sample marketing plan for coaching business

How to Create a Marketing Plan for a Coaching Business

by Stacey Hagen | Marketing

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Do you have a marketing plan for your coaching business?

First off, what is marketing, what to consider when creating a marketing plan for your coaching business, the best marketing plans have these things in common:, how to create a marketing plan for your coaching business, your business goals., your target market., your offers., your key messaging., your marketing channels., your content plan., key metrics., key resources., want help creating a marketing plan for your coaching business.

Creating a marketing plan is the best way to attract your ideal clients consistently. In this post, I’ll share why you want a marketing plan, what’s in a marketing plan, and how to create a marketing plan for your coaching business.

When you start a coaching business, you will need to market your business. Marketing helps you get the word out about your business and connect with your ideal clients. 

(Because if they don’t know you exist, they can’t hire you!)

But first, let’s clear up a few misconceptions about marketing:

• Marketing is just social media. (It’s not — social media is a TYPE of marketing.)
• Marketing means going “live” all the time. (There are plenty of marketing channels that don’t require video!)
• Marketing means paying for Facebook and Instagram ads. (Advertising is a form of paid marketing, however, there are many ways to market your business for free.)

So, what exactly IS marketing?

Marketing is any activity you take with the intention of attracting your audience. 

That’s a pretty broad definition. And that’s why it’s so important to clarify which activities will work best for you to reach your ideal audience.

When you’re marketing a coaching business , your primary objective is often to get known as a coach, to attract and audience, and ultimately to sign new coaching clients.

The good news is — there’s a variety of ways to do that, including, but not limited to:

• Being a guest on a podcast
• Speaking at a summit
• Being an affiliate partner
• Having an email newsletter 
• Writing regular blog posts
• Going to in person events
• Building out the SEO on your website

… and the list goes on.

(If you’re curious to learn more ways to market your coaching business, check out my free guide: 21 ways to market your business .)

No matter what kind of marketing you choose to do, you want a MARKETING PLAN for your coaching business that ties it all together. 

What is a marketing plan for a coaching business?

An effective marketing plan for coaches defines specific measurable marketing tactics that you will take with the intention of attracting your audience and growing your business.

• It’s based on your overall business goals.  
• It’s focused on a few, specific marketing channels. 
• It’s actionable and measurable.
• It’s client-focused, meaning it’s based on the niche you want to attract.
• It gives you a plan of action, so you know exactly what to do when.

While a marketing plan will look different for each coaching business (even if they’re in the same niche!) , each marketing plan will cover the same components.

I recommend creating quarterly marketing plans for your coaching business.

Planning 3 months at a time allows you to focus on a specific time frame and get more tactical than you could if you did an annual plan. Plus, business changes so quickly, an annual marketing plan may become stale after a few months.

Your quarterly marketing plan should include:

• Your business goals for the quarter
• Your ideal client (i.e., who you’re marketing to)
• Your offerings and/or launches for that quarter
• Your key messaging
• The exact marketing channels and tactics you’ll use
• Your content plan, including content pillars and key themes
• Key dates and timing
• How you’ll measure and track your results
• What resources you’ll need to carry out the plan

What should be included in your coaching business marketing plan

Before you define your marketing channels, you want to first look at the big picture. What are the business goals you want to achieve? Whether it’s growing your audience, improving your conversion rate on discovery calls, or launching a new program, it’s key to define your goals. And be specific! Instead of “grow my audience,” your goal could be “Increase my email list by 50%.” Instead of “Convert more discovery calls,” your goal could be, “Convert 50% of discovery calls to paying clients.” Instead of “Launch a new offer,” it’s “Launch my course on relationships by March 31.”

Your marketing plan should also outline your ideal client or target market. In other words, who are you trying to reach with your marketing efforts? Your marketing plan is not just about you, it’s about your ideal clients. That means you need to know who you’re targeting . This will also inform what types of marketing channels and platforms you’ll use to get your message out and promote your coaching business.

This doesn’t mean you should promote all your offers, all the time. It’s much more effective to choose certain times of the year to promote certain offerings. For example, you might launch your course 2x a year and in those quarters, you focus on marketing your course. Other times of the year, you might focus on promoting your 1:1 services or a digital product.

Your messaging includes how you talk about what you do and the services you offer. Identifying your core message is something you want to clarify, but then you also want to identify your messaging for each specific offer that you are promoting. Each package or offer should have it’s own unique set of features and benefits. You want to be able to talk about each offer in a way that resonates with the ideal audience.

Marketing channels are the specific platforms and activities you’ll use to market your business. A marketing channel could be podcasting or blogging or networking, to name a few. Instagram is a marketing channel, as are Youtube, Pinterest, and TikTok. You should not try to use all the marketing channels! Instead, you want to choose 3-5 specific ones that make sense for your business and your ideal audience.

Depending on which marketing channels you’ll use, you may also want to create a content plan that helps you define the specific types of messages, content, graphics/images that you will share on your blog, podcast, Youtube channel, or Instagram account.

Like any good plan, you want to have dates and deadlines in place so you know when you are promoting something. This can help keep you acccountable and stay on track with your plan.

The way you measure the success of any plan is with metrics. Depending on which marketing channels you’re using, you’ll want to define metrics to measure. For example, if one of your marketing channels is Instagram, you’ll want to measure engagement and audience growth. If you’re using email marketing , you’ll want to measure your list growth, open rate, and click through rates.

It usually takes some extra resources to carry out your marketing plan. Whether it means you use a platform like Later to plan your social media in advance, or you hire a VA to help you execute on your email newsletter, you’ll want to define what resources you need to make it happen.

As a business coach for coaches and healers, I help my clients create a marketing strategy and plan to achieve their business goals. If you want to learn how to create a marketing plan that doesn’t rely on social media, you can check out my training below.

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How to market your coaching business: a guide to increasing clients and sales

By rhonda bradley november 22, 2023.

Imagine successfully marketing your coaching services across several platforms with so many leads flowing your way that your waiting list is getting out of hand. Then imagine you did it all on a shoestring budget in just a small amount of time each day. 🏆

There’s a lot to do when starting a coaching business , and you don’t want to spend the majority of your time on marketing.

But new marketers often spend so much time promoting their services that they can’t keep up with the workload. As the unfinished projects pile up, the small amount of marketing success they achieve can’t be maintained because there are too many other things to do.

Pro marketers struggle with the same thing, but successful ones have learned a few secrets along the way and know how to market efficiently. In one morning, they can accomplish what it takes a team of people a full week to pull off. This lets them market more consistently and creatively!

In this guide, we share pro marketing secrets and tips that will help you build a successful coaching practice on a budget in a very small amount of time each day. 

Be sure to bookmark this guide, which is packed with information that will help drive new clients your way for years to come.

How do coaches find clients?

• How to write a simple marketing strategy
• How to write a simple marketing plan
• How to build a simple marketing funnel
• Using automation and AI in marketing
• 10 ways to find new clients for your coaching business

Coaches tend to find clients through marketing strategies such as word of mouth, email marketing, podcasting, speaking engagements, blogging, networking, and social media marketing.

However, if you’re running a one-person or small business, you can’t do all the marketing things all the time. So, how does a small business market its coaching services efficiently?

To market like a pro in a fraction of the time, use an efficient marketing framework paired with AI-powered tools and automation.

How to create a simple marketing framework for coaches

What if a few hours invested this week could save you hundreds in the future? Developing an efficient marketing framework — before you begin marketing — will improve your overall return on investment (ROI) and save you from costly errors in the future.

As a coach, you can create a marketing framework similar to what professional marketers use but simplified for a small business.

Your 3-step framework will include:

• A written marketing strategy
• A written marketing plan
• A marketing funnel

#1 – Write a marketing strategy

A written marketing strategy is an overall plan that guides future decisions on where and how to invest your marketing time. 

A marketing strategy helps you:

• Position yourself as the best choice for potential clients.
• Avoid wasting time on marketing activities that won’t benefit you.
• Focus your efforts and attention on areas that drive more clients to your coaching business.

Aim for a super-simple marketing strategy you can develop and write in one morning.

Create your marketing strategy by writing down brief answers to these questions:

1 – Who exactly do you want to reach?

• What industry do they work in?
• What job titles do they hold?
• What pain points drive them to hire a coach?
• Where do they congregate online and in person (social media, forums, organizations, etc.)? 

2 – What’s your core messaging?

Write a brief but specific answer to each of the following questions:

• What mission and values drive your coaching practice?
• What differentiates you from other coaches?
• How will you position yourself in marketing? For example, will you be a thought leader who provides valuable tips in your content, an entertainer who makes people laugh, a muse who inspires people, or — something else? 
• What is your personal story?
• What are the top benefits of your coaching service?

3 – What are your marketing goals?

To create clear and attainable goals, think S.M.A.R.T.-  S pecific, M easurable, A chievable, R elevant, and T ime-bound.

• How many clients would you like to enroll over the next 3 – 6 months?
• What other objectives do you want to achieve through marketing?

Congratulations, you just completed a marketing strategy for your business! 

Use your strategy as a guideline when making decisions, such as what platforms and content to use, how to write ad copy, and how to fill out bios and profiles across multiple platforms.

#2 – Create a marketing plan for your coaching business

In step one, you created a marketing strategy, which is an overall plan to guide your marketing decisions. A marketing plan is an extension of your marketing strategy . The marketing plan outlines the steps, channels, tools, and content you’ll use to achieve your goals.

TIP: Read through the rest of this guide before writing your marketing plan. You’ll discover tips, ideas, examples, and guidance that may influence your marketing plan.

Create your marketing plan by writing down brief answers to the following questions:

What marketing channels (i.e., social media, email marketing, podcasting, etc.) will you use?

If you’re new to marketing or coaching, we recommend starting with a simple marketing plan you can expand upon over time:

• One social media channel, plus
• One landing page paired with email marketing automation, plus
• One additional channel, if time allows, such as content marketing, speaking engagements, podcasting, etc.

Which software and tools will you use to market your coaching business? We recommend choosing one of each:

• Email marketing software
• Landing page software
• Design tools
• AI writing assistant 
• Social media management software (to schedule your posts in advance)
• Referral software
• Additional tools for specialized marketing such as podcasting, video or audio productions, etc.

Many of the tools you need are included with AWeber, such as an AI writing assistant, Canva design software, and a landing page tool. Others, such as referral software, can be integrated with AWeber to further automate and enhance your marketing.

What type of content will you publish, and how often will you publish it? On what days and times will you publish?

This is a good time to create a generalized marketing calendar that allows you to visually reference your marketing plans. You can create a more detailed content calendar when you’re ready to begin publishing.

Any other steps for specialized marketing , such as podcasting or speaking engagements.

Congratulations, you’ve written your marketing plan! Next, you’ll build a “marketing funnel” that supports your strategy and plan.

#3 – Create a marketing funnel

The (often forgotten) marketing funnel is the hero of your marketing journey. It’s how you will turn your marketing efforts (readers, subscribers, followers, etc.) into profit. 

A solid marketing funnel ensures that your time investment leads to profits and you remain focused on running a successful business. It takes into consideration the five stages of the buyer’s journey : awareness, consideration, conversion, loyalty, and advocacy. 

The marketing funnel uses a different type of content at each stage of the buyer’s journey. This helps you guide them along an organic journey to becoming a paid client. 

Fortunately, we’ve done the geek work for you. All you need to do is follow the four steps below, and all five marketing funnel stages, with appropriate content for each level, are covered.

Step 1: Create a valuable, helpful ebook, tips list, or other type of lead magnet . Turn it into a PDF that people can download. Step two below will use this as gated content (high-value content that can only be accessed after providing contact or other information).

Step 2: Create a landing page that offers a free download of your ebook or tips list to people who sign up for your email newsletter. The free download is “gated” behind a subscription form (thus the term “gated content”).

Step 3: Send your subscribers a weekly newsletter that educates, inspires, or motivates them with tips relative to your coaching specialty.

• Include a strong call-to-action (CTA) at the end of each newsletter that encourages people to schedule a free 15-minute coaching call with you. 
• Use a calendar scheduling tool that lets people set their own appointments for a free mini-coaching call. Make that free coaching call amazing, and encourage them to sign up for a paid coaching plan at the end of the call.

You can easily create materials for this stage of the funnel with AWeber, which provides you with email marketing automation, built-in Canva features, and an AI writing assistant to help you create stunning landing pages and newsletters in minutes. 

Sign up for a free AWeber account today

Step 4: Send your former coaching clients a weekly or monthly email newsletter . Use it to provide valuable tips and guidance relevant to your coaching program graduates.

• Use email segmentation to automate newsletter delivery to your alumni.
• Include a strong CTA at the end of each newsletter, encouraging people to refer your coaching services to friends, family, or colleagues.

Congratulations, you just built a simple marketing funnel that will help turn your marketing efforts into new clients! As you develop your content, look for software and tools with built-in automation and AI to help you create more efficient and effective marketing campaigns.

Automation and AI-powered tools for coaches

Now that you’ve created an efficient marketing framework, there’s one more element needed to ensure an efficient, effective approach to marketing: Automation.

One of the best things you can do for yourself — and your business – is take advantage of automation and AI-powered tools that help you do your job quicker and more efficiently.

As you decide which marketing tools to use, lean toward tools with built-in automation and AI functions whenever possible. 

Automation allows you to set marketing tasks on autopilot so that programs work for you, even when you’re sleeping. AI (such as writing assistants, analytics, and more) can help you make better choices so your efforts are more likely to be successful.

10 Ways to find new clients for your coaching business

Here are ten of the best ways to find new coaching clients, plus tips to get you started in the right direction.

#1 – Word-of-mouth marketing

Ask any coach about the best way to get new clients; most will quickly answer, “Word of mouth!” When clients refer your services to their friends, family, and colleagues, their recommendations carry a lot of weight. 

Word-of-mouth marketing earns the type of trust and respect you need to quickly build a long list of clients.

