Starting your own business is incredibly exciting. Has it always been your goal to be your own boss and be the master of your own success? Becoming a life coach is extremely fulfilling; you can earn good money while helping people. It’s a total win-win when it comes to rewarding careers.
If you’ve been toying with the idea of starting your own life coaching business but have not yet taken the plunge, then please read on, there may be fewer barriers to this fantastic new career journey than you think! Don’t let fear of the unknown put you off achieving your goals. What would you tell a client who wanted to follow their dreams to their perfect job? Wouldn’t you tell them to go for it? All you need is the knowledge of how to start a business as a life coach, and how to make it a success. We have the not-so-secret secrets for you here…
There’s a lot to learn – education is key
There’s certainly a lot involved when it comes to the work of a life coach. While there is no legal requirement to have undergone any training, it’s highly recommended if you want to offer a professional and all-round helpful service to your clients. We recommend you take a life coaching course prior to setting up your business for two reasons…
Firstly, not only will you learn the skills needed to be great in the role of a life coach, but you’ll also be provided with a wealth of incredibly useful information and resources that will help you set up your own life coaching business. You can eliminate mistakes by learning the best approaches and techniques, and then implementing them, rather than making a guess and having to spend time and money putting it right later.
Secondly, although it could be tempting to dive right in and take on your first client, without training, you risk giving poor advice or being unable to help your client in all the ways they require. By doing this you risk negative feedback and reviews. When you’re well-trained, you can give every single client a superior level of service and this will maximize your chances of receiving word-of-mouth recommendations and outstanding online reviews.
Discover training that’s not constraining
So even if you’re not quite ready to launch your business just yet, now is the ideal time to start a life coaching course, to learn all the skills you need when you start up your venture. But which course will you choose? Search online for life coaching courses and you’ll find several options. There will no doubt be one that works perfectly for you, you just need to carefully read the details of each one, so you don’t accidentally sign up for a course that doesn’t really work for you and your personal circumstances.
Many people who decide to start up a life coaching business, do so when they’re already working another job – we’ve all got bills to pay, right? So if this is your situation too, you should look for a course that offers maximum flexibility. You might not be able to attend a course that runs at a local college every weekday afternoon, but this doesn’t mean you can’t take a course. Instead, look for online courses, and training that can taken at a time that suits you, whether that’s at the weekend, or late at night. If you can’t spare a whole lot of time, you can also check out courses that can be completed at a pace that suits you. So some people can whizz through the entire course in just a few weeks, while others will take it steady, fit in an hour or so when they can, and they’ll get there in the end.
Get certified to get ahead
While we stay on the topic of training, you recommend that when you’re searching for a life coaching training course, you look for one that will result in certification. While being certified as a life coach is not obligatory, it certainly brings many benefits. With certification comes credibility. When someone hires a life coach, they’re putting their life in your hands. This may sound dramatic, but it’s true. They need to be able to rely on your advice and trust your guidance. When you can prove your credentials with a certificate, you’re offering peace of mind to your clients. Certified life coaches are indeed more likely to be successful than those who haven’t taken this extra step.
Focus on your marketing
So you’ve taken a great course and you’ve learnt so much. You know in your heart you’re a natural-born life coach, you’re always helping your friends and family with their life decisions, and they thank you for your thoughtful and considered advice. You’ve even got a certificate to prove your abilities. So what do you do now? Sit back and wait for the clients to just magically arrive? Of course not. It doesn’t matter how brilliant a life coach you are if no one knows you exist! So it’s time to get the word out there and put forward a professional and competent image to the world.
Invent an apt name and design a logo
You’ll need a name and logo that’s memorable and reflects the nature of your business. If you’ve decided to specialise in one specific aspect of life coaching, or are tailoring your services to a particular demographic, these factors should also be taken into account when deciding on your name and the style of logo you’re going to opt for. It should be obvious at a glance that you’re an expert in career coaching for the over 50s, or that you specialise in goal setting for young people. Unless you have graphic design experience, it’s definitely worth investing in a professionally designed logo as it will feature prominently throughout your marketing materials and is an integral keystone of your branding.
Develop a website
With a name and logo sorted, the next step is to set up a website. Again, it’s wise to hire a professional developer to ensure the results are highly professional. Before your site goes live, have it checked over to ensure it’s easy to navigate and free from errors.
Set up your social media
Social media is an excellent way to advertise, with more and more people now searching for products and services via Facebook etc. Be sure to have a presence on all the top channels and keep your content fresh and relevant. You need to find the perfect balance between keeping your followers interested and updated, and being so sales-oriented and posting so frequently that your content is considered to be spam.
Grasp any advertising and networking opportunities
When you run your own business, you have to keep thinking, adapting and trying new things. It’s up to you to get the business in, to find that next client, to never pass up a chance to let people know what you can offer. Seek out opportunities to place adverts in local business directories and magazines. Look for networking events in your area, and always carry a set of business cards with you. You never when or where you might meet someone who could benefit from your life coaching skills.
