How to Start a Coaching Business
If you want to learn how to start a coaching business the first thing you need to do is ask yourself WHY you want to start a coaching business.
It’s not a business you just go into without good reasons and good experience!
Here are some questions to ask when considering starting a coaching business:
Why do you want to start a coaching business?
If someone just told you that you can make a lot of money coaching – that’s the wrong reason.
If you think you can start a coaching business with little to no experience – that’s wrong and also the wrong reason.
Well you COULD start a coaching business with no experience but that wouldn’t be providing a quality service and many would not consider it ethical (myself included).
If you truly want to help others and really enjoy working one on one with clients you’re more likely to be on the right track with this decision.
Questions to Ask Yourself When Starting a Coaching Business:
- Have you developed the skills in the area you want to coach?
- Have you proven that your methods work, on yourself and others?
- How will you coach your clients? On the phone? Via Voxer? Via Email? On webinars? Other?
- Are you patient?
- Can you explain clearly your concepts, frameworks and strategies to your clients?
- How long are you willing to support your coaching clients for? Will you offer long-term coaching or short sprints?
- Would your help be better as a one-on-one offer or as a group coaching offer?
How to Start a Coaching Business for Introverts
Traditional coaching format includes some kind of live call where the coach and client get together and discuss goals or work out strategy/steps, etc.
For introverts who would also like to be coaches this is an issue.
You don’t want to book your calendar up with calls!
I hear you. This is the same issue I had and instead of fitting into the norm I just decided to create my own.
My high ticket coaching offer became call-free. People told me that wouldn’t work and it wouldn’t be seen as high value if there wasn’t the “live” component but that’s just not true.
When I do my “coaching without calls” I include many high-value elements. One such is the ability to email an unlimited amount of times. This allows my clients to get help when they need it and move forward fast. This adds MORE value, not less!
Checklist for Starting a Coaching Business
You can find this full checklist in PDF form and with more details in this blog post: coaching business checklist PDF
- Confirm you have real value, experience, and results to teach
- Develop core coaching qualities: listening, communication, resourcefulness, empathy, motivation
- Register your business and obtain necessary licenses/permits
- Decide on your coaching business model (calls, no-calls, group, hybrid, etc.)
- Set up your coaching website and email list
- Create a sales page for your coaching offer
- Design your client intake process (welcome, questionnaire, onboarding system)
- Prepare systems for client communication and resource sharing
- Start selling your coaching offer (ongoing process, not one-time)
- Market your coaching business through authentic outreach and connections
- Build and nurture a community of people who know, like, and trust you
- Avoid high-pressure tactics (e.g., discovery calls if they don’t fit your model)
- Continue improving your skills and refining your coaching approach over time
Do You Need a Coaching Certification to Start a Coaching Business?
No, you do not need certification.
The business coaching industry is highly unregulated. This is why you’ll find coaches in all kinds of price ranges and marketing and ethics.
It’s the wild west out there, still!
Be careful in looking for a coach yourself and be aware that you can start without certification.
You’re starting a business like any other that you can do without prerequisite or credentials.
If you DO decide to get a coaching certification beware! There are many people who just throw up a course and a certification. It doesn’t MEAN anything, other than they have a business with a course and they give you a certificate. It definitely doesn’t guarantee quality and qualifications.
So you want to take a step back and think about what you really need and how it will help you create the coaching business of your dreams.
A business that helps your coaching clients achieve great success!
No Shortcut to Starting a Coaching Business
Like every other business there is a whole series of activities you and/or your team will need to work through to get this business up and running.
I’ve always said it’s great to “earn while you learn” and if you want to get started quickly then I would put up a simple offer, have a simple onboarding process and find yourself your first clients.
Build your feedback, your referrals, your systems and grow from there.
I hope this has helped you be confident in your abilities to start and grow your own coaching business.
Wishing you all the best!