“The most effective client-attracting strategy is talking to as many people as possible and telling everyone what you do. Coaching businesses are built through relationships and conversations!” – Stacey Brass-Russell , Life & business coach, host of “Passionate & Prosperous” podcast

Make it easy for current and former clients to refer you using an automated referral tool like ReferralKit paired with user-friendly email marketing software.

You can also boost word-of-mouth referrals by getting involved with local community organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce.

#2 – Email marketing and automation

Imagine setting up a series of email newsletters that are automatically delivered to your subscribers at the perfect time – and you don’t need to lift a finger to make it happen! 

Email newsletters are a great way to convert potential clients into paying clients, especially when you use them to provide helpful tips and guidance relevant to your coaching business. 

You can quickly write a series of valuable emails with help from AI, then schedule it to send automatically on the days and times you choose. 

Like a pro marketer, you can also take advantage of email “segmenting.” Segmenting allows you to personalize email content by automatically sending different email series to specific groups of people based on their interests and behavior. To use segmenting in your email marketing, look for user-friendly email software (such as AWeber ) that provides personalization and automation features.

For example, a relationship coach might send dating tips to people looking to meet someone or tips on recovering from a breakup to people just getting out of a relationship. 

#3 – Social media marketing

Social media is a powerful tool coaches can use to promote their businesses. It’s a great way to connect with potential clients, build relationships, and share your knowledge and expertise.

Source: Instagram @annadkornick , @lewishowes

If you’re new to marketing, start with one social media channel and expand to others only after building one successful, engaged audience. 

How do you pick one social media channel for your coaching business? 

Choose the social media platform where your target audience (target client from your marketing strategy) is most likely to congregate.

Facebook is great for general audiences, including adults, families, and businesses. It’s also an excellent platform for starting a group or community page.

LinkedIn is a top business platform, ideal for business coaches whose target audience includes executives, managers, and business people. It’s a great choice for business coaches who love to blog (or mini-blog) and network with other business people.

Instagram is a popular platform for young adults and millennials who share content related to their personal (and sometimes professional) lives. It’s a solid choice for coaches wanting to reach an audience that embraces personal self-help and self-care. 

YouTube is an excellent platform for reaching almost everyone of any age. People often turn to YouTube for educational video content, making it an ideal platform for coaches wanting to create and publish helpful long-form (5+ minutes or more) video content tutorials.

How to build trust on social media

When making a decision about any product or service, people turn to social media for “social proof.”   Social proof is content that validates the benefits of your coaching and establishes trust so people feel comfortable investing in your services.

Providing social proof is equally as important (if not more) as helpful, engaging content.

To provide the type of documentation that makes people feel comfortable hiring you, include the following social proof on your social media profiles/channels and website:

• Customer testimonials
• Awards and recognition

Additionally, consider the following tactics to build trust with your audience:

• Respond to comments and questions, negative or positive, quickly and kindly.
• Partner with influencers.
• Run contests or giveaways that encourage user-generated content .

#4 – Press

While social media has become an important channel for communication, generating press is still a valuable tool for attracting media coverage and promoting your coaching business.

Press releases can be used to announce new information about your coaching business that gets you mentioned or featured in news outlets or other publications. For example, a new product or service launch, a new partnership, or an award are great reasons to send a press release . 

Build relationships with journalists by answering questions and volunteering for interviews. A service such as Help A B2B Writer or Help A Reporter Out (HARO) can help you connect with writers and journalists seeking information and quotes in exchange for a link to your site.

#5 – Speaking engagements

Speaking engagements are a fantastic way for coaches to establish themselves as thought leaders and connect with a large number of potential clients. 

If you enjoy public speaking and think this would be a good way to market your business, networking with other speakers and event organizers is a great place to start. 

Organizations such as the National Speakers Association , Toastmasters International , and TED Masterclass are excellent places to hone your speaking skills and network for future engagements.

Coach Michael Bungay Stanier speaking at TEDx on YouTube

#6 – Podcasting

Looking to amp up your reach and establish yourself as a leader in your niche? Podcasting and guest appearances provide an abundance of opportunities for coaches. 

The intimate and conversational format of podcasting lets you build a rapport with listeners. It’s an excellent way to build trust and credibility while paving the way for an influx of new clients and partnership opportunities.

Want to learn more about starting your own podcast? Check out Buzzsprout podcasting resources and the Buzzsprout Facebook community , Spotify for podcasters , or LinkedIn Learning’s Podcasting courses .

Insert AWeber YouTube video “Podcasting Tips from Podcast Movement”:

#7 – Influencer marketing

Want to rapidly reach a wider audience, build trust, drive traffic to your site, and generate leads and sales? 

Influencer marketing is one of the rare methods that can help you gain instant exposure and quickly build a social media audience (and client list).

Can a solo coach on a budget afford influencer marketing? You bet! 

The key to affordable, effective influencer marketing for small businesses? Work with micro-influencers!  

Insert AWeber YouTube video “Does Influencer Marketing Work for Small Businesses?”:

Micro-influencers have smaller but highly engaged audiences (10,000 – 100,000 followers). Micro-influencers often partner with businesses in exchange for a trade of services or a small fee.

For example, Carla Jian is an Austin Mom & Wellness influencer with more than 8,500 followers who consistently engage with her content.

She partnered with @monicaandandy pajamas for a promotion that featured an image of her family wearing their pajamas.

You can find influencers by searching online or using an influencer tool like Modashi to conduct filtered influencer searches. Tools like this let you view important details such as their engagement rates, followers, location, and interests.

#8 – Courses, classes, and tutorials

What if you could generate passive income, enhance your coaching skills, build a loyal community, and market your services — all at once?

For coaches, publishing courses on platforms such as Udemy, YouTube, and Skillshare is a gift that keeps giving. 

It takes time to put together a valuable, high-quality class, but every course you create has the potential to drive clients and passive income for years to come.

For example, Coaches Natalie and Joeel Rivera offer transformation-based courses on Udemy. 

The coaching pair has been creating Udemy courses since 2014 and now has over 700,000 students from more than 200 countries on the platform.

Coaches Joeel & Natalie Rivera’s class on Udemy

#9 – Search engine optimization (SEO)

If you work in person with local clients, local SEO may be a good investment of your time and effort. 

However, you may want to skip or limit your SEO marketing efforts if you do not provide local services. 

Competitive national or global SEO requires extensive technical and content training. And there’s no guarantee you’ll rank well, even with expert-level knowledge.

Instead, you can use social media to drive traffic to your website and landing pages. 

Social media has its own SEO, called social SEO , that you can learn much quicker than Google’s. Each social media platform has different algorithms that determine how many people see your posts. How you optimize content for their native search engines can have a significant impact on how many people see your content.

For example, Instagram has a newsfeed algorithm that’s entirely different from its Reels algorithm . So if Instagram is your primary social channel, it’s worth your time to understand how those algorithms work and what you can do to optimize your profile and posts.

If YouTube is your main social channel, spend an afternoon watching a class like “ YouTube SEO SECRETS Course ” by Sumner Hobard. 

Or browse a wide selection of social media SEO courses to find one that’s right for you.

#10 – Remarketing campaigns

Engaging past clients can provide steady business for coaches, and there are several effective ways to reconnect with your alumni.

Segment your email list based on past interactions, interests, and engagement levels to personalize your outreach. You can customize separate email campaigns to fit specific types of clients. This lets you promote relevant services and exclusive offers.

Offer incentives and rewards such as ebooks, discounts, or complimentary sessions to existing clients who recommend your services to their network. 

Introduce new services or add-on packages that cater to evolving client needs. You can offer specialized workshops, group coaching sessions, or personalized mentorship programs to cater to your former clients’ diverse interests and learning styles.

Create and promote books or branded merchandise that provide value to people who have benefitted from your coaching.

Coaches can effectively reconnect with former clients by leveraging email segmentation and referral marketing tools to introduce new services or add-on packages.

Empower your coaching business through marketing

As you move forward with your marketing efforts, remember that the heart of your work lies in empowering people to achieve their goals and reach their full potential. Creating efficient and effective marketing campaigns will allow you to spend more time cultivating growth for you and your clients.

Keep in mind that marketing is not just about acquiring new clients; it’s about nurturing existing relationships and fostering a vibrant community of individuals committed to personal growth. 

Engage with your audience as much as possible across all your marketing platforms. Create a sense of belonging and camaraderie that lets your clients know they are part of a larger community. And automate, automate, automate!

Looking for an all-in-one, beginner-friendly platform? AWeber email marketing software provides automation, AI assistance, landing pages, Canva design tools, and segmented email campaigns. Sign up for a free AWeber account today!

Keep reading:

Rhonda Bradley

Content Marketing Writer & Consultant

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• Coaching Solutions

How To Write A Life Coaching Business Plan: 5 Templates

If you’re passionate about helping others fulfill their potential and reach new heights, life coaching could be a truly rewarding career for you.

This guide will show you how to create a coaching business plan that will help you turn your ideas into reality, so that you can start creating value and deliver real results to your life coaching clients.

5 Tips For Starting Your Life Coaching Business

Starting out as a life coach can seem like a big move, and there’s plenty to consider. For many experienced life coaches, it’s balancing the support, guidance, and coaching theory side of things business admin that can be a little tricky.

Maybe you see yourself more as a development professional than an entrepreneur, or perhaps you’ve helped others professionally but never quite had your own practice.

Regardless of where you are in the coaching game, here are some tips that can help you get started building a life coaching business of your own: [1]

• Decide on a clear, unique value offer. Life coaching is incredibly popular, and that’s not changing anytime soon. To distinguish yourself as a coach, think about the unique value you’ll create for your clients – what’s original about the results you can help them achieve, or how you help them get from A to B?
• Consider accreditation. The right life coaching certification can arm you with useful skills and knowledge in your field while boosting your credibility as a coach. There are plenty of qualifications available online for coaches, and you may find one that goes a long way to enhance your marketability.
• Set your business up, practically. Various states, regions, and countries have different systems for registering and starting an online coaching business. Make sure you allow time to collect or create all the coaching forms you’ll need to enroll and manage your clients.
• Develop or curate your coaching resources. To practice, you’ll need tools such as life coaching worksheets , lessons, exercises, videos (if you’re using them), and more. Create a database of all the coaching tools you’ll need so you know just where to find them when you land your first client!
• Create an online presence. Think about how you’ll reach out to clients, and prepare the things that will help you be discovered online. Some examples include a coaching website , social media profile, or listings in online coaching directories. A strategic way to approach this is by developing a marketing strategy, which covers all the ins and outs of how you’ll grow your visibility.

How To Write A Coaching Business Plan: 2 Examples

A coaching business plan should help you clarify why and how you’ll start and run your coaching practice, as well as the tools you’ll need to help others.

Creating a life coaching business plan might sound terrifying, don’t be put off. You can go into more detail if you prefer a comprehensive organizational roadmap, but your business plan should quite simply help you:

• Clarify your “Why” – What is the ultimate purpose of your business? What is your desired future vision for your practice and clients?
• Solidify your “How” – What are your coaching objectives/your mission? What approaches will you use to achieve them?
• Determine your “What” – Understand the interventions, tools, lessons, or solutions that will help you on your mission.

Depending on the depth of detail you’d like to go into, you can break your plan up into more or fewer sections.

The following two coaching business plan examples illustrate this.

Example 1: Lean Life Coaching Business Plan

A lean business plan is ideal for explaining your coaching practice succinctly, or if you’re planning a small coaching business.

Using this USA Small Business Administration sample as a guide, your lean coaching plan might include the following headings: [2]

• Business identity
• Target client
• Client pain points
• Your solution
• Your competition
• Revenue streams
• Marketing activities
• Team and their key roles, and

Lean coaching business plans can be particularly helpful if you’re keen to refine and enhance your business plan as you learn and gain experience.

Example 2: Life Coaching Business Plan Template

This life coaching business plan template from Profitable Venture is a more comprehensive example, starting with an executive summary and ending with a startup expenditure budget. [3]

SWOT and market analyses are used for an in-depth assessment of potential opportunities, threats, and rivals in the coaching industry.

3 Helpful Templates and Samples For Your Plan

Here are a few good examples of coaching business plans, including some extra sections you might want to include:

• 9 Steps to a Lean Life Coaching Business Plan from Coaching Online – this covers a few more sections such as your competition, marketing, and finances [4]
• Traditional Business Plan from the USA Small Business Administration – a traditional business plan that may work well for larger coaching practices [5]
• Business Plan Template for a Startup from Score.org – a 9-step template for new business owners. [6]

Creating A Business Plan For Your Online Coaching Business

Once you’ve decided on the most relevant format for your business plan, you’ll want to formalize it by writing it all down.

You will most likely be referring to it regularly, as you structure, run, manage, and grow your coaching practice, so it’s critical to keep your plan along with the rest of your business documents.

A quick, straightforward solution for most coaches is to create a digital business plan, as we’ve started to do below using Quenza:

Using Quenza’s Activity Builder , you can create custom sections for each element in your plan, as well as text boxes for all the information that will go into your tool.

This helps you store your plan in your coaching portal alongside your Client profiles, activities, and other coaching tools, so your plan is always near at hand as you start to build your business.

To create your own coaching business plan using Quenza’s Activity Builder, simply:

• Open and title a new Activity
• Create sections for each header of your plan, and
• Save your Activity to your Library when it’s done!

You can also print your plan as a PDF, or access and edit at any time on Quenza’s client app, as shown below:

There’s no right or wrong way to create a coaching business plan template, so don’t be afraid to add in headers or sections as your plan grows. As long as your plan takes you through each milestone of building and running your business, you’re on the right path to creating a successful, growing practice.

Best App and Software For Your Coaching Business

Quenza is a state-of-the-art solution for coaching professionals, regardless of where you are in the process of running your business.

Not only can you plan out your business as a first-time coach, but Quenza’s tools can help you deliver solutions, stay in touch with clients, and even market your business as you gain traction.

