There are a number of reasons. Firstly, the anecdotal evidence regarding the value of coaching is only starting to grow. Secondly, coaching is appearing more and more in the media, and particularly in publications aimed at executives and HR specialists. So what is being achieved through coaching is being seen by a wider audience.

But there has also been a significant growth in the profession itself, with people taking up coaching as a skills set to replace or enhance their previous skills.

And do you have to come from a business background to be a business coach?

It is certainly more daunting for people to go into business coaching than it is for them to take up life coaching. People who call themselves "life and business coaches" tend to stick to the life coaching side.

Business demands results, and demands them quickly.

So unless the coach knows how to get these results quickly, they could end up doing more harm than good.

A business coach will naturally understand the business world, because a business coach needs to be able to understand what their client business wants to achieve at the end of the day.

You see, business coaches have two clients . . . they have the individual who they are dealing with, and they also have the individual's organisation.

How can the coach ensure that the message will filter throughout the organisation?

Part of coaching is doing yourself out of a job. You are coaching senior executives towards certain goals and achievements, but they are also learning the skills of the coach. And because these people tend to be effective businesspeople, in executive positions, they will usually be able to take on the broad skills of a coach.

Why should executives or businesspeople need coaching? Why are the skills learned through coaching not part of what they should have learned in college?

In my experience, coaching is about confronting the fear within people. A lot has been written about management styles, and there are certain styles of management that bosses seem to fit into. This might include two or three different styles, but they will still be identifiable boxes that managers can fit into.

Coaching, on the other hand, tries to put people in touch with what is real, and tries to connect with what drives them as an individual.

This can be a frightening place to go, especially for those who have been relying on stock models of management. They have to look at where they are coming from, how they actually manage, and how effective they are at motivating people. This is a huge step for many people to take.

And what is the end result of the process?

The end result should be a renewed clarity of vision for the client. By working with a business owner, we should be able to achieve a renewed sense of clarity regarding where the business is going, and how to get there.