From Gut Feeling to a Clearer Plan: Tim’s Business Coaching Story

After 12 years in business, Tim Mercanti, owner of Mercanti Granite and Quartz, had plenty of experience making decisions.

But experience did not always make those decisions easier.

Like many business owners, Tim was used to trusting his instincts, taking opportunities as they came, and making choices based on what felt right in the moment. That approach had helped him build his business, but over time, he wanted more clarity around where the business was going and how to make decisions with greater confidence.

When Tim began working with Jon through Advantage Bookkeeping & Business Consulting, he had never worked with a business coach before.

“I wasn’t sure when I started,” Tim says. “I never had a business coach before.”

What stood out to him was how personalized the process felt.

“It felt super personalized for my exact situation.”

Rather than following a one-size-fits-all approach, the coaching focused on Tim’s business, his goals, and the decisions he was trying to make. That included looking at long-term goals, business optimization, financial forecasting, and projections.

Getting Clear on What He Actually Wanted

One of the biggest shifts for Tim was stepping away from reacting to whatever came next and taking time to define what he actually wanted from the business.

“Jon’s kind of helped me identify what I actually want, and then how I plan to get there.”

That clarity gave Tim a stronger foundation for making decisions.

Before coaching, he describes his approach as much more instinct-driven.

“I was just buying things and taking chances, and it was all by my gut.”

There is nothing wrong with intuition. In fact, business owners often develop strong instincts through years of experience.

But Tim wanted more than instinct alone.

“Now I have a gut feeling, but then I have to back it up with something else.”

That change helped him feel more confident and more in control.

“It feels a lot safer because I feel like I have more control now.”

A New Plan After 12 Years in Business

Running a business for more than a decade can create a different kind of challenge.

The question is no longer simply, “How do I keep going?”

It becomes, “Where am I actually going from here?”

For Tim, coaching created an opportunity to reset and build a new plan around the direction he wanted the business to take.

“Being 12 years in business, you kind of have to know what your direction is, and he’s helped me with that.”

That direction did not come only from setting goals. It also came from learning how to use the financial side of the business more effectively.

Understanding the Numbers Behind the Business

One of the most important parts of Tim’s coaching experience was becoming more comfortable with financial information.

He says he now understands balance sheets and cash-flow projections, and he is able to work with those tools himself.

“I do understand balance sheets. I do understand the cash flow projections. And I’m doing it myself.”

That is a significant shift.

The goal of coaching was not simply to hand Tim answers. It was to give him tools he could continue using in his own business.

Now, every month, he compares what he expected to happen with what actually happened.

“Every month, I go through what I thought would happen and what did happen and why.”

From there, he uses that information to adjust his plan for the months ahead.

“And then I make a plan for the rest of the year as well.”

For Tim, that regular review has become one of the most valuable parts of the process.

“That’s been huge. That’s like the number one thing he’s helped me with for sure.”

Better Decisions Start With Better Information

Tim’s story is a strong reminder that being busy and being experienced do not automatically make every business decision clear.

Sometimes, what business owners need is a chance to step outside the day-to-day pressure, look at the numbers, and talk through what those numbers mean for the future.

That does not replace experience or instinct.

It strengthens them.

Instead of relying on a gut feeling alone, Tim now has information, projections, and a clearer plan to support the choices he makes.

And that is exactly where financial clarity and business coaching can work together.

Your numbers can help you understand what is happening in your business.

Coaching can help you decide what to do next.

The Value of a Separate Set of Eyes

For business owners who have never worked with a coach before, Tim’s advice is simple.

“It’s definitely worth a try.”

He also points to the value of having someone outside the business look at a challenge from a different perspective.

“It doesn’t hurt to have a separate set of eyes, especially someone with lots of experience to give you some tips and give you some tools.”

For Tim, those tools helped him move from reacting to planning, from relying only on instinct to backing decisions with information, and from uncertainty about the future to having a clearer direction.

What Could Greater Clarity Change in Your Business?

You do not have to wait until year-end to ask where your business is headed.

If you are trying to improve performance, make an important decision, plan for growth, or simply get clearer about what you want from your business, a fresh perspective can help.

Advantage Bookkeeping & Business Consulting helps business owners better understand their numbers, clarify their goals, and build practical plans around what comes next.

Book a consultation and start building a clearer path forward.