With Quenza’s features, for example, you can:

• Design, build, and deliver personal and group life coaching solutions
• Craft coaching programs, curricula, or entire e-courses from your existing tools
• Drip feed your solutions to coaching clients automatically, on a schedule
• Create and customize all your coaching contracts , coaching agreements, and feedback forms
• Collect and securely store all your clients’ data with Quenza’s HIPAA-compliant app and coaching platform
• Offer clients a centralized online coaching portal
• Stay in touch with and engage your clients throughout the course of your programs, using notifications, reminders, and multimedia,
• Track, monitor, and evaluate your clients’ progress in real-time, and
• Document your sessions with Quenza’s Client notes.

5 Unique Features Included in Quenza

We’ve already seen how important it is to carve out your niche as a life coach – and of course, you’re most efficient when you decide on your own workflow, processes, and style.

With Quenza’s custom features, you have all the flexibility you need to get creative with solutions and market yourself in a way that suits you.

For instance, you can make use of Quenza’s:

• Multilingual client app – to translate your own or your clients’ Quenza app into 16 different languages, and custom brand colors
• Group or private chat – to share feedback, reminders, or encouragement
• White label feature – to promote your brand by adding your logo to tools, forms, and programs
• Wheel of Life feature – to design personalized life Wheel of Life assessments , and
• Expansion Library – for customizing popular and evidence-based coaching exercises without starting from scratch!

Final Thoughts

These tips, templates, formats, and examples will help you craft a strategic business plan that can get your coaching practice up and running – even if you’ve never started a business in your life.

If you have a template of your own to share with your fellow coaches, do let us know in the comments below.

We hope this article was helpful. Don’t forget to start your 30-day, 1 dollar Quenza trial for all the tools you need to bring your business plan to life!

Quenza’s practitioner tools will help you craft and deliver powerful online coaching solutions from any connected device, and contains everything you need to run your life coaching practice digitally for brilliant client outcomes.

• ^ Truex, L. (2021). How to start a home-based coaching business. Retrieved from https://www.thebalancesmb.com/how-to-start-a-coaching-business-1794520
• ^ SBA.gov. (2021). Sample Lean Business Plan. Retrieved from https://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/2017-12/Sample%20Lean%20Business%20Plan%20-%20Wooden%20Grain%20Toy%20Company.doc
• ^ Profitable Venture. (2021). Life Coaching Business Plan Template. Retrieved from https://www.profitableventure.com/life-coaching-business-plan/
• ^ Coaching-Online.org. (2021). 9 Steps to a Lean Life Coaching Business Plan. Retrieved from https://www.coaching-online.org/life-coach-business-plan/
• ^ SBA.gov. (2021). Write Your Business Plan. Retrieved from https://www.sba.gov/business-guide/plan-your-business/write-your-business-plan
• ^ Score.org. (2020). Business Plan Template for a Startup Business. Retrieved from https://www.score.org/resource/business-plan-template-startup-business

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Coaching Business Plan Template

Written by Dave Lavinsky

Coaching Business Plan

Over the past 20+ years, we have helped over 500 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans to start and grow their coaching companies. We have the experience, resources, and knowledge to help you create a great business plan.

In this article, you will learn some background information on why business planning is important. Then, you will learn how to write a coaching business plan step-by-step so you can create your plan today.

Download our Ultimate Business Plan Template here >

What is a Coaching Business Plan?

A business plan provides a snapshot of your coaching business as it stands today, and lays out your growth plan for the next five years. It explains your business goals and your strategies for reaching them. It also includes market research to support your plans.

Why You Need a Business Plan for a Coaching Business

If you’re looking to start a coaching business or grow your existing coaching company, you need a business plan. A business plan will help you raise funding, if needed, and plan out the growth of your coaching business to improve your chances of success. Your coaching business plan is a living document that should be updated annually as your company grows and changes.

Sources of Funding for Coaching Businesses

With regards to funding, the main sources of funding for a coaching business are personal savings, credit cards, bank loans, and angel investors. When it comes to bank loans, banks will want to review your business plan and gain confidence that you will be able to repay your loan and interest. To acquire this confidence, the loan officer will not only want to ensure that your financials are reasonable, but they will also want to see a professional plan. Such a plan will give them the confidence that you can successfully and professionally operate a business. Personal savings and bank loans are the most common funding paths for coaching companies.

Finish Your Business Plan Today!

How to write a business plan for a coaching business.

If you want to start a coaching business or expand your current one, you need a business plan. The guide below details the necessary information for how to write each essential component of your coaching business plan.

Executive Summary

Your executive summary provides an introduction to your business plan, but it is normally the last section you write because it provides a summary of each key section of your plan.

The goal of your executive summary is to quickly engage the reader. Explain to them the kind of coaching business you are running and the status. For example, are you a startup, do you have a coaching business that you would like to grow, or are you operating a multiple coaching businesses?

Next, provide an overview of each of the subsequent sections of your plan.

• Give a brief overview of the coaching industry.
• Discuss the type of coaching business you are operating.
• Detail your direct competitors. Give an overview of your target customers.
• Provide a snapshot of your marketing strategy. Identify the key members of your team.
• Offer an overview of your financial plan.

Company Overview

In your company overview, you will detail the type of coaching business you are operating.

For example, you might specialize in one of the following types of coaching businesses:

• Business coaching: A business coach specializes in helping business owners clarify their business’s vision and goals.
• Career coaching: A career coach specializes in helping individuals reach their professional goals.
• Life coaching: A life coach specializes in helping people make positive progress in their daily lives, relationships, and careers.
• Performance coaching: A performance coach specializes in helping individuals improve their performance abilities using techniques similar to a sports coach.
• Wellness coaching: A wellness coach specializes in helping individuals develop and maintain healthy habits.

In addition to explaining the type of coaching business you will operate, the company overview needs to provide background on the business.

Include answers to questions such as:

• When and why did you start the business?
• What milestones have you achieved to date? Milestones could include the number of clients served, the number of cases with positive outcomes, reaching $X amount in revenue, etc.
• Your legal business Are you incorporated as an S-Corp? An LLC? A sole proprietorship? Explain your legal structure here.

Industry Analysis

In your industry or market analysis, you need to provide an overview of the coaching industry. While this may seem unnecessary, it serves multiple purposes.

First, researching the coaching industry educates you. It helps you understand the market in which you are operating.

Secondly, market research can improve your marketing strategy, particularly if your analysis identifies market trends.

The third reason is to prove to readers that you are an expert in your industry. By conducting the research and presenting it in your plan, you achieve just that.

The following questions should be answered in the industry analysis section of your coaching business plan:

• How big is the coaching industry (in dollars)?
• Is the market declining or increasing?
• Who are the key competitors in the market?
• Who are the key suppliers in the market?
• What trends are affecting the industry?
• What is the industry’s growth forecast over the next 5 – 10 years?
• What is the relevant market size? That is, how big is the potential target market for your coaching business? You can extrapolate such a figure by assessing the size of the market in the entire country and then applying that figure to your local population.

Customer Analysis

The customer analysis section of your coaching business plan must detail the customers you serve and/or expect to serve.

The following are examples of customer segments: individuals, schools, families, and corporations.

As you can imagine, the customer segment(s) you choose will have a great impact on the type of coaching business you operate. Clearly, individuals would respond to different marketing promotions than corporations, for example.

Try to break out your target customers in terms of their demographic and psychographic profiles. With regards to demographics, including a discussion of the ages, genders, locations, and income levels of the potential customers you seek to serve.

Psychographic profiles explain the wants and needs of your target customers. The more you can recognize and define these needs, the better you will do in attracting and retaining your customers.

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Competitive Analysis

Your competitive analysis should identify the indirect and direct competitors your business faces and then focus on the latter.

Direct competitors are other coaching businesses.

Indirect competitors are other options that customers have to purchase from that aren’t directly competing with your product or service. This includes other types of self-development services, therapists, counselors, and online support groups. You need to mention such competition as well.

For each such competitor, provide an overview of their business and document their strengths and weaknesses. Unless you once worked at your competitors’ businesses, it will be impossible to know everything about them. But you should be able to find out key things about them such as

• What types of clients do they serve?
• What type of coaching business are they?
• What is their pricing (premium, low, etc.)?
• What are they good at?
• What are their weaknesses?

With regards to the last two questions, think about your answers from the customers’ perspective. And don’t be afraid to ask your competitors’ customers what they like most and least about them.

The final part of your competitive analysis section is to document your areas of competitive advantage. For example:

• Will you make it easier for clients to acquire your services?
• Will you offer services that your competition doesn’t?
• Will you provide better customer service?
• Will you offer better pricing?

Think about ways you will outperform your competition and document them in this section of your plan.  

Marketing Plan

Traditionally, a marketing plan includes the four P’s: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. For a coaching business plan, your marketing strategy should include the following:

Product : In the product section, you should reiterate the type of coaching company that you documented in your company overview. Then, detail the specific products or services you will be offering. For example, will you provide performance coaching, executive coaching, health and wellness coaching, or career coaching services?

Price : Document the prices you will offer and how they compare to your competitors. Essentially in the product and price sub-sections of your plan, you are presenting the services you offer and their prices.

Place : Place refers to the site of your coaching company. Document where your company is situated and mention how the site will impact your success. For example, is your coaching business located in a busy retail district, a business district, a standalone office, or purely online? Discuss how your site might be the ideal location for your customers.

Promotions : The final part of your coaching marketing plan is where you will document how you will drive potential customers to your location(s). The following are some promotional methods you might consider:

• Advertise in local papers, radio stations and/or magazines
• Reach out to websites
• Distribute flyers
• Engage in email marketing
• Advertise on social media platforms
• Improve the SEO (search engine optimization) on your website for targeted keywords

Operations Plan

While the earlier sections of your business plan explained your goals, your operations plan describes how you will meet them. Your operations plan should have two distinct sections as follows.

Everyday short-term processes include all of the tasks involved in running your coaching business, including answering calls, planning and providing coaching sessions, billing clients and collecting payments, etc.

Long-term goals are the milestones you hope to achieve. These could include the dates when you expect to book your Xth session, or when you hope to reach $X in revenue. It could also be when you expect to expand your coaching business to a new city.  

Management Team

To demonstrate your coaching business’ potential to succeed, a strong management team is essential. Highlight your key players’ backgrounds, emphasizing those skills and experiences that prove their ability to grow a company.

Ideally, you and/or your team members have direct experience in managing coaching businesses. If so, highlight this experience and expertise. But also highlight any experience that you think will help your business succeed.

If your team is lacking, consider assembling an advisory board. An advisory board would include 2 to 8 individuals who would act as mentors to your business. They would help answer questions and provide strategic guidance. If needed, look for advisory board members with experience in coaching or running a small business.  

Financial Plan

Your financial plan should include your 5-year financial statement broken out both monthly or quarterly for the first year and then annually. Your financial statements include your income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statements.

Income Statement

An income statement is more commonly called a Profit and Loss statement or P&L. It shows your revenue and then subtracts your costs to show whether you turned a profit or not.

In developing your income statement, you need to devise assumptions. For example, will you see 5 clients per day, and/or offer group coaching sessions? And will sales grow by 2% or 10% per year? As you can imagine, your choice of assumptions will greatly impact the financial forecasts for your business. As much as possible, conduct research to try to root your assumptions in reality.

Balance Sheets

Balance sheets show your assets and liabilities. While balance sheets can include much information, try to simplify them to the key items you need to know about. For instance, if you spend $50,000 on building out your coaching business, this will not give you immediate profits. Rather it is an asset that will hopefully help you generate profits for years to come. Likewise, if a lender writes you a check for $50,000, you don’t need to pay it back immediately. Rather, that is a liability you will pay back over time.

Cash Flow Statement

Your cash flow statement will help determine how much money you need to start or grow your business, and ensure you never run out of money. What most entrepreneurs and business owners don’t realize is that you can turn a profit but run out of money and go bankrupt.

When creating your Income Statement and Balance Sheets be sure to include several of the key costs needed in starting or growing a coaching business:

• Cost of utilities, internet service, and office supplies
• Payroll or salaries paid to staff
• Business insurance
• Other start-up expenses (if you’re a new business) like legal expenses, permits, computer software, and office furniture

Attach your full financial projections in the appendix of your plan along with any supporting documents that make your plan more compelling. For example, you might include your office location lease or a list of payment forms you accept.  

Writing a business plan for your coaching business is a worthwhile endeavor. If you follow the template above, by the time you are done, you will truly be an expert. You will understand the coaching industry, your competition, and your customers. You will develop a marketing strategy and will understand what it takes to launch and grow a successful coaching business.

Coaching Business Plan Template FAQs

What is the easiest way to complete my coaching business plan.

Growthink's Ultimate Business Plan Template allows you to quickly and easily write your coaching business plan.

Where Can I Download a Sample Life Coach Business Plan PDF?

You can download our sample life coach business plan pdf here.

How Do You Start a Coaching Business?

Starting a coaching business is easy with these 14 steps:

• Choose the Name for Your Coaching Business
• Create Your Coaching Business Plan
• Choose the Legal Structure for Your Coaching Business
• Secure Startup Funding for Your Coaching Business (If Needed)
• Secure a Location for Your Business
• Register Your Coaching Business with the IRS
• Open a Business Bank Account
• Get a Business Credit Card
• Get the Required Business Licenses and Permits
• Get Business Insurance for Your Coaching Business
• Buy or Lease the Right Coaching Business Equipment
• Develop Your Coaching Business Marketing Materials
• Purchase and Setup the Software Needed to Run Your Coaching Business
• Open for Business

Learn more about how to start your own coaching business .

Don’t you wish there was a faster, easier way to finish your Coaching business plan?

OR, Let Us Develop Your Plan For You

Since 1999, Growthink has developed business plans for thousands of companies who have gone on to achieve tremendous success.   Click here to see how a Growthink business planning consultant can create your business plan for you.

