How to Start a Successful Coaching Business Online.

10 Common Mistakes Aspiring Coaches Make.

Are you thinking about becoming a life coach? Life coaching is portrayed by many as a location independent, dream profession which almost anyone can learn fast. There are online coaching programs promising success in months. It seems like the rules are simple:

1. Have a life.
2. Coach it.

What do we really need to become a successful online coach and is it really that easy to become one? Do we even need to get certified?

Many people with a dream of a work from home lifestyle started looking into becoming a coach. However, I noticed that a lot of the wanna-be coaches get the priorities of starting a successful business reversed.

I filmed a quick video sharing my suggestion of 2 things to focus on when we start an online coaching business. These tips can apply to starting any other business as well.

Here are 10 common mistakes made by aspiring coaches:

1. Spending energy on naming the business — coming up with a new name for our business is exciting but what often happens is we end up spending too much time deciding whether we should be using our name or come up with the new business name and what name we should choose. We check out domains, ask friends and often get distracted by the choices that prevent us from moving forward.
2. Designing a logo — having a brand logo is a nice touch to add to our business but I have yet to have a client asking me about my logo. I’m not against having it but getting it designed shouldn’t be a priority when starting our coaching business.
3. Deciding whether to form an LLC — I’m always surprised when aspiring coaches ask me this question. It amazes me how many people worry about forming a business that doesn’t have clients yet.
4. Thinking that coaching certification guarantees a successful business — many online coaching programs misrepresent the process of starting a business. A lot of aspiring coaches are under the impression that once they get certified, an army of clients will show up ready to book their sessions with them.
5. Lacking social media strategy — I often see aspiring business owners not having a clear social media strategy that’s tied to their brand. Posting about vacations and get togethers won’t serve our business or establish us as experts in our field.
6. Thinking that running a business means working less — this reality check comes fast making us realize that the doors to our business never close if we let it. It usually takes a while to realize that our inbox will be always full and it’s ok to have things unfinished. The thought that there’s always something we can do for our business can make us feel guilty of taking any time off. It may take a while to get our life back by working on balancing it all.
7. Avoiding video marketing — going live on Facebook or Instagram, posting stories and connecting with our audience daily is a part of creating like and trust with our audience and future coaching clients. They need to get to know us before investing their time and money in our sessions. Sharing value with our audience, we move them closer to being comfortable with making an investment with us. We don’t buy from strangers and neither do our potential clients.
8. Giving up after not seeing results right away — it may take some time to get that first paid client and without sounding too discouraging, we should prepare that our efforts won’t be getting monetized right away. The idea of doing work for no compensation may be hard to accept, especially by those who made a transition from a traditional career into entrepreneurship. It takes a strong entrepreneurial mindset to keep working for free without guaranteed success.
9. Not charging enough or offering free sessions — aspiring coaches often experience money blocks. They don’t feel worthy charging adequate prices and think that they will attract more clients if they lower their prices.
10. Relaying financially on the new business — I never recommend to be under financial pressure and rely solely on the new business income. I understand that sometimes circumstances work out to be this way but nevertheless I’d strongly suggest to find a side job that will give us financial security. It’s important not to be stressed over finances. Starting a business already comes with its own set of challenges and we need to tackle them with the right mindset.

The reason why I recommend starting with building a community first is to include the audience in the creation of our products and services. 

It’s much easier to sell what’s already wanted than taking a risk and creating something without knowing how it’ll be received.

Many new business owners don’t realize the importance of co-creating with the their audience. Creating products with those who will ultimately buy them not only minimizes the risk of failure but also makes the future buyers more invested. They feel like a part of the project and they often proudly recommend and spread the word about what they bought from us.

How do we successfully build a community?

There are many ways to grow our audience. I’d recommend starting by publishing content consistently. Get my free download — 30 social media topic ideas to inspire your videos, posts and articles.

>>> CLICK HERE to download it.