What can you do to make your first year as a Business Coach successful?

Many coaches fall into the 'niche trap.' Having a niche is key, but it also easily distracts us. We're often taught to learn by studying theory first, then applying it. But real learning? It happens when we dive in and experience things firsthand. Pondering your perfect niche or endlessly researching online is just fancy procrastination. I get it, starting is hard. But the trick is to explore your niche just enough to kick off. If hunting for your niche slows down your client search, you're wasting time. My advice? Focus on growing your network and reputation. That's where the real journey begins for a coach. How will you discover your ideal clients, their problems, and your unique skills? Genuine conversations and honest feedback!

As a coach for finding your niche use the 3 R’s framework! R - Revenue ( your clients are ready to pay ) R- Resonate ( you resonate with the clients) R - Resolve ( Can you solve a big problem for them ) The intersection of these 3 R’s is your niche. Also don’t be distracted by your niche. Choosing it doesn’t mean you are not going to work with others outside your niche. It’s just that you are not proactively looking for them!

The most important thing is focusin on your clients and making sure that your process and methodology get them results. Your happy, successful clients are your ambassadors. They are the best salespeople for your business. Serve them wholeheartedly.

The riches are in the niches. Know who you want to serve. How will you know? You will feel excited about the prospect of working with these people. You will be motivated to seek them out and have conversations. You are curious about what they do and how you can help. Your energy is what will help you land clients, so make sure that your genuine interest and enthusiasm is showing up in every interaction with a prospect. So many new coaches worry about leaving money on the table, but by focusing you will get a better return on your time, money and effort. Don't worry, plenty of others not in your niche will hear you and approach you about your services too.

Step 1 is MARGIN! You will need time and space to solidify yourself as "THE" person to go to to solve this problem for your audience. There are no microwaves in Michelin-starred restaurants. Your business will take time. Use the time to learn, grow, and improve. Having margin will allow for you to ACTUALLY serve people rather than SELL. If you can SERVE more, you will SELL more.

Other than Goal Setting - Goal Getting is extremely important! Once your goals are set, do a reverse calculation and divide them into Daily / Weekly/ Monthly actions. This makes it more achievable and track able as well!

In your first year you'll benefit the most by establishing structure for yourself. Focus on what you can control and accomplish. Instead of focusing on Income, Impact, and Satisfaction ... I would argue that it's more important to develop a plan and establish a routine or process for how you will build and conduct your business. How many networking events will you attend each week or month? How many people will you talk to outside of those events per week? How will you conduct your intro calls? How will you keep track of what's working and what's not? Determine what your business needs and build that structure.

Define your "North Star metric", a very important measurable and specific goal that can be tracked and attained. Put an actionable plan with smaller goals to achieve that metric on a quarter basis review.

In your first year as a Business Coach, remember: Goals are your roadmap to success. But don't just dream big - PLAN smart! Set goals that are as clear as day, from the dollars you want to earn to the lives you aim to transform. Measure every step. Set deadlines that light a fire under your feet. And remember, a goal without ACTION is just a wish. So, chase those goals relentlessly. Check your progress like it's the hottest news. This isn't just about hitting targets; it's about enjoying the journey and growing stronger each day. Keep your eyes on the prize, and let your ambitions fuel your drive. What really changes the tide? ACTION, don't get stuck in your pride!

Setting rigid, SMART goals can hinder a first-year Business Coach. While tracking progress is crucial, strict adherence to predefined objectives may limit adaptability to unexpected opportunities. Embrace a more fluid approach, focusing on building connections, honing coaching skills, and staying open to evolving goals based on the dynamic coaching journey. Introducing Generator SMART goals—stretching, motivating, actionable, refining, and transformational—facilitates growth, keeping you motivated and excited throughout your initial coaching year. Success involves more than predefined metrics; it's about the transformative journey and continuous refinement of your coaching practice.

Always start small and build your way up. Choose easy-access practical sources to study from, such as business book summaries, experts podcasts interviews, crash courses over online platforms, frameworks used by consultancy firms such as (Mcksiney forward program) and more.