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September 02, 2022 - Coaching Business

How To Market Your Coaching Business: 9 Effective Strategies

Boost your coaching business with 9 marketing strategies and actionable tips to improve your marketing efforts and attract more leads..

This is a guest post by Libby Hogan from Coach Connect Australia

We all know that even if you're an amazing coach or consultant, you need a solid marketing strategy to be able to attract clients and run a successful coaching business.

The kicker though is knowing what to do and how to do it right. And unless you're a marketing coach specifically, this can be an understandable challenge for many.

The good news is there is an abundance of different ways to market your coaching business. And do so not only within a budget that works for you but also with what's in line with your strengths, and the target audience you wish to reach.

Hi, my name is Libby and I'm a web designer, marketing strategist and coach in training. I specialise in helping coaches, like you, to build the business you really want, and live the life you dream about.

In this article, I explore 9 popular marketing strategies that you can use for your coaching business. As well as provide handy, actionable tips to improve your marketing efforts so you can attract more leads.

Article Contents:

Marketing Strategies: Common Misconceptions Choosing which strategies are best for your business to reach more potential clients Before you launch any marketing activities, know who your ideal clients are!

Marketing Strategies:

• Instagram, Facebook Pages & Facebook Groups
• Start Your Own Blog and Guest Blogging
• List Your Business on Directory Websites
• Create a Strategy-Driven Website
• Speaking Gigs
• Be a Podcast Host or Guest
• Networking Groups
• Email Marketing
• Paid Advertising

Final thoughts: How to market your coaching business effectively

Marketing Strategies: Common Misconceptions

First, let's dispel some myths to get in the right mindset. In my time speaking with other coaches, a lot of misconceptions would often come up about marketing strategies for their business:

They associate marketing with having to be "salesy" or even "sleazy".

The best way to get extra clients is through paid advertising.

You absolutely have to have multiple social accounts and do Reels, Facebook lives, YouTube videos and [ insert every other medium that is every introvert's worst nightmare here ]. 😱

You should be posting on all the different social media platforms, multiple times a day, every day.

Your marketing efforts should include: [ whatever Insta's latest marketing guru is flogging here ].

Gah, no wonder so many get turned off by marketing. More good news though,  none of this is true.  So, as the old adage goes, ' stop  shoulding  yourself to death! '

Sure, there are foundations that are consistent in the marketing industry but there are no hard and fast rules. Even if you're in the same industry and have the same niche as another business, what works and doesn't work for them, won't be the same for you.

What makes you unique and special, is also what makes your business special.

So, give yourself permission to take a breath, and not put any unnecessary pressure on yourself.

Choosing Which Strategies Are Best For Your Business To Reach More Potential Clients

With numerous options to choose from to market your coaching business and every guru, each saying theirs is a " must-have ", finding what's right can be difficult. My advice - ignore all the noise and shiny objects, and answer the following 3 simple questions:

What's in line with your strengths:  Seriously, if you suck at making videos but are great at content marketing, give priority to your content marketing! You'll be able to do it well and more importantly, be more  motivated to be consistent  with it... and consistency is the key.

What will resonate with your target audience:  There's no point posting on Twitter for example if none of your ideal clients hang out on that particular social media platform. Plus, you don't just want to reach any and all clients, you need to  connect with your ideal clients.

What works with your budget:  While we don't always want to admit it, budget is often a factor, especially if you are a new business. There's no need to break the bank though when so many  effective, free marketing strategies are available.  Find what is comfortable for where your business is now. You can always re-evaluate investing in new marketing strategies down the road.

Before You Launch Any Marketing Activities, Know Who Your Ideal Clients Are!

I can't stress enough how important it is to have complete clarity on who your ideal client is. Without this knowledge, you won't know what they really need, let alone how to create compelling content that resonates with them.

Before you can market anything effectively, you need to understand your ideal customer completely. Then, integrate this knowledge across your entire coaching business and marketing strategies.

If you haven't defined your ideal customers yet, or if you're messaging isn't quite landing, I've already written another article about this which will help. In it, we explore the importance of defining your ideal customers so you can confidently create marketing strategies that work.

Check it out here 👉  Successful marketing: It starts with your ideal customer

Now, let's dive into the different ways you can market your coaching business. And remember, you don't have to use ALL of these. Hone in on the ones that are  best for your business.

Marketing Strategy #1. Instagram, Facebook Pages & Facebook Groups

Having an appealing social media profile legitimizes your business and is an effective way to attract followers and reach new potential clients. With best practices in place, the multitude of free options is almost always sufficient for many coaches.

If you want to reach even more clients though, paid ads are a cost-effective option. ( discussed further below )

Plus, you can be found in multiple ways. Such as through keyword searches, hashtags and even by scrolling through other social media accounts to see who they are following.

Joining Facebook groups is also an easy way to increase brand awareness and start building your network. Like guest posting, this is an easy way to leverage someone else's larger, more established audience.

Social Media Pro Tips:

Optimise your profile on all social accounts with a great headshot and make it clear what you do and what your niche is.

Take the time to create relevant content your current and potential coaching clients will gain value from.

Social media is a social network, so get in and participate. Don't expect people to engage with your business if you don't return the favour. It's a great opportunity to get the conversations rolling and start building strong relationships with your potential customers.

Leverage the power of social media apps and scheduling tools to make posting consistently easier. My personal favourites are  Later  and the  Meta Business Suite Planner.

Facebook Groups:  As above, it’s important to engage with Facebook group members as much as possible in order for them to take you seriously and view you as an authority figure in your industry.

Marketing Strategy #2. Start Your Own Blog And Guest Blogging

Blogging is an effective form of content marketing to attract new clients. It gives you a consistent platform to share your ideas, build your reputation as an expert in your field, and establish yourself as an authority in your industry.

Furthermore, each new blog post can help potential clients understand what services you offer, how much value you can give your customers, what kind of results they can expect and all that before they even opened their wallets.

If your own blog readership is low, guest posting is another option that ticks a lot of boxes:

Contributing an article to a more established site allows you to reach a larger audience and build your credibility and authority.

You get a link back to your own website which is beneficial for SEO.

The blog post will continue to drive organic traffic to your website for as long as it remains published.

In return, the host website gets valuable content to serve their own audience, as well as drive more traffic to their own website, and all with minimal effort on their part. It's a fantastic win-win situation.

Marketing Strategy #3. List Your Business On Directory Websites

Listing your coaching business with online directories is quick, affordable and an effective way to target specific online consumers.

Directory websites have a number of benefits in helping you to to reach more coaching clients, such as:

They allow you to gain an instant online presence, particularly helpful if you don't have a website yet.

It can give your own website an SEO boost.

Niche directories help to build your credibility and provide social proof ( for example by including client reviews or through guest posting ).

Pricing varies but most offer plans where you should only need to gain 1-2 new clients per year to get a return on your investment, on top of the benefits mentioned above. So, the cost-benefit is incredibly good.

Directory Website Pro Tips:

Like all of your marketing activities, directory listings are not a magic wand. You have to do your part also in optimising them:

Make sure you have appealing content that is SEO optimized.

Ensure you have a strategy in place to make it easy for potential clients to take the next step with you, such as offering a free consultation or free coaching, getting them into your sales funnel, or something as simple as just getting them to visit your website.

Always keep track of all your directory listings and ensure your business's content is always up to date, relevant and fresh.

As long as the websites are reputable, don't be afraid to list in multiple directories, the more online awareness you have the better.

Listing on directory websites specifically for coaches is a no-brainer in terms of not just expanding your reach, but in gaining higher quality, targeted leads for your business.

Shameless plug - my website  Coach Connect Australia  is specifically for coaches and consultants within Australia and has over a dozen categories to niche down even further.

Marketing Strategy #4. Create A Strategy-Driven Website

A website allows you to showcase your knowledge, credentials, experience, services and success stories, making it an effective means of establishing the credibility of your coaching business and authority in your industry.

Having a website isn't enough on its own though, in addition to being visually appealing and functional, a conversion-focused strategy is a must-have for successfully converting visitors into clients.

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Website Pro Tips:

Make it easy to use and navigate.

Make sure it loads as quickly as possible, everything works and no broken links.

Avoid unnecessary bells & whistles, they just distract from the important stuff!

Mobile responsiveness is a MUST.

Have a robust, value-based content marketing plan for each primary page of your site.

Include social proof ( testimonials, reviews etc .).

Include CTA's ( Call To Action ) to create more touchpoints and to start building know, like and trust.

Utilise the power of lead magnets: Create a free offer ( checklist, guide, etc. ) that gives your potential client lots of value and an easy quick win. Make sure it’s integrated with your email list so you can build the relationship from there.

Be searchable. SEO ( Search Engine Optimisation ) is an ongoing effort for every online coaching business. For example, research and implement relevant keywords into your content and inbound marketing efforts, include alt tags in all your images, gain reputable backlinks and so on.

Marketing Strategy #5. Speaking Gigs

Similar to joining a relevant Facebook group, speaking gigs are a great way to introduce yourself to your host's audience. They allow you to increase brand awareness, build connections and networks, and possibly even gain media attention.

Plus, once you have provided value and gained credibility, it's a great platform to promote your services. Such as a free workshop, your coaching programs, or offering a free session.

Speaking Gig Pro Tips:

Focus on providing massive value first, before talking about any of your coaching services. Serve first, sell second.

As always, align yourself with an event that has the same target audience as you

Know upfront what other business owners will also be speaking about so you can make sure your content is differentiated from theirs.

Marketing Strategy #6. Be A Podcast Host Or Guest

With our on-the-go lifestyles, the popularity of podcasting has grown exponentially over the last few years.

For a coaching business specifically, the platform allows you to connect with customers on a much deeper level as the listener can hear the passion in your voice and the emotion behind your words.

If that's not your forte, having your own podcast is not a must. Instead, you could consider appearing as a guest on someone else's and still reach a large audience and provide massive value from there.

Guest podcasting Pro Tips:

Before you even approach a podcaster, be sure to listen to at least 2-3 podcasts to get a good sense of their content and so you’re well prepared to participate.

Only approach channels that have the same target audiences as you.

Have a look through their reviews so you can get a good idea of what the listeners like ( and don't like ) about the show.

Get your tech sorted. Nothing worse than low-quality audio!

Marketing Strategy #7. Networking Groups

Networking is another great way to gain more exposure, especially to your local area for in-person events.

You can try your local BNI chapter, local business chambers, or other business groups. Or, you can try social media groups to find other online communities.

Networking groups Pro Tips:

Have a goal. What do you actually want to achieve by going? Don't just go to these events because you have been told that you should. Set a purpose, so you remain focused on it, rather than just aimlessly wandering around.

Have a solid elevator pitch prepared and ready before you go.

Whilst many predominantly run an online coaching business, business cards are still handy for in-person events and make it easy to remember your name, website etc.

Dress the part - you want to be comfortable but also give a good impression.

Use your coaching skills! Listen and ask good questions.

Marketing Strategy #8. Email Marketing

Email is one of the most effective ways to reach out to potential clients and stay in touch with existing ones. It provides a great way for you to share content with your audience, build relationships, and promote your services to new and past clients alike.

Plus, it's relatively easy to set up and manage as long as you invest in a reputable email management system, for example,  MailChimp ,  Aweber  or  Klaviyo.

Email marketing Pro Tips:

Create an opt-in list that allows people who visit your website to sign up for news about upcoming events or webinars. This gives them an opportunity to learn more about what you have going on without being pushy or spammy

Send emails that contain valuable information that might interest readers who aren't necessarily looking for coaching specifically but might still benefit by learning something new. This is a great way to build trust.

Personalised emails (i.e. where you use their name within the content or subject line ) have better opening and click rates. As do interactive emails, (e.g. including a video )

Be realistic.  Our inboxes are overflowing so don't be discouraged if not everyone reads all of your newsletters. For example, according to 2022 statistics from  Oberlo, the average open rate for a welcome email  is only eight percent.

Marketing Strategy #9. Paid Advertising

Paid ads are one of the most effective ways to gain more clients for your business and build your brand. Plus, you can decide upfront exactly how much you want to spend and you can refine the targeting options to very specific audiences.

So, if you've got a budget for it, here are some great places to start:

Google Adwords

We all know it and we all use Google. So it just makes sense that boosting your business there has a strong chance of giving you a solid ROI.

There are multiple ad options to choose from including text, image, videos etc. plus multiple budget choices such as impressions versus clicks. Between that and what can be a very complicated-looking dashboard, this can be overwhelming for some.

So, if you do want to utilize this service, my advice is to first get yourself familiar with the foundations and basic terms. Then, set a small budget to begin with and use that as a low-risk, learning opportunity before diving in further.

If you're new to Google AdWords,  Neil Patel offers a great overview and step-by-step guide  to help you get started. And, Google itself offers a very handy  checklist to follow here.

This social media giant is the largest so there's already a lot of noise out there and it's true, reach is getting harder and harder.

It is still a good option though in that it can work with any budget, targeting options can be as specific as you need, and the insights make it easy to refine and optimize your campaigns.

With over 2 billion monthly active users Instagram is another great option to promote your business. Like Facebook, budget choices, targeting options and insights are very good.

For example, say you're a health coach that works with Australian mums over 40 who want to lose weight. You can create a social media campaign that targets that specific demographic, and within a budget you choose.

Did you know that YouTube is the second largest search engine?! As such it's getting a tonne of traffic and it's not all funny cat videos and such. A lot of users come to YouTube for a variety of purposes such as education, inspiration, and motivation... which is right up your alley!

Interested? Check out this video:  YouTube Marketing in 2022: A Complete Beginner's Guide

Being a work-centric space, this is a haven of quality clients for business coaches and the like. It can be expensive, but if this is where the ideal customers for your niche are, then it should be a worthwhile investment.

Final Thoughts: How To Market Your Coaching Business Effectively

I hope this article has given you a good overview of the different ways that you can promote your coaching business effectively and attract more potential clients.

Each strategy could warrant an individual article on its own (e.g. for each social media platform), so this is really just a taster to give you inspiration, and motivation to get started.

