Anyone with the desire and passion to help others can start their own online coaching business.

So, you’re thinking of starting an online coaching business. Good for you. And I mean it because I’ve been there and I get it. Now that I’ve been here for a while, I have a few things to share that can help you save precious time so you can start making money right away. Because while starting a business can be scary and stressful, it doesn’t have to be. And, it can be exciting, exhilarating, and make you a lot of money.

From marketing to prospecting to closing sales consistently, the key is to set yourself up for success. And in this post, I’m going to share what you can expect during the early stages and how to build a foundation for online business success and steady growth.

Are you ready? Great! Let’s dive in!

Your successful online business awaits

If you’re like the rest of us in this online coaching space, you’re likely to be super knowledgeable about something that can help people improve their lives. And perhaps you’ve already been spreading your magic and making an impact without the official title of “Coach.”
If that’s the case, I’m thrilled for you, and you’re in the right place. Because being an online coach means opening yourself up to more money, more freedom, and more fun while designing a business you love.

What you can expect as a new online coach

The online coaching industry is now worth an estimated $20 billion and is expected to continue to grow rapidly. That’s a lot of money. It reminds me of those old TV shows where a person was put in a booth and cash was swirling all around, and the only thing they had to do was reach out and grab it. The reward was to keep as much cash as they managed to grab. It’s like that, except here, you’re doing it through sales.

The research shows that more people are discovering and embracing the power of coaching. We’re all scouring the internet looking for solutions that will help us solve problems or elevate our life experience by achieving our big goals and dreams. A good coach can provide the perspective, guidance, and support for people to make the small and big changes that lead to transformational results. And you can be a part of that.

Now, anyone with the desire and passion to help others can start their own online coaching business. First, however, it’s important to research, become familiar with the coaching industry, what it takes to run an online business, and know how to coach people before getting started.

It’s also important to keep in mind that building any business takes time and some serious effort in the beginning. But if you are good at helping people solve a specific problem and achieve their goals in a specific area, and you want to build a business doing it, a successful coaching business can definitely be in your future, as long as you’re willing to roll up your sleeves and make it happen.

7 MUST-HAVES OF STARTING AN ONLINE COACHING BUSINESS 

There are a number of things you’ll need to consider before starting an online coaching business, such as choosing the right niche, building a website and creating helpful content, and setting up payment processing. And in order for your online coaching business to survive and thrive, it is crucial to market your business effectively and create a loyal following of potential clients.

While getting any business off the ground is challenging, the opportunity to create a lucrative online coaching business that generates year-round income, expands your online presence, and runs on autopilot is there for the taking.

No matter what type of online coaching business you decide to start, there are a few key things you will need to keep in mind.

1. EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE ABOUT YOUR COACHING TOPIC

Your clients will rely on you for advice, guidance, and support, so it’s important that you are able to provide them with quality information and the tools to help them achieve their goals.
You will also need to be able to build trust with your clients. This can be done by being transparent, authentic, and genuine in your interactions with them.

2. DEFINE YOUR NICHE

Choosing a niche when starting your online coaching business will help you tailor your marketing message to the specific needs of your audience and how your coaching services and offers can serve them.

The key to choosing your niche is to do work you love and are passionate about. A good niche is often the thing you’re known for or about what most people ask you. It’s a topic that you can talk about on command and can’t shut up about. For me, that’s all things coaching, online business, and mindset. Those three topics light a fire in my belly. What topics light a fire in yours?
It’s important to figure that out because the right niche will support you in staying motivated and on track.

Some popular online coaching niches include:

3. SHARE HELPFUL AND INFORMATIVE CONTENT CONSISTENTLY

One of the most important aspects of running a successful online coaching business is creating content that your target audience will find useful and that will compel them to take action. This can be in the form of blog posts, articles, video tutorials, eBooks, or even podcasts. By providing your audience with quality information, you’ll be able to build trust and credibility, which are essential for attracting and retaining clients.

Creating helpful and informative content that speaks to your ideal clients and lives on your website or blog will continue to attract and convert leads and help educate current customers about the services you offer long after that content is created and published. The key is to create content that serves your target audience consistently. This will go a long way in increasing the know-like-trust factor your prospects need to buy from you.