Podcasts are phenomenal platforms for growth, visibility, marketing content, and personal and professional growth. For entrepreneurs and leaders looking to grow their influence, I recommend investing in a platform such as Podmatch.com. Podmatch is a platform for entrepreneurs to guest on and be found by quality podcasters. I highly recommend that entrepreneurs prep their media kits (HINT: type in media kit on canva to create). Then choose 3 main topics you want to contribute about or speak about as an expert. Remember, when branding your voice - you will only be known as an expert in one area! Choose wisely. Write out 5 questions you would like podcasters to ask you! And lastly, learn from other experts in your field and beyond.

Here's what really holds coaches back from investing in learning and development. When you're launching a coaching business, it's not all about coaching skills; you need a business mindset too. Think about it: you're passionate about helping others, but they don't even realize they need help. This is where many coaches stumble – they're great at coaching but clueless in marketing, leading to a real headache. Without recognized licenses, there's also a trust issue in the coaching world. The solution? Embrace marketing. Transform into a savvy business owner as well as a coach. Stay updated with the latest trends. Once you've got this down, bring in a team. Guide them to handle the business side, so you can focus on what you love: coaching.

Learning as an entrepreneur is key. It's not enough to know how to coach. You need to know how to market and sell your offers. Most coaches aren't equipped with these skills. It's important to find groups or mentors or courses that can help you build these skills. It's an on-going process. Once you've learned the skills and your coaching business is growing - then you can start to delegate and outsource these areas. But you have to know enough to be able to judge if they're being done well. Learn first the basics then you can outsource.

One thing I've found helpful in this area is being a part of a Mastermind Group. Putting yourself in spaces where you are not the most knowledgeable creates room for growth. It gives the opportunity for growth by providing a safe space to ask questions and get feedback on ideas that could propell your coaching skills and business further.

If you actually want to grow your coaching business, here's the real scoop: Start networking and reputation-building from day ONE. Connect with people who might need your help. Not only to find clients; but to understand their challenges and hone your skills to assist them. But wait, how do you spark genuine conversations? If you don't know your ideal client, certainly your content won't! Here’s a golden nugget no one tells you: Reach out directly to potential clients. Share your fresh start, ask for their insights. True growth in coaching isn’t about viral posts; it’s about meaningful conversations. Building visibility, trust, and opportunities come from authentic exchanges. Remember, your reputation is built one chat at a time.

When you take the business out of the relationship, your relationships bring your business. As a coach, influencer, or entrepreneur- knowing how to create genuine ways to relate to others is key to growing your network and becoming more visible in your industry with your prospects. People buy your authority, credibility, and relatability before they are ever interested in your product, message, or service. One of the best networking questions was asked by John Maxwell " Who do you know that I should know?" When networking, have the right mindset. The Stuck On Ready mindset is that "everyone you meet is a prospect, a client or a referral partner". Be READY to empower any person in front of you with solutions or strategies for growth!

In my experience, growing your network is key. Connect with people on LinkedIn, go to networking events, ask your friends and current clients for introductions and start writing and developing a point of view. Thought leadership can help to build your network. Finally, start speaking. Borrowing audiences is a great way to build your network and client base.

Je dirai qu'il faut s'entourer pour demander des conseils et pas hésiter à faire quelques prestations gratuites contre feedbacks pour commencer. Il faut aussi être clair sur son positionnement

It’s all about relationships and establishing trust and rapport. Post content so people know who you are, but comment and share as well! Engage with others and learn from them. Let them know you want to connect and don’t sound like a robot when you message them!

When you're new in business, priorities can get out of whack. Be sure to focus and proactively set aside time for client meetings, sales activities, and business development initiatives that will bring you clients ( and money). As you gain traction and get busier, it can be easy to get overloaded with clients - so carving out time on your schedule for the most important activities that drive your business bottom line is key! Once you start to get some income, invest in tech solutions that make you more efficient, and you'll start a great cycle to get more efficient and build capacity, but it takes a lot of calendar control to get to that point.

Time and money, your two secret weapons as a Business Coach. Master them, and you're unstoppable. Juggle your coaching, marketing, and admin tasks with the finesse of a circus performer. Carve out time for your personal life too - it's the fuel for your fire. Set your rates like you know your worth, because you do! Budget like a boss, tracking every dime and dollar. This isn't just about avoiding burnout or money woes; it's about thriving. When you're in control of your time and finances, you're free to focus on what you do best: transforming lives and businesses. That's the true mark of a successful coach.

