Learn How to Start
a Home-Based Coaching Business.
Technology has improved many areas of professional and personal
life. One home business idea that technology has expanded
is coaching. No longer are you limited to having an office where you meet
people in person or a phone where you might miss subtle visual cues when
helping others. Video conferencing has made face-to-face coaching with clients
all over the world possible, which may be one of the reasons the coaching
profession has exploded the last few years.
If you have the ability to connect
with and help people, coaching might be a great home business option for you.
The Pros
of Coaching.
- Anyone
with people skills and the ability to help can become a coach. Although
it’s recommended you take some courses and get certified, the coaching
profession isn’t highly regulated yet, which means anyone can call
themselves a coach.
- It’s
affordable to start. Odds are you already have the equipment needed to
start; a computer. You can download Skype for free and buy a quality set
of headphones for under $50. You should also have a website, coaching
contract and perhaps homework materials, but again, those can be had for
less than $100.
- You
can feel good about helping people in the area you coach in.
- You
can do individual or group coaching. Especially for people who can’t
afford one-on-one time with you, group coaching allows them a way to work
with you and you to be able to help more people in less time.
- You
can offer add-on products or services to further assist your clients. Many
coaches have books and home study products.
The Cons
of Coaching.
- Although
not requires at this time, getting certified can increase your credibility
and marketability. Getting a coaching certification takes time and money.
- You
need great people skills and patience. Just because people come to you for
help, doesn’t mean they’ll do what you suggest. In fact, many people are
fearful and resistant to change, so you need to be able to support,
encourage and sometimes challenge your clients to make needed changes.
- You’ll
spend a lot of time on the phone or video conferencing. If you don’t mind
having many appointments a day, that won’t be a problem.
- You
need to be in top form whenever you’re with clients. You might feel bad,
have a personal issue or other difficulties in your life, but when you’re
with a client, you need to be “on” no matter what.
- It
can take awhile to build a solid, stable business.
How to
Start a Coaching Business from Home.
If you’re ready to give a coaching business a go, here are tips
to getting started.
- Decide
what type of coaching you’re going to do: Life and
business coaching are extremely popular, but they aren’t the only types of
coaching you can do. You can be a weight loss, fitness or health coach,
parenting or relationship coach, organizational or productivity coach,
technical coach, sales coach or a career coach.
- Consider
getting coaching training: Again, this is not required, but it can
help you be a better coach, provide you with helpful tools, and earn you
certification which can increase your credibility and marketability. It
goes without saying that you should have knowledge and skills in the area
you want to coach in. This can come from personal experience, but you
might want additional training. For example, a fitness coach could benefit
from having a fitness certification.
- Set
up your business: Decide your business structure, create
a business name and get a business license as required by your city
or county. Write a coaching
contractthat
outlines your services and expectations.
- Pull
together needed equipment and materials: If you’ll be
doing video conferencing, download the needed software and purchase a
quality headset. Some coaches record calls and give them to their clients
so they can review the session. If you want to do that, you’ll need to get
a recorder that will record your video/audio calls. If you plan to have
handouts or homework, put those together.
- Build
a website: Potential clients need a place to learn about your
coaching business and there’s no better place to sell your coaching and
related materials than on a
website. Write
content that
is client-focused on how you can help them improve their lives. If you
have testimonials, post them on your website.
- Create
a marketing plan: Figure out your best client and where you can
find him, then develop marketing strategies to lure them to your business.
For example, if you’re a career coach, you should develop
a LinkedIn profile. If you’re a personal training coach, you
might want to have videos on YouTube that offer fitness tips or teach
specific exercises.
- Market,
market, market: Getting
your first client will likely be the hardest. Use your
personal and professional network to help. Consider offering free 15 or
30-minute coaching sessions to entice people to try you out.
- Be the best coach you can be: Coaching isn’t a business to take lightly. People are entrusting their emotional and possibility their physical well-being to you. You owe it to them to stay on top of current trends in your industry, as well as best practices for coaches.
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