8 Main Steps To Start Business Coaching

Business Coaching is a process through which the coach guides individuals and teams within the organization toward the achievement of common business objectives. It is aimed at increasing a business’s performance. 

So, if you want to learn more about business coaching,keep reading. Throughout this article, we will review everything related to business coaching, starting from benefits and ending with a step-by-step guide on how to start a coaching business. 

Benefits of business coaching

First of all, let’s review the main benefits of business coaching. We will look through the benefits gained by organizations, individuals, leadership books, and business coaches. 

Obvious benefits for business coaches include the following:

• High demand in today’s fast-growing entrepreneurial market 
• Good prices from which you can profit and make full-time income easily 
• Easy to scale if you offer value 

Individuals and organizations will gain benefits such as

• Personalized support for employees and teams that allows individuals to achieve professional goals easier and in a more efficient way 
• Increases motivation and contributes to constant skill development 
• Improves productivity and overall performance of employees that contribute to effective business processes and better results in terms of satisfaction, ROI, and profits 
• Increased employee retention 
• Keeps everyone at the organization up-to-date with the latest trends 
• Provides professional guidance from an expert 

The market of business coaching

Let’s check the overall market overview. 

Market demand

The market demand for business coaching is pretty good. If we take a look at keywords from Google Trends, we can see that monthly searches for phrases, including business coaching, vary from 1k to 100k. 

Organizations search for online business coaches to level up the business, employees, and processes, which will lead to better ROI. So, if you are an expert business coach, take the opportunity of the growing market demand, and jump into it now.

Competition

Let’s also quickly overview the competition in the market. The data below showcases that competition to rank for keywords such as “business coaching,” “business coaching program,” and “online business coaching” is medium. 

The medium competition will allow you to rank easier; however, it still showcases the demand. Also, it is worth mentioning that ad costs are in an affordable range as well. 

If you create proper marketing and SEO strategies with an appropriate budget, you can rank your business coaching program, generate leads and turn them into real-time customers.   
 

Business coaching challenges

There are certain challenges that you will face as a business coach. Being aware of those challenges is the first step toward avoiding panic and instead finding solutions.

So, let’s review the main business coaching challenges. 

• Resistance to change. You will be working with established professionals, whether that be a founder or an employee. This means you may face some resistance toward change. However, as a coach, your goal is to communicate effectively and help people to get into a “growth mindset.”
• Measuring success. It can be hard to measure the success of a business coaching program. However, it is still possible. We will review how to measure it later on in this article (FAQ section). 
• Limited time and expectation of immediate results. Keep in mind that as a coach, you aim for long-term behavioral change, so if an organization demands a change in one week, that simply is not possible. Choose your clients wisely. 

Can business coaching be online?

Yes, business coaching can indeed be online. Nowadays, online business coaching is more convenient due to its flexibility. 

Main responsibilities

Here are the main responsibilities of business coaches. 

• Establishing effective business goals and guidance toward achieving those
• Giving participants feedback that allows them to grow 
• Motivating clients 
• Developing plans and strategies to achieve objectives 
• Keep track of employee progress 

8 steps to start an online business coaching

Well, let’s dive into the practical part of this article. Here are the main steps you must take if you want to start an online business coaching. 

Step 1 - Establish a Program Goal 

What is the goal of your program? Why would you even create it? Establish objectives for yourself, for clients who may want to purchase your services, and for organizations (as some of your collaborations are going to be B2B). 

Having a clear goal will allow you to do on-point market research and create a working marketing strategy. 

Step 2 - Do Market Research 

You must complete proper market research. This will help you to identify the following:

• Your target audience 
• Segments of your target market 
• Demand & Supply situation in the current market 
• Competitors pricing strategies
• Competitor promotion & sales strategies 

All of the above data will allow you to come up with a USP (unique selling proposition) to stand out from the rest. Also, through proper analysis, you can learn from competitors’ mistakes and come up with more efficient strategies. 

However, most importantly, you will be able to understand who you are trying to sell your product to, why they would need it, what are the pain points of your audience and what solutions you can provide. 

Step 3 - Create a Marketing Strategy 

With a goal in mind and data grabbed from market research, you must create a marketing strategy. 

A good marketing strategy will help you to:

• Increase visibility & brand awareness 
• Establish trust & authority in the market 
• Reach target audience 
• Generate leads and make sales. 