Outsourcing tasks brings dual benefits—efficient time management and financial savings. Delegate non-core activities to experts, freeing up valuable time for strategic priorities. Cost-effectiveness is inherent as outsourcing minimizes the need for in-house resources, reducing overheads. This synergy of time and financial management allows businesses to focus on core competencies, enhance productivity, and allocate resources judiciously for sustained growth.

It all begins with Active Listening and also aligns with each other’s goals and Life’s Mission while serving more than leading

One thing I’ve found helpful is to make sure that my expenses never exceed my budget. More to that, I time myself for any task I’m to complete for the day. This helps me manage my time better and increases my productivity.

As a Business Coach, make every win a cause for celebration and every mistake a stepping stone to greatness. Cherish the small victories and the colossal triumphs alike - they're all proof of your dedication and grit. For me, this mindset changed everything. Turned my inner pessimist to an obvious optimist. But don't just bask in glory; embrace your blunders and tough feedback too. They're golden tickets to personal growth and sharper skills. Turn every stumble into a leap forward. Keep your spirits high and your mind open. Remember, your journey is about evolving, not just achieving. Stay hungry for success and thirsty for learning, and you'll not just survive, but thrive in the world of coaching.

Très important d'apprendre de ses erreurs, c'est ce qui permet d'améliorer les points qui permettront de passer un cap. Une erreur comprise et réglée est un pas de plus vers l'optimisation de vos résultats. Célébrer les (même petites) victoires est un indispensable pour ne pas perdre sa motivation.

We need to train our brains to look for wins. Too often we focus on the negative. By setting aside time to write down your wins your brain will continue to find more. I always recommend that my clients create a "wins" file. A place where you can capture positive comments, take screenshots of texts form clients, etc. When you're having a bad day - it can help to go and read these wins.

What can help here is a weekly reflection. Simply write it down: -What went well? - What have I achieved? - What went wrong?

Le cerveau a tendance à se focaliser sur les échecs plutôt que les succès. Pour y remédier et rebondir malgré les épreuves 2 astuces : 1) pratiquer la gratitude, chaque jour à un moment dédié de la journée, pour ma part je choisis le soir, pour remémorer 3 choses qui ont fonctionnes et pour lesquels je suis reconnaissante. 2) chercher dans chaque épreuve, erreur, échec, ce que cela a pu apporter de positif. En terme de résilience, apprentissage, évolution, créativité… Adopter cet état d’esprit permettra d’être pro-actif et de mieux avancer dans ces projets.

Avoid digital and social media marketing in favor of opportunities that allow you to speak directly to potential clients. Like networking. So many new business owners get caught up in creating content, which becomes a distraction. Content is also difficult to get right as a brand new business owner when you are not yet 100% clear on your target client or offers. It’s difficult for your content to be seen between competitors who already know what they’re doing, and the algorithm. Instead look to make 1:1 connections. It’s much easier to demonstrate expertise in a conversation than through a piece of content quickly and effectively, and build the pipeline for your new business in record time.

Impactful contribution is key in being a successful coach. In my first year of being a coach, my focus was on how I can make a positive impact on my clients and their teams. Once that happened, revenue became a byproduct. Almost a decade later, I still focus on the same process.

In the world of Business Coaching, there's more to consider than just goals and strategies. Remember, you're not just a coach; you're a beacon of inspiration! Build a community around your brand. Engage on social media, share your journey, and be genuinely you. Also, never stop learning. The business world is like a river, always flowing, always changing. Stay curious and adaptable. Invest in yourself – attend workshops, read books, and learn from others. And most importantly, prioritize self-care. A burnt-out coach can't ignite others. Balance is key; work hard, but don’t forget to recharge. YOUR well-being is your secret weapon in this adventure.

Starting a business, any business takes time. You can be active, act, and do everything right, but it will still take time. It is important to remember that there are no shortcuts, or hacks that will bring you success tomorrow. Look suspiciously at those who offer one. Starting a business is like any other process - acting and doing dozens of different actions over time until they add up to a critical mass and there is a growing jump, and then again and again and again until you reach success.

Start thinking "what is it for them", this approach will laser target your clients. Once you understand that, break it down as simple as it, so the other side will understand the path.