Top 5 Business Coaches in Australia for Business Growth (2026)
By Caroline Kennedy | Published October 15, 2026
A business can be growing and still be heading towards a serious problem.
Revenue might be increasing, new clients are coming in, and the team is getting bigger. Yet the owner is working longer hours, profitability isn't improving at the same rate, and almost every important decision still lands on their desk.
I've seen how challenging this stage of business can be.
Having led businesses generating up to $250 million in annual revenue, and now working with established founders and CEOs, I know that growth creates a new set of leadership and operational demands.
The strategies that helped a business reach its first million dollars aren't necessarily the ones that will take it to ten million.
And the experience of the person advising you matters.
Some business coaches specialise in sales and marketing. Others focus on financial performance, business systems, leadership development or helping founders step away from daily operations.
The right choice depends on where your business is today, what's preventing it from progressing and the type of support you need.
This guide looks at five business coaches in Australia in 2026, each bringing a different approach to business growth.
A note on selection: I'm included in this guide because business coaching and strategic advisory are part of my work. The coaches aren't ranked from best to worst. I've compared their publicly available experience, services and areas of expertise to help business owners make a more informed choice.
Who Are the Top 5 Business Coaches in Australia in 2026?
The following business coaches offer different approaches to improving business performance, scaling operations and developing business owners.
| Caroline Kennedy | Business growth, commercial strategy, leadership and execution | Established founders and CEOs seeking personalised strategic support |
| Anna Samios | Scaling Up methodology, cash flow and organisational systems | Businesses requiring structured growth and stronger management processes |
| Jack Delosa | Entrepreneurial scaling, marketing, sales and founder development | Ambitious founders seeking structured coaching and peer learning |
| Evan Goodman | SME mentoring, business strategy and succession | Small and medium-sized business owners seeking experienced one-to-one guidance |
| Tristan Wright | Business systems, operational efficiency and owner independence | Service-based business owners who remain heavily involved in daily operations |
Each offers a different perspective. What matters is how closely that experience matches the challenges facing your business.
How Were These Business Coaches Selected?
Business coaching is a broad industry.
An impressive profile or a long list of testimonials doesn't necessarily tell you whether someone can help solve the problem your business is facing.
For this guide, I considered six factors.
- Relevant business experience
Has the coach built, managed, scaled or advised businesses facing challenges similar to yours?
Direct business experience is particularly valuable when the work involves commercial decisions, financial performance, employees and organisational growth.
- A clearly defined area of expertise
Some coaches provide general business guidance, while others specialise in particular industries, business stages or growth challenges.
The objective is to identify where each coach is best positioned to add value.
- Evidence of established work
Professional experience, published methodologies, client examples, testimonials and case studies can all help assess credibility.
Results should still be examined carefully. Business performance is influenced by many factors, and a successful client outcome doesn't automatically establish what the coach contributed.
- Commercial and operational understanding
Growing a business involves more than increasing sales.
Profitability, cash flow, delivery capability, leadership structure, accountability and customer experience all influence sustainable growth.
- A clear coaching or advisory approach
Business owners should understand whether they're engaging a traditional coach, experienced mentor, strategic advisor or structured coaching program.
The level of direct advice and implementation support can vary considerably.
- Relevance to Australian businesses
Each person in this guide operates in the Australian business coaching market and offers services relevant to Australian founders and business owners.
The Top 5 Business Coaches in Australia for Business Growth
1. Caroline Kennedy
Business Growth, Strategic Advisory and Leadership Execution
Caroline Kennedy is an award-winning business coach, former CEO, executive advisor and business mentor who works with established Australian founders, CEOs and business owners.
Before becoming a business coach, Caroline led organisations generating up to $250 million in annual revenue.
Her executive experience includes navigating significant commercial pressure, leading organisational change and growing a business from $38 million to $55 million in 18 months during the Global Financial Crisis.
That background shapes her coaching approach.