As you go through each strategy, think about how it might fit into your overall marketing plan. The idea is not to use all of them (that would be exhausting!), but to hone in on the activities that work best for  your business  and  your ideal clients.

I suggest starting with at least 3. Educate yourself on the foundational details and best practices and get in there and just start experimenting.

Finally, don't be afraid to delegate! There are experts who specialise in every single advertising option mentioned above. By hiring a pro, not only will you get the most out of your investment, but your time and energy will be free to do what you do best... coaching!

Libby Hogan

Libby is a web designer, marketing strategist and coach in training. She specialises in helping coaches to build the business they really want, and live the life they dream about.

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How to Craft your coaching business plan in 7 simple Steps (+ FREE Template)

January 4, 2024

May 8, 2024

Are you eager to launch your coaching business but feeling overwhelmed about where to start?

You’re not alone! 

In this article, I’ll help you understand what a coaching business plan involves. I’ll provide you with a coaching business plan template and also teach you how to shape it so that it mirrors your vision and goals. I’ll walk you through every step to ensure you create a successful coaching business plan tailored to your niche.

Let’s dive into the world of business planning, where clarity meets strategy.

In Brief : How to Craft your coaching business plan in 7 simple Steps

• Step 1: 📝 Executive Summary – Craft a compelling summary that encapsulates your business vision, mission, and core elements like the business name, owner, and location, setting the stage for what follows.
• Step 2: 🗂️ Business Description – Detail your coaching services, niche, and operational mechanics. Explain how these elements work together to meet the needs of your clientele.
• Step 3: 🔍 Market Analysis – Conduct a thorough analysis of your target market and competition. Use this data to tailor your services and pinpoint market opportunities.
• Step 4: 📈 Create a Marketing Strategy – Develop a comprehensive marketing plan that includes digital and traditional methods to attract and retain clients, ensuring your brand stands out.
• Step 5: ⚙️ Operations Plan – Outline your business’s operational structure, including the logistics of daily operations and the roles of your team members.
• Step 6: 💰 Financial Planning – Forecast your business’s financial health with detailed budgeting, pricing strategies, and expected financial outcomes.
• Step 7: 🚀 Review and Implement – Regularly review and refine your business plan to ensure it remains relevant and effective

Do You Need a Coaching Business Plan?

A few years ago, I was just like you—excited yet baffled about the right steps to take in starting my coaching business. I dabbled in social media, attended conferences, tried podcasting, and explored various other avenues. 

Despite my efforts, the results were far from what I needed. It felt like I was constantly moving, but not in the right direction.

Then it clicked. I realized that diving headfirst into business without a well-thought-out plan was like sailing without a compass. 

So, I took a step back and started from scratch, this time with a clear strategy in mind. I laid out a business plan that not only guided my business to success but also continues to guide me today.

Starting a coaching business can be an exciting venture , but without a clear plan, it’s easy to lose direction and focus. A business plan helps you outline your business objectives and also provides a roadmap to achieve them. 

Here’s why a business plan is vital for a coaching business:

• Clarity and Direction : A business plan defines your coaching business’s purpose and sets clear goals. This clarity guides your decisions and keeps you focused on long-term goals.
• Understanding Your Market : Who are your potential clients? What are their needs and how can your coaching services meet those needs? Analyzing the market helps you tailor your offerings. It also helps you stand out from competitors. This ensures your services are in demand.
• Attracting Investors and Funding : Investors want to know that their money is going into a venture. The venture must have a clear plan to make a profit. This will give potential investors the confidence to back your business.
• Measuring Progress and Success : A business plan sets a baseline for measuring your progress. Setting clear goals and milestones helps you track progress and adjust strategies as needed. This ongoing review keeps you on track and informs smart decisions that drive your business forward.
• Risk Management : All businesses, including coaching ones, face risks. A business plan helps predict and manage these risks, making it easier to handle challenges. It prepares you for economic downturns, shifts in consumer behavior, and new competitors. This proactive approach protects against unexpected problems.

How To Create Your Coaching Business Plan

A well-structured business plan outlines every critical component of your operation, from your business identity and client demographics to your financial management and growth strategy.

Before we jump straight into the coaching business template , let’s understand the structure of your coaching business plan:

• Step 1: Craft your Executive Summary
• Step 2: Business Description
• Step 3: Market Analysis
• Step 4: Create a Marketing and Sales Strategy
• Step 5: Operations Plan
• Step 6: Financial Planning
• Step 7: Review and Implement

1. Crafting Your Executive Summary

To start your coaching business, begin with a powerful executive summary in your business plan. This section is like the front cover of a book—it needs to captivate and inform.

Here’s how to craft an executive summary that sets the stage for a compelling business plan:

• Business Name and Location : Clearly state the name of your coaching business and where you are based. This basic info introduces your business.
• Services Offered : Describe the types of coaching you provide. You might specialize in life coaching, career coaching, or another niche. Give a snapshot of what you offer.
• Mission Statement : Your mission statement should reflect the core values and purpose of your business. It tells your audience what your business stands for and what you aim to achieve.
• Vision Statement : This is about the future. Where do you see your coaching business going? What impact do you want to make? Your vision statement paints a picture of the future you are working towards.
• Goals and Objectives : Jot down your short-term and long-term objectives for your coaching business using the SMART criteria—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound . Short-term goals might include reaching a certain number of clients. Or, they might include achieving a set income within the first year. Long-term goals could involve expanding your services nationally. Or, they could involve developing a franchise model.

2. Business Description

Here, you explain what your business does, how it operates, and what it aims to achieve.

This section gives context for the rest of the business plan. It helps stakeholders understand your business at a detailed level.

Choose Your Niche

Choosing a coaching niche and specifying your services are key . This sets your business apart.

Detail your target market. Whether you focus on life, executive, or health coaching, each meets unique client needs. Focus on demographics like age, profession, or specific challenges. Your coaching addresses those challenges.

Explain how your services are tailored to meet these needs, and discuss your business’s competitive edge. List your services in this field. Include personal coaching, group workshops, and online courses.

Also, showcase what makes you unique. For example, you might have a special coaching method. Or, you could be highly skilled in a popular coaching area.

Business Structure

The structure of your coaching business can greatly impact its operations and growth. You may operate as a sole proprietorship, a partnership, or a corporation. Each type has its own implications.

A sole proprietorship is easy to start and gives you full control. But it also leaves you fully liable for debts. On the other hand, a corporation shields you from debt and can attract investors. It does this through its structure and ability to sell shares. However, corporations face more rules and taxes.

Choose the structure that fits your business goals. Consider how it affects liability, taxation, and investment.

Business Model

Your coaching business can adopt various models to deliver its services, depending on your target market and your expertise:

• One-on-One Coaching: Tailored specifically to individual clients to address personal or professional goals. This model allows for deep, personalized work and can be conducted in person, over the phone, or via video conferencing.
• Group Sessions: These sessions bring together multiple clients who share similar goals or challenges. Group coaching is effective for workshops, seminars, and regular meetings, offering the added benefit of peer learning and support.
• Online Courses: Providing digital courses allows clients to engage with your coaching material at their own pace. This model can include video lectures, downloadable resources, and interactive elements like quizzes or forums.

Value Proposition

What sets your coaching services apart is your unique value proposition.

For instance, your approach might integrate cutting-edge psychological research, or perhaps you offer a unique blend of strategies drawn from various disciplines such as mindfulness, behavioral science, and leadership training.

Maybe your services are particularly tailored to a niche market, such as startup entrepreneurs or corporate executives facing burnout.

Highlighting this uniqueness in your business plan helps potential clients and investors understand why your coaching services are not just necessary but highly desirable.

3. Market Analysis

A thorough market analysis is crucial. It helps you understand your environment. You can identify opportunities and challenges. Then, you can make strategies. These strategies use your strengths to meet market demands.

This part of your business plan will show the whole market. It will offer key insights. These insights will help you set real goals and grow in a lasting way.

Identify your Target Market

Identifying your target market involves defining the specific group of people who are most likely to benefit from your coaching services. Key aspects to consider include:

• Demographics: Age, gender, profession, income level, and educational background. For instance, your services might cater primarily to mid-level professionals aged 30–50.
• Psychographics: Values, interests, lifestyle, and personality traits. For example, this might include people who value personal development, are career-focused, and seek work-life balance.
• Location: Whether your target market is local, regional, national, or global. Online coaching services can broaden your geographical reach compared to traditional in-person sessions.

Market Need

This section details the specific needs your coaching services address.

Are your clients looking for career advancement, personal growth, better stress management, or improved leadership skills?

Understanding these needs allows you to tailor your offerings effectively.

For example, if there is a high demand for stress management techniques among corporate workers in your area, your coaching could focus on mindfulness and resilience training.

Analyze your Competition

Analyzing your competitors helps you understand the current market landscape and identify what sets your coaching apart. Consider the following:

• Who are your main competitors? Look at other coaching services in your niche.
• What services do they offer? Understanding their offerings helps you spot gaps in the market.
• What are their strengths and weaknesses? This can help you learn from their successes and capitalize on areas where they may fall short.

SWOT Analysis

A SWOT Analysis is a strategic method used to evaluate the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.

Use it to analyze your coaching business:

• Strengths: What advantages does your coaching business have? This could be a unique coaching methodology, a strong personal brand, or deep expertise in a niche area.
• Weaknesses: What areas need improvement? This might include limited market presence or lack of full-time coaching staff.
• Opportunities: Look for external factors that could be advantageous for your business. This could include increasing demand for mental health services or expanding into online coaching.
• Threats: Identify potential challenges that could hinder your business’s success. These might include new competitors entering the market or changes in regulatory laws affecting coaching services.

4. Marketing and Sales Strategies

An effective marketing and sales strategy is critical for the success of any coaching business. This part of your business plan outlines how you will attract and keep clients.

It details your approaches to reaching your target market and turning leads into paying customers. The right strategy boosts visibility. It also improves client engagement and loyalty.

A well-crafted marketing plan is essential. It sets clear goals and identifies the best tactics to reach them. It ensures your marketing is consistent, targeted, and effective. They help build brand recognition and trust.

Developing your coaching brand involves creating a distinctive identity that resonates with your target audience and sets you apart from competitors.

Key elements include:

• Brand Message: What are the core messages you want to convey? This could be your commitment to helping clients achieve specific goals, like improving leadership skills or finding work-life balance.
• Visual Identity: Includes your logo, color scheme, and overall visual style. These should reflect the tone and ethos of your coaching practice.
• Brand Voice: How you communicate in written and spoken words, which should consistently reflect your values and appeal to your target audience.

Marketing Channels

To reach your potential clients effectively, utilize a mix of marketing channels tailored to where your audience spends their time:

• Social Media: Platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook can help build community and engagement. Tailor your content strategy to each platform to maximize reach and engagement.
• Speaking Engagements: Presenting at conferences or local events can establish you as an expert in your field and attract clients looking for proven guidance.
• Networking: Building relationships through industry groups or local business events can lead to referrals and new client opportunities.
• SEO: Optimize your website and content for search engines to attract organic traffic. Focus on keywords that potential clients might use to find coaching services.

Effective marketing can significantly boost your coaching business, attracting a steady stream of clients. It not only draws attention but also captures and retains interest

Sales Strategy

Converting potential clients into paying clients requires a clear sales process:

• Initial Consultation: Offer a free or discounted initial consultation to introduce potential clients to your coaching style and the benefits of your services.
• Follow-Up: After the consultation, follow up with a personalized message that summarizes how you can help them achieve their goals.
• Special Offers: Consider time-limited offers or package deals to encourage sign-ups.

Set up a sales funnel. A sales funnel is a process that guides potential clients from their first interaction with your brand through various stages of engagement until they make a purchase.

It starts with awareness, often through your marketing efforts, and progresses to interest (engaging with content), decision (attending a consultation), and finally action (purchasing a coaching package). 

5. Operations Plan

The Operational Plan section of your business plan provides a detailed look at how your coaching business works. This section outlines the day-to-day operations that support your coaching business.

This includes preparing for client sessions, both scheduled and ad-hoc and follow-up activities for each session, client communication, and administrative tasks like scheduling, billing, and client records management. 

It’s important to specify how these tasks are handled and by whom, as well as any business hours or response time commitments you make to your clients.

Business Location

Where you operate your business significantly shapes how it runs. Specify whether you offer your coaching services online, offline , or in a hybrid model:

Technology Used

Technology is crucial in running a modern coaching business efficiently. List the specific technologies and software you utilize for various business functions:

• Client Management Systems : Software for scheduling , session notes, and client progress tracking.
• Communication Tools : Tools used for client communication, such as email platforms, video conferencing tools, and instant messaging apps.
• Marketing and Sales Software : CRM systems for managing leads, marketing automation tools, and analytics platforms.

Staff and Resources

Finally, detail any staff or additional resources needed to operate your business effectively. This includes any administrative support, marketing personnel, or additional coaches. 

If you handle most operations solo, discuss any outsourced services you might need, such as virtual assistants, accountants, or IT support.

6. Financial Planning

The Financial Plan is a critical section of your business plan. It is crucial for both potential investors and for you as the owner.

It shows that your coaching business is financially viable. It gives a roadmap for financial success.

This section is crucial for securing funding. It shows you understand your business’s finances.

Startup Costs

Outline all initial costs required to start your coaching business. This includes any licensing fees, initial marketing expenses, technology setup costs, office equipment, and any other expenditures necessary to launch your business.

Pricing Strategy

Set your prices for your coaching services based on the value you provide, the demands of your target market, and your competitors’ pricing. You can also offer different pricing tiers based on the length and depth of the coaching provided or discounts for upfront payments for a series of sessions.

Revenue Projections

Project your revenues over the next three to five years. Base these estimates on your market analysis, including expected client numbers, session pricing, and any additional revenue streams like workshops or online courses.

