ADHD mentor or coach: What’s best for business owners?

ADHD coach or mentor or both? So many choices!

Business owners with ADHD face particular challenges when it comes to running a business and having a coach and / or mentor can help. Getting a specialist ADHD mentor or coach means that you have the right level of support from someone who understands your unique challenges.

But which is best for you: ADHD mentor or coach? Let’s take a look.

What does a coach do?

A traditional coach helps you with goal setting, action planning and accountability. Pure coaching is built on the idea that you already have the answers - you just need guidance to organise your thoughts and put them into action.

For some business owners, this works well when they need structure and motivation. But running a business is challenging. If all it involved was ticking through a to-do list each day, then more people would run successful businesses. Additionally, you have look at your purpose, vision, strategic goals, business model, brand, finance, products and services, the client experience, sales, marketing, and manage any employees you may have etc. etc. etc.!

Add ADHD into the mix and it becomes clear why working with a specialist can really benefit neurodivergent business owners.

What does a mentor do?

Business coaching takes traditional coaching a significant step further. Alongside the goal setting, action planning and accountability of coaching it can also include mentoring.

A mentor could help you define your core mission and purpose, pull out your niche as well as help you put together marketing and content strategies and plans, set your pricing, develop your offer, work on sales and much more.

Plus a great coach-mentor will also look at you as a person. Your values, motivation, confidence, mindset and neurodivergence all have an impact on the success of your business.

And challenges such as time blindness, ideas overwhelm, emotional sensitivity , hyper focus and inconsistent motivation can make it difficult to implement business strategies, make it harder to find clients, make a profit and achieve your goals..

A coach who is ADHD-informed understands these challenges and helps you build systems that actually work for your brain, rather than pushing generic organisation, productivity and motivational methods that may not stick.

Finding the right ADHD mentor and coach

If you're looking for support, consider:

• Experience with ADHD – Do they understand ADHD beyond surface-level productivity advice?

• Business knowledge – Can they provide practical strategies for running and growing a business?

• Personalised approach – Do they adapt their coaching and mentoring style to your specific needs?

• Rapport – How comfortable are to you talk to this person, potentially about things you don’t tend to talk about with others?

In my opinion, the most impactful solution will offer you a blended approach of coaching questions and techniques to encourage self-reflection and raise awareness along with ADHD and business guidance and advice, as necessary.

Free ADHD coaching options

If cost is a barrier, free ADHD coaching may be available through government support schemes. In the UK, Access to Work can provide funding for coaching and workplace adaptations.

Based on my clients’ experiences, the process involves an assessment, but the waiting list can be long - often over a year. However, if approved, you may receive workplace strategy coaching, virtual assistant support, and other accommodations to help you manage your business effectively.

ADHD coach and / or mentor?

Finding the right ADHD mentor and / or coach can make all the difference in how you function day to day, create a business that really suits who you are, and how you manage your business. Whether you need one-to-one coaching, mentoring or a mix of both, working with someone who understands ADHD can help you build a business that works for you, without the constant battle against your own brain.

Discover more about ADHD coaching and mentoring here.