Caroline works with business owners who have already established a successful operation but recognise that further growth requires different thinking, stronger leadership and more effective execution.
Her work combines commercial strategy, business mentoring, executive coaching and behavioural insight. This allows her to examine not only the business's strategy, financial performance and organisational structure, but also the leadership behaviours affecting its results.
A common challenge in established businesses is that the founder has become central to too many decisions. They may have a capable team, but accountability is unclear. Sales may be growing, but execution is inconsistent. The business may have ambitious plans without the leadership capacity or systems required to deliver them.
Caroline helps owners identify these constraints, strengthen their leadership teams, improve strategic decisions and build businesses capable of sustainable growth. Her approach also involves direct commercial advice where appropriate, rather than relying exclusively on reflective coaching conversations.
Best suited to: Established founders, CEOs and business owners seeking personalised support with business growth, leadership effectiveness, strategy and commercial execution.
Particularly relevant for:
- Businesses experiencing growth plateaus
- Owners seeking to scale beyond their personal capacity
- Strengthening leadership teams and accountability
- Strategic planning and execution
- Improving commercial decision-making
- Organisational change and business transformation
- Businesses seeking an experienced CEO mentor and strategic advisor
May be less suited to: Very early-stage entrepreneurs seeking foundational guidance on starting a business, or business owners looking exclusively for tactical marketing or social media coaching.
Learn more about business coaching with Caroline Kennedy.
2. Anna Samios
Scaling Up Systems, Cash Flow and Business Performance
Anna Samios is an Australian business coach and founder of Performance 7, specialising in helping growing businesses establish the structure required to scale sustainably.
She is a certified Scaling Up coach and the author of Kickass Cashflow.
Anna's experience includes founding and operating an accounting business and working with Australian businesses on growth strategy, financial performance and leadership alignment.
Her coaching approach centres on the Scaling Up methodology, which provides structured tools for strengthening strategy, people, execution and cash flow. Anna's work focuses on helping businesses establish clearer priorities, strengthen management accountability and create more consistent operating systems.
Best suited to: Established small and medium-sized businesses seeking a structured methodology for managing growth and improving operational performance.
Particularly relevant for:
- Scaling established businesses
- Cash-flow management
- Strategic planning
- Leadership-team alignment
- Management accountability
- Building repeatable business systems
- Improving execution discipline
May be less suited to: Entrepreneurs seeking primarily early-stage startup guidance or highly specialised individual leadership coaching without a broader business-systems focus.
3. Jack Delosa
Entrepreneurial Growth, Sales Systems and Scaling Beyond the Founder
Jack Delosa is an Australian entrepreneur, investor, author and founder of The Entourage, a business growth and coaching organisation supporting entrepreneurs.
His work focuses on helping founders scale their businesses through stronger marketing, sales, operations, leadership and financial systems. Through The Entourage's Elevate program, eligible established business owners can access coaching involving Jack, specialist coaches, structured business development and a community of other entrepreneurs.
Jack's approach is particularly relevant to founders who have successfully established a market for their products or services but are struggling to grow beyond their existing operating model.
Best suited to: Ambitious entrepreneurs and owners of established businesses who want structured programs, coaching and access to a wider entrepreneurial community.
Particularly relevant for:
- Growing seven- and eight-figure businesses
- Marketing and sales systems
- Entrepreneurial leadership
- Business process development
- Operational scalability
- Peer learning and accountability
- Reducing founder dependency
May be less suited to: Business owners seeking an exclusively private, highly bespoke advisory relationship rather than a coaching model that incorporates structured programs, specialist teams and peer interaction.
4. Evan Goodman
SME Business Mentoring, Strategy and Succession Planning
Evan Goodman is a Sydney-based business coach and mentor who works with small and medium-sized business owners. His professional background includes more than 30 years of entrepreneurial experience, during which he established, developed and sold several businesses.
He also holds a Master of Business Coaching from the University of Wollongong.
