Starting a coaching business doesn’t have to be challenging and overwhelming. Follow these tips for starting a coaching business that will attract your soulmate clients and not have to backtrack to get things right.
If you want to start a coaching business and turn your idea into a revenue stream, follow these tips.
About Lindsay Maloney
Lindsay Maloney is a down-to-earth, no-fluff business coach who has a genuine approach to setting up and scaling a successful coaching business that stands out from all the rest. She doesn’t believe that you have to do what everyone else does in order to be successful. Lindsay is passionate about keeping things simple.
The mindset to have when you want to start a coaching business
Robyn is a firm believer that God doesn’t let things happen to us, he allows them to happen for us so that we can turn around and help others. For both Lindsay and Robyn, this fact has been influential in their coaching businesses. Now teaching others everything they’ve learned along their journeys so that others can have success faster and easier. Robyn suggested that if you are struggling to discover what your niche is and who you can help, look at your journey and see how and who you can help by sharing your experiences with those who are coming along behind you.
The planners Lindsay uses to keep herself organized and productive
She has one that she made herself, she has The Commit 30 Planner, and she uses Asana as a digital tool, the Bando Planner, and Lara Casey’s Power Sheets.
Robyn emphasized how valuable this list is because one of the things that are key when starting out is being organized so that you can navigate from point A to point Z.
You have an idea, now what?
As a coach, you must recognize and embrace your journey and experiences to connect with your soulmate coaching clients
One of the biggest mistakes people make coming into the industry is that they want to help everyone do everything. But you are not Wal-Mart and you cannot do everything for anyone. We are a tool in a toolbox, and a hammer can’t do everything a wrench can do, etc. It is important to embrace what kind of tool you are and recognize how much of your journey you can take and consider it to then help others.
Your journey and experiences are key to how and who you can help. It may seem boring to you, but it isn’t to others and it’s important.
Embrace who you are and the experiences you have had that have led to the expertise you can now use to serve others.
Knowing this helps you say or write the right words to connect with anyone listening to or watching you. The key is to be genuine online so that people will trust you. It is difficult to connect with and build trust with others online so it is important to be genuine to connect with your soulmate clients. Share your story and let people know who you are, even those pieces you think are boring about you.
Robyn emphasized that your story is what is going to connect you to other people. Your journey and your values will connect you with others. It is very important to be aligned with your values, visions, and purpose, and all the things that have led you to where you are today so that you can connect with the people that are a good fit for you and your services.
Dial into one thing that you want to focus on to serve your clients as you start a coaching business
Lindsay used the example of her coaching business. She works with women who are just beginning. They don’t have an email list or website, they just have an idea.
This is where she comes in and teaches. Dial in on who the person is that you want to work with. This doesn’t mean you will limit opportunities.
List building when you start a coaching business
How will you bring people to your list? Robyn emphasized that we often don’t know what they don’t know. Email marketing is an example of this. It is important to be strategic with building your list. If you have a blog, what calls to action do you have? It is great to work with someone to help you identify all of the things that you need to be able to connect with your audience.
Choose one platform for communicating with your audience. Is it a blog post, a podcast, etc? Choose a content medium and then a point to share. Know why people should listen to you. Make it clear for your audience so that they understand what you do for them, the problem you solve for them, and how you can solve it.
You also need to know how you will be paid for the services you provide. And once people join your list, how will you take care of them and nurture them, and know that it was a good idea for them to sign up to follow you?
Robyn emphasized the importance of having a website versus starting your business as a Facebook page. If you have a website, you can have a blog and the blog can become your primary source of content creation to then repurpose on other platforms, social media, email marketing, etc. She also emphasized the importance of SEO for people being able to find you. It is important to have search engine optimization for people to find you or you will be wasting your time blogging and creating a website.
Tech and tools necessary to start a coaching business
It is very important to know which tools are best for you. Lindsay and Robyn agreed that Click Funnels was not a fit for either of them. And you do not need to invest in shiny bells and whistles to start your coaching business. You have to use tools that feel right to you, not what other people are promoting because they are an affiliate. The tools you use need to serve you and your clients. Consider pricing, services, customer service, logistics, etc. Be sure you don’t have paralysis when making a decision. You need the basics, a website, an email provider, and a content medium such as Instagram. Master a platform and set up a system and get ahead of it instead of trying to do all of the things at one time.
The question about having a Facebook group is always popular. If you are asking if you should have a Facebook group, that means that you probably want to, so do it. It won’t grow to thousands of followers overnight, but there are some clever ways to grow your group in a genuine way. Everything will come into place once clients come and when you are patient.
Robyn emphasized that numbers don’t mean anything if people aren’t connecting with you. You want genuine, truly interested people following you and engaging with you, not just large numbers of followers. Robyn recommends using your website as the tool for being discovered. Drive traffic to your website.
Don’t disregard small numbers, show up for who is there. Take care of and be grateful for the people in your world already.
Organic Marketing is key when you start a coaching business
Lindsay recommends Pinterest as an organic marketing tool. If you don’t have organic marketing in place, your business is not going to grow. Pinterest feeds your email service provider and you don’t have to rely on Instagram, which is not reliable.
Learn more about Pinterest here.
Create your coaching package before you start a coaching business
What is your goal, and what price do you want to charge?
Lindsay believes in having 3 coaching packages. Every time you increase your prices, you will get more clients.
Lindsay’s lowest-priced package is the least sold. People always choose the middle or highest ticket item. She also recommends having prices on your website.
Is becoming a coach right for you?
Do people need to have a certification before they start a coaching business?
Lindsay believes you do not need a certification to be a business coach. As long as you are learning from others, mentors or coaches, you don’t need a certification. This is where your journey and experiences come into play. But don’t let certification hold you back from starting your coaching business.
Learn more about Lindsay and connect with her:
If you want to start a coaching business you need a personal brand to differentiate yourself from all others in your area of expertise. Download Robyn’s free eBook on her Purpose to Results™ Method to learn how to build a personal brand and a strong foundation for the long-term brand and business success you are dreaming of.