Make sure that you incorporate best practices for organic and paid marketing to drive results. For instance, an organic marketing strategy is to have a well-SEO-optimized blog where you publish educational (valuable) content on a regular basis. 

A paid tactic would be a google ad for the landing page of your website. Also, you can turn on social media ads. 

Step 4 - Create an Outline 

Create a Program Outline. As a coaching program, it must remain flexible because you will be working with organizations in a variety of industries.

However, to be able to market your program and position yourself as a credible coach, you must be well aware of the essential stages, assessments, and activities your program must incorporate. 

Step 5 - Choose a Platform 

Finally, it is time to choose an online platform. 

There are multiple LMS platforms available. Essentially, these platforms allow you to publish courses, coaching programs, and training programs, selling them online. It is vital to choose a proper eLearning platform to provide the best experiences for users. 

Good software must offer:

• Intuitive user interface 
• Fast loading speed
• Lots of customization options 
• Feature-rich 

A software that offers all of the above-mentioned qualities plus:

• Website & Course Builder 
• Live functionality 
• Integrations 
• Payment & marketing features 

Plus, it comes in handy at an affordable price is Uteach. 

Step 6 - Build a Website & Start Sales

Are you clear on the platform? Good for you. Now it is actually time to build a powerful website that will attract visitors and help you to make sales. 

Needed skills for business coaching

Business coaches must have certain skills. 

Hard Skills

Here are the must-have Hard Skills. 

• Staying Up-to-date 
• Industry-specific knowledge
• Expertise in business 
• Financial analysis
• Strategic planning
• Analytics
• Time management 

Soft Skills

Also, as a business coach, you must have these soft skills: 

• Effective and clear oral & written communication skills
• Self-awareness 
• High emotional intelligence 
• Active listening skills 

FAQ about business coaching

Throughout this section of the article, we will answer the most common questions that beginner business coaches have. 

Can I start business coaching with minimum investments?

Yes, you can start a business coaching with minimum investments. If you choose to start your coaching business online instead of traditional setting, then key areas of investment will be:

• Microphone 
• Coaching platform 
• Marketing budget 

Do I need certification for creating business coaching?

Technically you do not need a certification to start a business coaching business. However, you must be an expert in the industry to provide value and be truly helpful to organizations and teams. 

Yet, you might want to consider getting certification. First of all, it builds up your skills as a coach, and before becoming a certified specialist, you learn lots of new techniques and methodologies that drive clients’ success. 

Besides, if you are a first-time coach, let’s say it is better to have a certification and display it on your website. It will greatly increase the trust factor toward you as a specialist. 

How much does it cost to create business coaching?

To create a business coaching program and start sales, you need:

• Platform ($39 to $250/mo)
• Microphone ($30) 
• Online tools (e.g., Canva & Collaborative learning software $20 - $50/mo)
• Marketing budget 

Monthly recurring costs will be from $60 to $300. Variable costs (e.g., marketing budget in the beginning around $100. And a one-time investment (microphone $30). So to get started during the first month, you will need anywhere near $200 to $450. 

How much can I earn by selling business coaching?

Income will vary. On average, business coaches charge from $150 up to $500 per hour. If it is a wholesome program, you can price it from $500 to $1000 per individual. For a whole team, the price can e around $1500 to $5000.

If you price a program at $1500 and make the first three sales during the first month, you will earn $4500. 

Top business coaches in the industry earn, on average, $12,000/mo. 

How to measure business coaching effectiveness?

Here are the main ways you can measure business coaching effectiveness:

• Analyze long and short-term results and performance improvements of individuals and whole teams. 
• Compare business results and track changes in numbers such as net profit increase, ROI rate, employee satisfaction rate, etc.
• Ask for direct feedback from the coachees. 
• Provide 360-degree feedback 

How long does it take to create business coaching?

The creation process will take around a month. You can follow the steps mentioned in this article's practical part. Dedicate a specific amount of time to complete each step/stage mentioned, and you will be ready to start sales.

Monetize Your Skills Online

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As a result, you will be able to dedicate MORE time to creating & selling whatever you want: courses, products, coaching, training, and webinars. Triple your income with bundles and memberships. 

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Many online learners are waiting for you to light their way. So, stop hesitating and start right away!