The Step-by-Step Process I Recommend to Find the Right Business Coaches in Australia
- Write down your three biggest pain points right now (be brutally specific).
- Search “business coaches in Australia” + your industry or city.
- Ignore anyone whose website is 90 % stock photos and testimonials with first names only.
- Look for evidence of real businesses they’ve owned or currently run.
- Send a short email: “Here are my three biggest challenges. If you’ve solved these exact issues for Australian clients, let’s talk.”
- Book a paid diagnostic call (yes, paid – anyone worth working with charges for their time).
- On the call, give them 15 minutes of real numbers and watch how fast they diagnose.
- If your gut says yes and their plan makes sense, move forward. If not, thank them and keep looking.
Investment Levels in 2025–2026 for Genuine One-on-One Business Coaches in Australia
- Single strategy session: $800 – $2,000
- 90-day intensive: $6,000 – $15,000
- Ongoing monthly (6–24 months): $1,500 – $4,000 per month
Compare that to the average cost of keeping a bad hire for 12 months ($ 80k+) or of one failed product launch.
The Biggest Mistakes Australian Owners Make When Hiring Business Coaches in Australia
- Choosing the cheapest option (you get what you pay for)
- Signing long contracts on the first call
- Expecting the coach to do the work for them
- Picking someone who has never run a payroll in Australia
- Treating coaching as an expense instead of an investment with measurable ROI
How to Get Started Without Risking a Cent Upfront
Every reputable coach offers a single paid strategy session. You’ll walk away with:
- A 90-day plan you can implement yourself
- Clarity on whether you two are a fit for longer work
- Immediate actions that usually pay for the session many times over
I still offer these myself because one good conversation can change everything.
Conclusion
If you’ve read this far, you’re serious about growth. I work one-on-one with owners, corporate leaders, event organisers, educators, and ambitious students all over Australia. No team, no juniors, no delegation – just me and you, focused on your results.
Take the next step and book a strategy call at https://nathanbaws.com/. We’ll look at your numbers, your bottlenecks, and whether I’m the right person to help you break through.
You’ve built something you’re proud of. Let’s make it even better.
FAQs
1. Are business coaches in Australia regulated or accredited?
No formal regulation exists, which is why track record matters more than certificates. Anyone can print “certified coach” on a business card.
2. Can I claim business coaching as a tax deduction?
Almost always yes, if it’s clearly related to producing assessable income. Keep invoices and a record of outcomes. Your accountant will love you.
3. How quickly do most Australian business owners see a return?
With full implementation, many expect the investment to be returned in 3–6 months. Some in weeks if we fix obvious leaks fast.
4. Is online coaching as effective as in-person for Australians?
Yes – I’ve worked with clients from Broome to Hobart via Zoom for years with identical results to sitting across a desk.
5. Do business coaches in Australia only work with big companies?
Not at all. The majority of my clients turn over $500 k – $10 m. I also mentor plenty of startups and side-hustles that replace full-time incomes.
6. What if my business is seasonal (tourism, agriculture, events)?
Seasonality is my specialty. We build cash reserves in the good months and cost structures that survive the quiet ones.
7. Can corporate employees hire a business coach privately?
Hundreds do. Many large organisations even pay for external coaching when internal programs aren’t cutting it.
8. Will a coach sign an NDA?
Always. I’ve worked with direct competitors in the same city, and confidentiality has never been an issue.
9. What’s the difference between business coaches in Australia and mentors?
Mentors advise from their experience. Coaches ask questions so you find your own answers (and hold you accountable). The best do both.
10. I’m time-poor – can coaching still work?
Yes. We design the cadence around your diary – fortnightly 45-minute calls often work better than weekly 90-minute marathons.