Break-even Analysis:

Calculate when the business expects to break even. This analysis should consider all fixed costs (like rent and salaries) and variable costs (such as session materials or payment processing fees) against expected revenue streams. The break-even point is the moment when total revenues equal total costs, indicating when the business starts to generate profit beyond recovering its initial and operational costs.

Think of it like this: if you have a lemonade stand, you need to know how many cups of lemonade you have to sell to pay for all your supplies and costs. The moment you’ve sold enough cups to cover all your expenses, you hit your “break-even point.” That means you’re not losing money anymore, and any more lemonade you sell after that starts to make you profit.

7. Review and Implement

Once you’ve finalized your coaching business plan, the next steps are critical: reviewing the plan carefully and implementing it effectively.

This ensures that your business is built on a solid foundation and is ready to adapt to challenges and opportunities. Here’s how to approach these important phases:

Reviewing Your Business Plan

• Thorough Read-through: Start by reading your business plan thoroughly from start to finish. This helps you ensure that the plan is cohesive and all parts align well with each other.
• Seek External Feedback: It’s invaluable to get perspectives from trusted mentors, industry peers, or potential investors. They can provide insights that you might have missed and suggest improvements. Consider feedback from people who understand the coaching industry as well as those who might be part of your target audience.
• Revise for Clarity and Accuracy: Based on the feedback and your own assessments, make necessary revisions. This could involve clarifying certain sections, adding missing details, or correcting any inaccuracies. Ensure your financial forecasts and market analysis are realistic and based on the latest available data.
• Finalize the Document: Once revisions are made, finalize the formatting, proofread for grammatical errors, and ensure that the document is professionally presented.

Implementing Your Business Plan

Now that your business plan is meticulously crafted, it’s time to bring it to life. This step might seem a bit overwhelming, but it’s essential for growing your coaching business.

The great news is, you’re not in this alone. We’re here not just to support you but to actively participate in your journey.

Our role extends beyond mere guidance; we’re here to help build your business. While you concentrate on what you do best—coaching and transforming lives—we’ll handle the operational details. From identifying your niche to marketing execution, we’ve got you covered .

As we wrap up, I hope the insights shared here have empowered you to create a structured and effective business plan for your coaching venture.

Crafting a solid plan is crucial, not just for guiding your business but for adapting as your enterprise grows.

If you have any questions about the business planning process or wish to share your own experiences and insights, feel free to leave a comment below.

Resources for your Coaching Business Plan

As a coach, it’s crucial to have the right resources at your fingertips.

We’ve put together a curated list to support your journey to craft your custom coaching business plan.

Your Custom Template

To get your FREE custom Coaching Business Plan Template, click on the “Download Your Coaching Business Plan” Button

Other resources

Financial planning and management tools.

• QuickBooks : An accounting software ideal for small businesses to manage accounts with ease.
• Mint : Helps with personal and business financial planning and budgeting.
• Microsoft Excel / Google Sheets – Spreadsheet tools that are essential for financial analysis, including creating detailed financial projections and budgets.

Software and Online Platforms

• LivePlan : This is an intuitive, user-friendly business plan software that guides you through the process of creating a detailed, investor-ready business plan. It offers templates, financial forecasts, and performance tracking tools.
• Bizplan : Bizplan makes the process of writing a business plan more efficient through step-by-step guidance, templates, and a modern, user-friendly interface that simplifies financial forecasting and business modeling.
• Enloop : This tool automatically writes and formats your business plan as you input information. It offers features like auto-generated financial reports and a real-time performance score to improve your plan.
• SMART Goals – A framework for setting objectives that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound, ensuring well-defined and attainable goals.
• SWOT Analysis – A strategic planning tool used to identify and understand the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats related to business competition or project planning.
• PEST Analysis – A framework for analyzing and monitoring the macro-environmental factors that may have a profound impact on an organization’s performance.
• Business Model Canvas – A strategic management template for developing new or documenting existing business models across nine key components.
• Value Proposition Canvas – A tool that helps businesses ensure that a product or service is positioned around what the customer values and needs.
• “ Co-Active Coaching: Changing Business, Transforming Lives ” by Henry Kimsey-House, Karen Kimsey-House, Phillip Sandahl, and Laura Whitworth – This book provides a foundational philosophy for professional coaching.
• “ Business Model Generation ” by Alexander Osterwalder & Yves Pigneur – A book that introduces practical tools for creating, analyzing, and reinventing business models, with visual methods for brainstorming.
• “ The Lean Startup ” by Eric Ries – A book that introduces methodologies for developing businesses and products in an efficient way by managing and directing startup activities toward the markets.

Legal Resources for Small Businesses

• U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) : Information on business registration, legal structures, and licenses.
• Gov.uk (for UK based businesses) : Guidance on starting and running a business in the UK, including legal obligations.

Each resource was chosen based on its practical utility, ease of access, and the most current information available.

From established industry platforms to cutting-edge tools and insightful publications, our editorial team has researched, fact-checked, and curated a diverse mix of resources to cater to various learning styles and needs.

This ensures you have access to the best tools and knowledge, helping you build a solid coaching business plan.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What are the steps of a business plan.

A coaching business plan includes the following steps – making a list of the strengths and weaknesses of the company, moving on to a SWOT analysis, outlining a short-term and long-term strategy, creating project benchmarks, and defining the key success factors. Another additional step is how to price the business and launch a new product.

What Must An Entrepreneur Do After Creating their Coaching Business Plan?

A list of tasks that entrepreneurs should complete after setting up their coaching business plan includes: obtaining startup capital, researching trade laws, reviewing business licenses, and choosing a company name.

What Is the Purpose of Writing a Business Plan Before Entering the Market?

Creating a coaching business plan before entering the market can prove beneficial because it allows entrepreneurs to look at the big picture of the company, from the way it will be run to its goals and general purposes. It also gives entrepreneurs an opportunity to look at what they need to do in order to successfully and efficiently run their business.

What Should I Include In A Business Plan?

Every business plan needs to include the questions and answers of these three fundamental issues: what do you want your company to accomplish, why should people buy what you sell, and how will you make it happen? It is important to take this opportunity to be very thorough with your business plan.

How to Make a Business Plan?

To make a business plan, you must know what kind of business you want it to be. You will need to research your market, competition, and finances. If you don’t, then you run the risk of running out of money or building a business that is unable to make a profit.

How Do You Draft A Coaching Plan?

You can draft a coaching plan through plenty of documents and templates that can be used as a guide to help you brainstorm and organize your own thoughts. One great resource is the Coaching Business Plan Workbook and Guide by Mary Baldwin and Amy Levin-Epstein.

How To Write A Business Plan Step By Step?

The precise step-by-step guide on how to write a business starts with first outlining what your business will be and what your long-term goal is. Next, it’s important to start with developing your company’s mission statement, detailing who your customer is and what they want. This is followed by conducting market research and researching your competition.

ABOUT SAI BLACKBYRN

I’m Sai Blackbyrn, better known as “The Coach’s Mentor.” I help Coaches like you establish their business online. My system is simple: close more clients at higher fees. You can take advantage of technology, and use it as a catalyst to grow your coaching business in a matter of weeks; not months, not years. It’s easier than you think.

4 thoughts on “How to Craft your coaching business plan in 7 simple Steps (+ FREE Template)”

This article was very simple and easy to follow. Extremely helpful. Just starting out so needed this kinda help.

Hi J Dawn, I’m glad you got great value from this piece. And since you are just starting out, the webinar would be extremely helpful to you so do register

Thank you so much, very insightful especially as I’m starting my coaching business.

Keep up the great work!

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Center for Coaching Certification

Marketing Plan Outline for a Coaching Business

Provided as an outline for you to write your marketing plan for your coaching business, this includes areas to cover and explanations on what to include.  

• Market Research Summary – written last, this is a global summary
• Market Size and Demand – include information on the potential client base and demand for your services and sales patterns
• Trends – what is the growth of your market
• Influencers – how the economy, business environment, and politics impact sales
• Strategies to Overcome Barriers – how specifically will you overcome barriers
• Target Market – include their demographics as well as their reasons for buying
• Competition – who else does what you do in your market, what do they charge, how do they compare
• Unique Selling Proposition – what makes your services special and different
• Branding – include your messaging and your design
• Description – describe what you offer succinctly and include your bio with education, coach training, and experience
• Pricing – how much will you charge for what you offer and what is your level of flexibility for negotiation
• Income Goals – when will you earn and how much
• Number of Clients Goals – how many individual, group, team, or corporate clients you want and how often
• Workshops or Seminars – a great way to earn money while also gaining new clients; what programs will you develop and market and how are they connected with your coaching niche

• Other Services ( Coaching Services , Consulting, Facilitation, Training, etc.) – what additional services will you offer and how will you both blend with and keep separate from your coaching services
• Products (Books, DVDs, White Papers, Newsletters, Training Materials) – what additional products will you offer and how will marketing them support offering your coaching services to new clients
• Expenses – part of your budget so here describe your marketing expenses including website, business cards, printed materials, travel for client meetings or networking, business dining for marketing purposes, product development , etc.
• Marketing Message – how are your mission statement and/or tagline perceived by your ideal client?
• Theme or Look – consistency counts: what logo, colors, font, and images will you use, how, and where
• Business Cards –information you will include (company name, your name, title, designations, niche, phone, email, website) and the font style and size you use to ensure readability, logos, colors, paper type, etc.
• Home Page – give the reader an easy way to find what they want
• Services – describe what you offer and how it works
• Products – describe what is available and how it is purchased
• Events – what is happening for the reader
• Testimonials – provide testimonials clients give you permission to use
• Contact – how they can contact you
• About – information about your company and/or your personal bio
• Website SEO – plan your key words, page titles, page descriptions, and content so that these are unique on each page, consistent, and match each other on the pages
• Inbound and Outbound Links – outbound links are easy – these are links from your page to other good websites offering helpful information or insight; inbound links are when other sites link to you and these happen with directory listings, guest blogs, publishing articles, social media, etc.
• Brochures or Flyers – whether these make sense depends on your target market, your opportunities, and your reasons to hand them printed materials
• Blogs – a blog connected to your website is a great way to consistently add new content and create new links – it is a commitment so decide if you will blog once or twice a week or month
• Publishing in a Book or Articles – publishing demonstrates expertise – a book creates visibility and articles online are a great way to create inbound links (Example: write a chapter for the Center for Coaching Certification book series Coaching Perspectives to learn the process, have content you can later publish elsewhere, gain credibility, and have a product you can sell)
• Networking – both online and face-to-face your willingness to get to know others and then share how what you offer helps them based on their interests makes a difference in your ability to grow your referrals and client base
• Referrals – how and when will you approach your network, clients, and contacts to ask for referrals
• Social Marketing – include your plans for LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, etc.
• Speaking, Training, or Facilitating – one of the best ways to gain new clients is to get in front of them or someone who knows them; guest presenting increases exposure (Example: give a webinar at the Center for Coaching Certification)

12. Timeline and Schedule – when specifically, will you start each action item, how much time will you dedicate to it, how long will you continue your efforts

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Table of contents

Life coaching is a promising and lucrative industry, and many coaches are now earning a significant amount of money with their tailored coaching business plans. If you, too, can help someone with your knowledge and life experiences, then it is the right time for you to start your own coaching business.

It is a smart idea to start your own coaching business, and there are several people out there who may need your help and can benefit from your experience. This guide will help you learn how to devise a business plan and make your mark in the coaching industry. Let's get right to it!

Note: If you are a coach, try Bonsai's full-suite of tools you can use to run your business. From task management, to time tracking, and tax, Bonsai's software has everything you need to manage your business. In fact, we have a whole library of pre-made templates to send coaching invoices , contracts and proposals. Try a 7-day free trial here .

What is a Coaching Business Plan?

If you want to create a coaching business, the first thing you need to do is to put together a business plan. Without a plan for your coaching business, you won't know what to do and in which order.

This is why it is absolutely necessary to have a foolproof life coaching business plan for a successful coaching business. Here is a step-by-step guide to help you get started on the right track.

Steps To Write A Life Coaching Business Plan

Here are all the steps you can use for a successful life coaching business.

Decide Your Vision

To tell your potential customers what you believe in and what your motive is, it is important to write down a vision and what motivated you to start this business.

This will help your customers understand why you want to deliver these services. Many customers consider coaches who are not just focused on their professional goals but also care for their students.

When writing the vision you need to add details such as what is the purpose behind your business and why should others care about it.

Work On Your Mission Statement

Every traditional business plan contains a mission statement and so should yours. A mission statement outlines what your business does. It can be described as the mission of your business.

The mission statement is not just important for your career coaching but it is also essential for your personal life. However, it is very important for you to be very transparent and crystal clear with your mission statement so your potential customers don't get mislead.

It can be difficult to write the mission statement on your own so it is best if you focus on answering things such as what are you hoping to accomplish at present and the future

Outline Your Coaching Services

Your business plan should include all the details of your business coaching details. Describe all your services in detail.

The details can include several things such as who are the recipients of your services. Each service may have a different recipient so it is essential for you to list all of them down. For instance, you can mention that a particular service is for middle-class parents or so on.

Other important details to include can be the pain points you will be catering to in your services. It is best to talk about the most powerful pain point right away so you have the attention of your customer segments instantly.

Your biggest aim should be to talk about something personal your audience is worried about and present your coaching as a solution.

Next, it is wise to include key features of your service. Doing this will help you attract customer attention and they will be interested to learn the exact steps that you will take to help the customers solve the problems they face.

Narrow Down Your Target Market

Now that you are done with the basics, let's move on to the next most important step. Identify your target audience using market research.

Knowing who your audience is very important and can help you come up with a very effective marketing plan. Without knowing who actually wants your service it can be difficult to appeal to the right kind of audience.

To understand what demographic needs your coaching you can use different research methods such as surveys, use reports and more.

This will help you identify all those people who suffer from the problems you are providing a solution for.

For instance, if you are providing coaching services to battle debt then your potential audience is a group of people who are in debt and can't seem to get out.