4. CREATE A LEAD MAGNET THAT CONVERTS

An email list is essential for any online business, and it’s especially important for online coaches. Your email list will be how you stay in touch with your clients and prospects, and it will be a key marketing tool for promoting your services. The most effective list is to create a lead magnet to help you attract new clients.

A lead magnet is a special offer or free download that you can offer potential clients in exchange for their contact information. This can be anything from a free guide, e-book or cheat sheet to a video tutorial or webinar.

The key to a lead magnet that converts is to keep it simple, especially in the beginning. You can start with a thoughtful and well-designed PDF resource that will encourage your target audience to become your email subscribers and give them a taste of what it’s like to work with you. Offer something that addresses the smallest problem you can help them solve, demonstrates your expertise, and organically leads your paid offers.

5. ESTABLISH A STRONG ONLINE PRESENCE

In order to get paying clients through your virtual door, you’ve got to start marketing right away. This includes having a user-friendly website, a social media presence, and a good SEO strategy. It isn’t necessary to have a state-of-the-art website and complicated sales funnels in the beginning — a simple landing page with an opt-in form, a welcome email sequence, and a good blog will be enough for you to start driving traffic to your website and collecting emails.

A Note on using social media to grow your business

While an engaged email list paves the way for a steady flow of coaching clients, it’s useful to social media as part of your digital marketing strategy. A content strategy designed for your own coaching business will help you grow your audience and build brand awareness for your online coaching business.

While you don’t need to be active on all social media platforms, it’s important to choose the ones that make the most sense for your business and where your target audience is most likely to be found. Whether it’s Facebook groups, Instagram, Pinterest, or LinkedIn, the key to establishing a strong social media presence is to post relevant content consistently. This will keep your audience engaged and strengthen your “Know Like and Trust” factor.

6. FOCUS ON SUSTAINABLE GROWTH

When starting an online coaching business, it’s important to remember that it takes a lot of hard work and dedication to make it a success. This is true regardless if you’re doing one on one coaching, a group coaching program, or digital courses.

You’ll need to be committed to providing valuable and helpful advice to your clients, and you’ll also need to be constantly learning and expanding your knowledge base. Of course, there will be times when things get tough, but if you’re dedicated to your business and serve your audience, you’ll be able to overcome any challenge that comes your way.

Here are the 3 biggest mistakes I see new coaches make when trying to succeed online (and you should know I’ve made all of them):

1.  Assume that starting their business should be easy, and if they don’t land their first client out the gate, they’re doing something wrong. It’s more likely that you’ll stumble your way to your first paying client, but when you do, you’ll prove to yourself you can do it, making it easier to attract more prospective clients.

2.  Wing it. Very few people are lucky in business. Most successful coaches make their own luck by methodically studying, researching, and testing strategies until they find a system that works in their business. Avoiding constant struggle while establishing a coaching business online requires a strategy to showcase your coaching niche so you can attract clients and start coaching. There is no coaching business without coaching clients. Period. To achieve success, it’s crucial to develop a sustainable content marketing strategy that yields results and then implement that strategy religiously and make necessary tweaks along the way.

3.  Give up too soon. Having a successful business is available to anyone with the capacity to learn how to do it. I mean, you have high school dropouts and people who used to live in cars running multi-million online empires. If you keep it simple by doing the basics and stick with it, you’ll build that solid foundation that leads to a profitable coaching program.

So, if you’re ready to start an online coaching business that can help people achieve their goals, remember to stay committed and focus on making progress! You can do it! The reality is that successful coaches know that finding the right business model, building the foundation, finding your niche, and establishing yourself as an authority takes time but the rewards are aplenty when you do.

7. INVEST IN YOURSELF

Investing in yourself is one of the most important things you can do when starting an online coaching business. This includes investing in your own education, personal development, and continued growth.

By investing in yourself, you’ll be able to broaden your knowledge, provide more value to your clients and attract higher-paying clients. Additionally, continued learning will help you stay ahead of the curve and be able to provide the most up-to-date information, and position you as an expert in your field.

Some ways to invest in yourself include:

When you can focus on the basics and consistently provide value to your clients, you’ll be well on your way to building a successful online coaching business.

A LOOK AHEAD

Starting your own online coaching business can be a very rewarding experience, but it’s not always easy. By following these simple tips, you can set the foundation that consists of the basics, continued learning, and staying focused on your goals.

If you want to learn more about how to build a sustainable 6-figure online business without burnout or overwhelm, sign up for our free training here.