Evan's coaching draws on his experience navigating the challenges of business ownership, including managing staff, developing strategies, maintaining cash flow and planning for growth. He also works with family businesses, where leadership, succession and ownership responsibilities can create additional complexity.
Best suited to: SME owners, entrepreneurs and family-business leaders who want experienced, individualised business mentoring and guidance.
Particularly relevant for:
- SME business strategy
- Owner decision-making
- Financial and operational challenges
- Family-business management
- Succession planning
- Business exits and transitions
- Developing stronger management practices
May be less suited to: Founders primarily seeking a large-scale group coaching community, or organisations requiring an extensive corporate transformation program.
5. Tristan Wright
Business Systems, Operational Efficiency and Founder Independence
Tristan Wright is an Australian business coach and founder of Evolve to Grow, a coaching business focused on helping service-based business owners improve their operations and reduce their dependence on day-to-day involvement.
Before establishing his coaching practice, Tristan built and exited his own business.
His experience influenced his focus on helping entrepreneurs create more sustainable businesses through better systems, leadership and management practices.
Evolve to Grow offers private coaching and group-based business development programs. Tristan's approach is particularly relevant to businesses where the owner remains heavily involved in client delivery, decisions and operational management.
Best suited to: Owners of established service-based businesses who want to improve profitability, develop stronger operating systems and reduce their personal workload.
Particularly relevant for:
- Service-based business growth
- Improving operational processes
- Delegation
- Owner independence
- Business systems and automation
- Strengthening management capability
- Reducing the owner’s workload
May be less suited to: Large corporate organisations seeking enterprise-wide transformation or specialised board-level strategic advisory.
Business Coach vs Executive Coach: Which Do You Need?
Business coaching and executive coaching often overlap, but the purpose of the engagement can be different. A business coach generally focuses on the performance and development of the business. That may include growth strategy, profitability, cash flow, business systems, organisational structure, sales, operations and accountability.
An executive coach focuses more directly on the individual leader. The work may involve decision-making, self-awareness, leadership behaviour, executive presence, relationships and the ability to lead other people effectively.
For established business owners, these two areas are often closely connected. A business might have the right growth strategy but struggle to execute it because the owner won't delegate important decisions.
Alternatively, the owner may be a strong leader but lack the commercial systems required to support expansion. Understanding which problem needs attention will help determine the most appropriate coaching relationship.
For more detail, read What Is a Business Coach? or compare the leading CEO coaches and advisors in Australia.
How Do You Choose the Right Business Coach in Australia?
A good business coach should be able to explain how their experience and approach relate to the challenges your business is facing.
Before engaging someone, I would consider five questions.
- What is actually preventing your business from growing?
Start with the business constraint.
Is there insufficient demand? Poor profitability? Weak operational processes? An underperforming leadership team? Or has the business reached the limit of what its owner can personally manage?
Different constraints require different capabilities. A coach specialising in customer acquisition may not be the best person to address a breakdown in operational accountability.
- Has the coach worked with businesses like yours?
A successful startup and a well-established $10 million company face different challenges. Look beyond broad claims about helping businesses grow. Ask about the types of organisations the coach has worked with, the scale of those businesses and the commercial situations they understand.
- What happens between coaching sessions?
Business improvement requires implementation. Clarify whether the engagement includes practical action planning, progress reviews, accountability, leadership-team involvement or support between sessions. A valuable conversation should translate into better business decisions and action.
- How will you measure progress?
Start with a small number of meaningful business outcomes.
Depending on your circumstances, that might include:
- Revenue and gross profit
- Cash flow and working capital
- Customer retention
- Employee productivity
- Management accountability
- Faster strategic execution
- Fewer operational decisions requiring the owner
- Improved leadership-team performance
Not every improvement can be attributed directly to coaching, but the engagement should still be connected to identifiable business priorities.
- Will the coach challenge your thinking?
Business owners don't necessarily need another person agreeing with their ideas. They need someone capable of identifying weaknesses, questioning assumptions and offering a different perspective. The relationship should be constructive and supportive, but it must also be commercially useful.