There are many advantages of identifying your customer base. Once you know who you are speaking to, you will know how to change or modify your coaching sessions to appeal to the audience in a better way.

Furthermore, it will also help you devise an effective marketing strategy designed exclusively for the target market.

Therefore, an in depth market analysis is essential to learn where your customers live, what their ages are and even what gender they fall under. The more detail you have the better it is as that can help you come up with a targeted marketing plan and coaching services.No

Note: if you are a coach, try Bonsai's full-suite of business tools to help you streamline your business. From invoice, tax, task, time tracking, to proposal templates for coaching , Bonsai has it all. Try a 7-day free trial here .

Design A Marketing Strategy

To get the attention of your audience and to market your coaching business it is important that you formulate a marketing strategy that will effectively help people notice your brand.

There are several marketing techniques you can use in your strategy but you need to make sure you choose the one that fits your coaching business the best.

Here are some of the common marketing techniques you can use to build your marketing strategy:

Search Engine Optimization

Search engine optimization is one of the most effective marketing strategies. Here, you can use different keywords and key phrases that will help your customers locate your website or services easily.

For instance, if you are providing coaching services for debt then you can smartly use different words in your content such as 'debt group coaching sessions' and every time a user searches for the term your content will pop up automatically.

Social Media Platforms

Social media platforms are the best place for you to talk about your coaching services. Most of us already have social media accounts and are very active on these platforms.

You do not need to go the audience to market your services, all you need to do is create a social media page and the audience will come to you.

However, you need to have an active presence there and share valuable content so your audience stays engaged. There are several social media platforms , choose the platforms where you can find most of your target audience.

For instance, if you are catering to the younger demographic then you can go for platforms such as Instagram and TikTok as these platforms have a higher population of the younger users.

Advertising

If you want immediate results and go for a more direct solution then it is better if you opt for paid advertising.

If you pay for ads your services will reach your audience much quicker than they would otherwise. More importantly, paid advertising will only show the ads to the potential customers rather than random people. This means that you will have better outcomes and and can expand your growth plan.

However, paid advertising can be expensive and you may need help from experts. You can hire professionals to handle paid advertising on your behalf and make sure they do it effectively.

Blogging is one of the most common ways to create awareness in your audience. There are multiple ways you can blog about your coaching business. You can either get another blog to feature your business or you can start a blog of your own.

Blogs are a great way to deliver content to your audience and you can incorporate your coaching services in these blogs. These blogs should have valuable content that must link with your subject and help your audience in the longer run. It is a smart decision to make blogging an important part of your coaching practice.

Email Marketing

Email marketing is an effective marketing strategy as any. You can build a mailing list and then send regular emails about your coaching sessions.

You can also give your audience a brief overview of your services so you can grab their attention so they are interested in coaching and sign up for more.

In the future you can also use this list to introduce more product and services to your audience. Make sure you follow up on your emails for the best results.

Include Financial Projections

Other coaches in the business may tell you how important it is to think about financial planning . The coaching business needs money to fuel it and it is essential for you to be clear on how much of it you need.

List Down Coaching Resources Needed

You may need lots of resources when providing coaching and instead of learning about them as you go, make a list of the needed resources beforehand. This will help you be a great coach and be as effective as possible.

Why Is A Coaching Business Plan Important For You?

Without a coaching business plan, it can be very difficult for you to be on the right track, and you may end up making mistakes that could have been avoided easily.

It is better to enter the field with a plan rather than just diving into it right away! With the best business coaching plan, you can get your first client in no time.

Coaching Business Plan Template

If you are having difficulty coming up with a coaching business plan on your own, then you can also use a template and fill it according to your needs and the needs of the business.

There are lots of coaching business plan templates online for you to choose from. Just make sure you fill them out properly. Templates offer you a competitive advantage so you can get more customers.

Try Bonsai's Suite Of Coaching Tools

Bonsai is the best coaching tool on the market to run your business. With our software, you could easily edit pre-made templates to send coaching contracts , proposals, intake forms, invoices, and more. Not to mention we have time tracking and task management tools you could use to better organize your day-to-day duties.

Claim your 7-day free trial here .

Those who keep these tips and tricks in mind can have great coaching businesses and meet all professional goals. Just make sure you do not skip out on anything important, as that can affect your business model in the future. Good luck with your venture!

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How to Write a Coaching Business Plan That Helps You Thrive + Template

May 17, 2023

The Coach Factory Team

New coaches often overlook the importance of having a business plan from the beginning , but this critical document will guide your business through its growth stages. It’s a strategic tool that helps you visualize your goals, track your progress, and provide a clear picture of your business’ vision, financial health, and operational needs.

Without a business plan, you’ll face the risk of wandering aimlessly in your coaching practice and struggling to achieve your goals. The absence of a well-defined plan may leave you vulnerable to various challenges and setbacks. 

You may find it difficult to attract and retain clients without a clear value proposition and targeted marketing strategies. You may also struggle with financial management, pricing your services appropriately, and tracking your progress towards revenue goals. 

Plus, the absence of a business plan can lead to a lack of focus, scattered efforts, and a sense of uncertainty about the direction of your coaching practice. Ultimately, without a business plan, you may miss out on valuable opportunities for growth and struggle to thrive in the competitive coaching landscape.

Whether you’re transforming your coaching side gig into a full-time venture or scaling up your existing coaching business, this article will walk you step-by-step through creating a detailed coaching business plan that will propel you toward success.

• Why Your Coaching Practice Needs a Business Plan

A business plan guides your coaching business, directing you through your initial startup phase to growth and beyond. It helps you chart your course, establish milestones, and provide clear directions to your desired destination, similar to how a roadmap directs a traveler.

One of the most significant benefits of a business plan is its role in decision-making. When faced with decisions like introducing a new service or investing in advertising, your business plan provides the context and data to make informed choices. It helps align your decisions with your overall business objectives and strategies, ensuring that every step leads you closer to your goals.

How do I turn my coaching into a business?

If you’re already coaching and are ready to turn your hobby into a full fledged business, one of your first steps is to craft a business plan. As you work through the parts of the plan, you’ll be forced to make decisions about what to name your business , who is your desired clientele , what services you’ll offer , what kinds of expenses and revenue you expect, and how you’ll market the business.

Whether you run your coaching business as a side hustle or as a full time venture, as long as you are making money from coaching, you can officially call it a business. 

Can I write a business plan myself?

Yes, even a novice can write a simple business plan by working through the seven key elements: an executive summary, a company description, market analysis, organizational structure, sales and marketing, financial goals, and an appendix. Use the free 12-page workbook linked at the bottom of this post for a plug-and-play business plan template. 

How much does it cost to start a coaching business?

The costs for launching your coaching business can vary widely from a minimal few hundred dollars to a substantial investment of multiple thousands of dollars. When you dig into the financial parts of your business plan, you’ll be able to start listing the potential expenses you expect: certifications, website hosting and design, online video conferencing tools, hiring an accountant, etc. 

The good news is that you can start simply by offering online coaching to people in your current sphere of influence and as you generate income, branch out with additional features such as a coaching website or a client management system . There’s no need to put everything in place at once. You can build your business as you go, but the coaching business plan provides the blueprint to help you identify next steps. 

Can I make a living as a coach?

Yes, you can! If you have the primary traits that all coaches need and are willing to invest in your professional development and learn the basics of online marketing, you will likely attract enough ideal clients to earn a living wage. It’s not an easy path; it will take dedication to start your own coaching business, of course.  But over time, many coaches are able to generate six-figure annual salaries by doing what they love — helping others achieve their aspirations. These highest paid coaches tend to have the most expertise and work as business coaches. But there’s plenty of room for coaches of all niches and experience levels to find their ideal clients and serve them. As you continue coaching, you’ll refine your practice, find better clients, and be able to charge higher rates .

• Tips for Writing the 7 Key Elements of a Coaching Business Plan — With Workbook

Launching a coaching business requires more than just expertise in a specific niche. It demands a strategic approach and a clear vision for your business’s future. 

A well-crafted business plan has seven key elements, each of which serves a distinct purpose that aids in decision-making. These seven steps are included in a convenient PDF workbook format so you can record your thoughts and get started on your own business plan right away. Download yours and fill it out as you read the rest of this article that fleshes out the directions in the template.

1. Write an executive summary

The executive summary is the doorway to your business plan, providing a concise and enticing overview of your coaching business. It gives potential investors, partners, and other stakeholders a snapshot of your business, its goals, and how it intends to achieve them.

Here are five tips for writing an impactful executive summary.

Begin with the basics

No matter the setting, introductions are essential for making a great first impression. An introduction sets the stage and provides context for the following information. Start by providing basic information about your coaching business, like your business name , location, and specific coaching services.

Clearly state your business objectives

Are you looking to become a leading life coach in your region, or are you aiming to carve out a niche as a specialized career coach for professionals in the tech industry?

You must convey your business goals and give a time frame for achieving them. Although shooting for the stars is always important, your business plan goals should be simple enough to understand. So stick to setting goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART).

Highlight your unique selling proposition (USP)

What makes your coaching business unique? Do you have a distinctive coaching methodology, special qualification, or experience that sets you apart?

Your USP is the core reason clients choose you over other coaches. It should be a central part of your branding and messaging to help attract and retain clients. When including it in your executive summary, dig deep to highlight aspects of your coaching business that help potential stakeholders see your value to the industry.

Outline your growth plan

Outlining your growth plan in your executive summary shows your ambition and forward-thinking approach to potential investors, partners, and stakeholders.

Briefly describe your plan for achieving your business objectives and expanding your coaching practice. Include any steps you plan to take in setting your business up for future success, like targeting new market segments, introducing new services, scaling your operations, and setting a flexible timeline for hitting certain milestones.

Write your executive summary last 

Even though the executive summary appears first in your business plan, you should write it last after completing the other sections. This way, you’ll accurately summarize the key points.

Remember, the executive summary is your chance to capture the reader’s attention and entice them to read the rest of your business plan. Make it compelling, informative, and engaging.

2. Create a company description

The company description is a comprehensive introduction to your coaching business. This section is where you set the stage, providing readers with an understanding of your services, target audience, business structure, and mission and vision. 

The more specific you are, the better.

Coaching Services

Start by defining the coaching services you provide. Describe your services in detail, whether you’re a life coach , career coach, or fitness coach. Explain the process, duration, and client expectations from each session. If you offer unique methodologies or techniques, highlight them.

Business Structure

Here, you’ll discuss the legal setup of your coaching business. Always include information about any staff you employ, like administrative help or other coaches, and their roles within your company. Are you a sole proprietor operating independently or set up as an LLC with partners or team members?

Target Audience

The people you want to help are central to your coaching business, so you must dedicate time and space to highlight them. Identify their demographics, such as age, gender, location, and income bracket. Additionally, it would help if you detailed things like their values, interests, and challenges.

Are they professionals seeking career advancement, individuals pursuing personal growth, or athletes aiming to improve performance?

The more detailed you are about your ideal client, the better you’ll tailor your services and marketing strategy.

Mission Statement

Your mission statement articulates your coaching business’s core purpose. It answers the question, “Why does your coaching business exist?” 

The mission statement should capture the essence of your coaching practice, the services you provide, and the value you deliver to your clients. It needs to be clear, concise, and compelling to your ideal client .

This mission guides every present decision and strategy in your business. It’s a constant reminder of your business’s purpose and the impact you aim to have on your clients’ lives. It helps to align your team’s efforts and fosters a sense of shared purpose.

Vision Statement

Unlike the mission statement, which focuses on the present and your business’s purpose, the vision statement is future-oriented. It embodies your aspirations and describes what ultimate success looks like for your coaching practice.

Your vision statement should inspire and motivate—it’s the big dream you’re working towards. It aligns you and your team (if you have one) around a common goal, creating a sense of unity and purpose.

Remember, keep your vision statement ambitious yet grounded in reality. Allow it to reflect the growth and impact you genuinely believe your coaching business can achieve in the future. A compelling vision statement will help you maintain focus and momentum as you build your coaching business.

3. Conduct market analysis and research

Navigating the coaching industry without a clear understanding of the market is like wandering in a forest without a map. You may stumble upon some great discoveries, but you’ll probably spend much time circling back to familiar ground. The goal is to continue to move forward with as little friction as possible. 

The market analysis section of your coaching business plan serves as your compass and map to help you quickly learn and navigate the coaching industry.

Industry Overview

Begin with a broad overview of the coaching industry— this might include the industry’s current size, growth rates, and key trends or shifts in the industry. You can find much of this information through industry reports, market research firms, and business publications.

Competitor Analysis

Identify your main competitors and analyze their services, pricing, marketing strategies, and strengths and weaknesses. Gather this information through their websites, client reviews, and social media channels. Understanding your competition will help you find ways to differentiate your coaching business.

Market Trends

Being aware of and responsive to emerging market trends will allow you to tweak your services and marketing efforts to satisfy evolving client preferences. This foresight ensures your business stays relevant and remains a competitive player in the changing landscape of the coaching industry.

Shine a spotlight on key market trends that could steer the course of your coaching business. For example, if you notice the tide shifting towards remote work, this could signal a surge in demand for virtual coaching services.

Opportunities and Threats

Based on your industry overview, target market analysis, competitor analysis, and market trends, identify potential opportunities for your coaching business and any threats that could impact its success.

For example, an opportunity might be a growing demand for a specific type of coaching in your area, while a threat could be a high level of competition from other coaches in your niche. Detailing both will show you new ways to approach and solve potential issues while allowing you to explore new things.

4. Outline your organizational and managerial overview

The organization and management overview of your business plan outlines the structure of your business and the team running it. This section should clearly define who is involved in your coaching business, their roles, and why they are fit for these roles.

It’s an opportunity to showcase the expertise and capabilities within your coaching business, which can build confidence among potential clients, partners, and investors.

Are you a sole proprietor, or have you formed an LLC, a partnership, or a corporation?