How Much Does Business Coaching Cost in Australia?
The cost of business coaching in Australia varies according to the coach's experience, the complexity of the business and the services provided.
As an indicative market reference, Bark's 2026 Australian business coaching price guide reports an average of approximately $230 per hour for individual business coaching, excluding GST. It also indicates that ongoing one-to-one monthly packages can start around $2,800, with more experienced providers charging higher fees.
These are general market indicators, not verified prices for the coaches in this guide. Business coaching may be offered through individual sessions, monthly retainers, structured programs, group coaching or broader strategic advisory arrangements.
When comparing fees, consider:
- The experience and expertise of the coach
- Frequency and duration of sessions
- Access between meetings
- Whether business reviews or assessments are included
- Involvement with the management team
- Practical implementation and accountability support
- The expected duration of the engagement
The more useful question is what needs to improve in your business to justify the investment. For example, better margins, stronger accountability or reduced founder dependency may create value that continues long after the coaching engagement.
Which Business Coach Is Right for Your Business?
The best choice depends on your business's stage, challenges and preferred approach to coaching.
For strategic business growth and executive-level commercial advice: Caroline Kennedy brings direct CEO experience and combines business strategy, leadership development and execution.
For structured scaling and financial discipline: Anna Samios offers a Scaling Up approach focused on people, strategy, execution and cash flow.
For entrepreneurial growth and structured coaching programs: Jack Delosa and The Entourage provide a combination of specialist coaching, business systems and peer support.
For personalised SME mentoring and succession: Evan Goodman brings business ownership experience and a tailored approach to smaller and family-owned businesses.
For improving operations in service businesses: Tristan Wright focuses on reducing owner dependency and building systems that support sustainable growth.
These aren't exclusive categories. Each coach may work across several areas, but understanding their primary focus gives business owners a useful starting point.
Final Thoughts
Business coaching should create value beyond the coaching conversation. For an established business, that might mean making stronger strategic decisions, improving profitability, developing a more capable management team or reducing the extent to which everything depends on the founder.
And growth alone isn't always the best measure of success. A business can increase its revenue while becoming more complicated, less profitable and more dependent on its owner. What matters is whether the business is becoming stronger as it grows.
The right coach should understand the commercial realities you face, recognise the constraints affecting performance and help you build the capability to keep progressing. A good outcome is a business that can make better decisions, execute more consistently and grow without relying on one person for everything.
About Caroline Kennedy
Caroline Kennedy is an award-winning Australian business coach, former CEO, executive mentor and strategic advisor.
With more than 25 years of business and leadership experience, including leading organisations generating up to $250 million in annual revenue, she works with established founders and CEOs to improve business performance, leadership capability and commercial execution.
Her approach combines practical business experience, strategic advisory and behavioural insight to help owners identify growth constraints and build stronger organisations.
If you're running an established business and want experienced, personalised support with your next stage of growth, explore business coaching with Caroline Kennedy.
Sources:
Performance 7. Anna Samios – CEO, Founder and Certified Scaling Up Coach.
https://performance7.global/team/anna-samios/
Scaling Up. Anna Samios – Certified Scaling Up Coach, Australia.
https://coaches.scalingup.com/coaches/anna-samios/
The Entourage. Elevate Business Coaching and Implementation Program.
https://www.the-entourage.com/elevate-g1
Evan Goodman. About Evan Goodman – Business Coach and Mentor.
https://www.evangoodman.com/about-me/
Evolve to Grow. Meet Tristan Wright – Founder and Business Coach.
https://www.evolvetogrow.com.au/meet-tristan/
Evolve to Grow. Business Coaching for Growth-Stage Businesses.
https://www.evolvetogrow.com.au/
Bark Australia (2026). How Much Does a Business or Career Coach Cost in Australia?
https://www.bark.com/en/au/business-growth-hub/business-career-coaching-cost/