Start by defining the legal structure of your business. This information is crucial as it impacts your taxes, liability, and other legal aspects.

Organizational Chart

If your business has more team members other than you, create an organizational chart that shows the hierarchy and relationships between different roles. This provides a visual representation of your business’s structure. Include snapshots of who’s in management and what your role entails.

Advisors and Support

If you have any advisors or support services involved in your business, such as an accountant, a lawyer, or a business coach, mention them here. They add credibility to your business and show that you have expert support in managing your coaching business.

5. Craft a sales and marketing plan

Your business plan’s sales and marketing section outlines how you will attract and retain clients. It should detail your strategies for raising awareness of your coaching services, engaging prospects, and ultimately converting them into clients.

This section should be dynamic, adapting to your market’s changing needs and your business’s growth.

Marketing Objectives

Align your marketing goals with your overall business objectives.

For instance, if one of your business goals is to increase your client base by 25% over the next year, one of your marketing objectives might be to grow your email list by 50% in the same period. This would give you a larger pool of potential clients to engage with, supporting your overall goal of expanding your client base.

Also, detail how you plan to scale your marketing efforts as your business grows. Consider investing in more sophisticated marketing technology, hiring a marketing professional, or expanding into new marketing channels.

Target Market

Everything in your marketing plan has to appeal to your ideal client . Understanding their demographics, needs, and preferences will allow you to tailor your marketing messages effectively to gain their attention.

Marketing Strategies

Describe the marketing channels and strategies you plan to use. Mention everything from content marketing (blogging, webinars, ebooks), social media marketing (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter), email marketing, networking (industry events, local business groups), public speaking, or offering introductory coaching sessions. 

Explain why you believe these strategies will be effective for reaching your target market.

Marketing Funnel 

A marketing funnel is a pipeline that shows how potential clients will move from an initial encounter with your brand to purchasing your services and beyond. This section details your steps for converting a prospect into a client. Include aspects like initial consultations, proposals , a follow-up process, and the sale of a coaching package.

The systems or technology you use to facilitate this process, such as customer relationship management (CRM) software, is information that would validate the efficiency of your funnel, so remember to include it. 

Brand Development

Discuss how you will build your brand and information on developing your coaching website and creating a consistent brand identity across any directory listings and all your marketing materials and channels.

It would be best if you also detailed how you will position yourself as an expert in your field, such as publishing articles or speaking at events. This will give your coaching practice more credibility and make it easier for potential stakeholders to trust your vision. 

6. Financial goals and projections

Your coaching business plan’s financial goals section clearly shows your current financial status and future projections. It provides insight into the profitability and sustainability of your business, which is especially important if you are seeking investors or loans.

Remember, this section will likely require more research and preparation than other sections of your business plan. Be as accurate and realistic as possible in your projections. Consider seeking the assistance of a financial advisor or accountant to ensure that your financial plan is sound and realistic.

Financial Goals

Begin by outlining your financial goals. Remember to keep your goals within reasonable limits based on your current resources.

Do you plan to achieve a certain revenue target within a specified period by attaining a specific number of paying clients?

Startup Costs

Startup costs will not apply to every coaching business, but if you’re starting, itemize your startup costs. This could include costs for setting up your office, purchasing equipment, marketing expenses, professional fees (like licensing or certification), and other initial expenses.

Revenue Projections

Provide a detailed breakdown of your projected income. For a coaching business, this will usually involve estimating the number of clients you will serve, the price of your coaching packages, and any other income streams (like workshops, ebooks, etc. ).

Expense Projections

Similarly, outline your projected expenses. This could include rent (if you have a physical office), utilities, marketing costs, salaries (if you have employees), and other operational costs. Also, remember to account for less recurring costs like equipment upgrades or professional development.

Cash Flow Analysis

A cash flow statement shows how changes in balance sheet accounts and income affect cash and cash equivalents. It breaks the analysis down into operating, investing, and financing activities.

Break-even Analysis

This analysis shows when your business will be able to cover all its expenses and begin to make a profit. It’s essential to investors as it shows the viability of your business.

Funding Request

If you’re seeking funding, present your needs for the next 3-5 years. Explain why you need the funds and how they will help grow your business.

Financial Statement

If your business has been running for a while, include your current financial statement. It should provide a snapshot of your business’s financial health and include a balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement.

7. Beef up your coaching business plan with an appendix 

The appendices section of your business plan serves as a repository for any additional information or documents that support your business plan but don’t necessarily fit within the body of the plan.

These materials can provide extra depth and credibility to your business plan, allowing readers, such as potential investors, lenders, or partners, to dive deeper into certain aspects of your business if they wish.

Remember these three tips when organizing your appendix.

• Only include relevant documents like certifications, awards, customer testimonials, letters of recommendation, detailed market research, patents, product pictures, legal documents, contracts, etc.
• Create a table of contents to give readers a quick view of what’s in the appendix. Readers can then quickly locate the documents they’re interested in.
• Include references to the appendix throughout your business plan to provide context and quick referencing.
• Free Life Coaching Business Plan Template

A well-structured business plan is a vital first step for new coaches serious about building a thriving coaching business. By investing time and effort in developing your business plan, you create a strategic roadmap for your business and set the foundation for success. Your business plan will guide your decision-making, help you stay focused on your goals, and enable you to measure progress and make necessary adjustments.

Download our free 12-page Coaching Business Plan Template, designed specifically to help you navigate crafting an effective business plan. This template provides a clear framework and guidance on the essential elements to consider as you plan your coaching business.

Written by The Coach Factory Team

We're a team of coaching enthusiasts who hire and work with coaches. Members of our team run businesses in the coaching industry or provide services that support coaches, and several of us are coaches ourselves.

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How to Find the Coaching Niche That Gives You Joy and Attracts the Right Clients

How Much Does It Cost to Become a Life Coach? Is It Worth It?

How to Start Your Life Coaching Business Plan & Template

Perhaps like many of us, you’re unsure where to start. Maybe you’re disillusioned by the lack of clear, actionable information available and have shelved your plans – for the moment, at least.

But don’t give in. Help is at hand.

This article introduces many of the answers to the question, “How do I start a life coaching business?”

In doing so, we borrow heavily from a book written by one of our founders at PositivePsychology.com, Seph Fontane Pennock, The 7 Pillars of a Profitable Practice . It is a great read and highly recommended; however, this article offers a powerful starting point regardless, with actionable points, a business plan, and a free template.

This Article Contains

How to start your life coaching business, 3 requirements for setting up your practice, crafting your business model plan: a template, how to market and advertise your coaching business, 10 best names for coaching practices, building and promoting an online coaching business.

• 10+ Software & Forms to Use in Your Practice

A Take-Home Message

Life coaching can have far-reaching and diverse positive impacts on clients’ lives (Clutterbuck et al., 2016).

Many of us have toyed with the idea of starting a life coaching business, helping people change health-related behavior, improve wellness, boost their careers, and strive for personal goals (Karmali et al., 2020; Mann et al., 2022).

You most likely feel you have something to give: highly transferable skills learned from harsh life lessons and/or expertise in psychology, learning, leadership, self-development, and communication.

Or perhaps you are simply great at making people feel so empowered that they stop being “stuck” and take the bold steps to overcome obstacles holding them back.

Whatever your reason and motivation, we will help you get there, and the best place to begin is right here.

Begin at the beginning!

We start by recognizing our barriers.

What’s stopping us? Most likely, it’s our mindset rather than something physical. The following beliefs are potential obstacles, blocking us before we even start:

• Fear of failure : We are afraid we will not succeed.
• Not enough time: “I would give it a try, but I simply don’t have enough time.”
• Self-doubt: Our lack of confidence sabotages our entrepreneurial journey.

It’s not about ignoring the fear or letting it determine how we act; it’s about accepting it as an inherent part of our journey.

Accept fear as part of your journey.

Next, evaluate your existing time commitments. Prioritize your current tasks, dropping some of the nonessentials, and plan to set aside time to start your life coaching business. This is something you’ve dreamed of doing and aligns with your bigger life goals.

There will always be things to do, but by changing your mindset and prioritizing this dream, you will find the time to make it a reality.

Everyone has 24 hours in a day. What will you accomplish with yours?

Finally, recognize your feelings of self-doubt but don’t let them control you. Reflect on some of your past successes and reach out to those closest to you for their support, encouragement, and practical advice.

We’d like to share a great article with you that can help, as it includes tips for increasing your self-confidence. Have a look at What Is Self-Confidence? (+9 Proven Ways to Increase It) .

To build confidence, you have to practice confidence.

If we don’t start, we will never know

Now that we have faced our barriers and established a healthier relationship with them, it’s time to step outside our comfort zone and start the journey.

Who is our dream client?

We can’t be great at everything, so we need to narrow our focus and reach and find an authentic niche.

For example, perhaps you enjoy helping people in the workplace . So, maybe your dream client has worked for several years but now feels stuck in their career. They need help to reevaluate where they are, where they want to go, and how to change their mindset to move toward a more fulfilling career.

Once we’ve defined our ideal client, we can consider each of Seph’s seven pillars for starting and growing a coaching practice sustainably:

• Pillar #1 – Promise We need to be able to make a pledge to our dream client. The five Ps will help: People : Who are we helping? Place : Where are we helping them? Problem : What are we helping them solve? Product : What will we use to do this? Price : What will we charge to do it?
• Pillar #2 – Leads We need to attract more of the right sort of clients (ideally, they will contact us). We must think about how our dream client will find us, perhaps via YouTube, a blog post, a personal website, or social media (think LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, etc.).
• Pillar #3 – Clients How will we convert leads into clients? It may involve screening out those who are not a good fit for our services (depending on our coaching philosophy ) and following up quickly with compatible ones.
• Pillar #4 – Traffic Reducing the legwork associated with finding leads is crucial; ultimately, it gives us more time to help others.
• Pillar #5 – Retention Attracting and converting new leads is vital, yet so is holding on to existing clients. What potential offers can we share with existing clients to maintain (or boost) engagement?
• Pillar #6 – Products How can we generate more income without spending extra time? It might include offering group coaching sessions or additional training, downloadable PDFs, podcasts, or webinars.
• Pillar #7 – Team We can’t achieve everything alone. Over time, a successful coaching business may expand and include dedicated staff performing those administrative activities that take our time away from coaching.

What is the best platform for a life coaching business?

Traditionally, life coaching was practiced face to face and involved a great deal of manual administration behind the scenes.

Thankfully, new technology and online platforms mean we can perform coaching remotely through video calls and set up meetings, share activities, and exercises, and take notes online (Ribbers & Waringa, 2015; Kanatouri, 2020).

Our very own Quenza has been designed by and for coaches, counselors, and therapists, and that is why we believe it is the best coaching platform out there. It allows life coaches to focus on client needs, goals, and overcoming challenges and is a scalable solution for a growing business.

Do you need a business license?

You do not need specific qualifications to set up as a life coach, but accreditation can boost potential clients’ confidence in your abilities.

However, obtaining a business license is required in some locations to provide life coaching services legally. If you’re unsure whether you need a license, check with your local government agencies or consult a lawyer or accountant familiar with your jurisdiction (Lumia, 2022; Blackbyrn, 2023).

3 Best life coaching certification programs

There are many life coaching courses available. However, the International Coaching Federation (ICF) is the world’s best-known and respected coaching program certifier.

We list three of our favorite life coaching certification programs, but many others exist.

Spend time researching the one that best matches your coaching plans, availability, and budget.

• Coaching Out of the Box This fast track to ICF certification can help turn your dream of starting a life coaching business into a reality. It includes group and one-to-one coaching and certification and supports individuals as they obtain documented coaching experience.
• Barefoot Coaching This ICF and university-accredited coach training offers online coaching expertise to develop the coaching skills required as a life coach, HR professional, or business leader.
• Life Purpose Institute The institute offers the coaching tools and marketing expertise to build a life coaching practice plus the training hours required to get ICF credentials. The number of students in online courses is limited, and students can learn the skills needed to coach individuals, groups, and workshops.

For further training opportunities, see our articles, 19 Best Coaching Training Institutes and Programs and 8 Best ICF Coaching Certification Programs and Courses .

A life coaching business plan doesn’t need to be complicated and must remain current, capturing the key actions and challenges.

Use the Life Coaching Business Model Plan or one of our templates from our How to Write a Life Coaching Business Plan: 5 Templates article to create an initial plan.

In this example, we target people who feel stuck in their career or their life (or both).

Business identity

What is the business called? “Clarity Life Coaching”

Target client

Our target clients are individuals who feel stuck, lost, or uncertain in their personal or professional lives. We focus on mid-career individuals or those experiencing significant life changes, such as divorce or career transitions.

Client pain points

Our clients struggle with a lack of direction, feel overwhelmed, and lack clarity about their goals and values. They may feel stuck in unfulfilling jobs or relationships and experience high stress or anxiety.

Your solution

Clarity Life Coaching provides personalized coaching services to help individuals clarify their values, goals, and priorities. Our coaching process helps clients identify their strengths and areas for improvement, develop a plan to achieve their goals, and overcome obstacles that may stand in their way. We use various coaching techniques , including goal setting, visualization, and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy.

Your competition

Several life coaching businesses in the local area provide similar services, but our unique approach and personalized coaching services set us apart from the competition. We focus on a highly customized coaching experience tailored to each client’s needs.

Revenue streams

Our revenue streams include one-on-one coaching sessions, group coaching sessions, and workshops on topics such as goal setting and stress management.

Marketing activities

We use online advertising, social media marketing, and partnerships with local businesses and community organizations. We will also attend local events and conferences to promote our services and network with potential clients.

Existing and future expenses include rent for our coaching space, coaching materials, advertising and marketing costs, and attending events and conferences.

Team and their key roles

The team will consist of one life coach responsible for providing coaching services, managing client relationships, and handling administrative tasks such as scheduling and billing.

Initial thoughts on milestones include:

• Launching the business and securing our first clients within the first three months
• Expanding our client base by 25% within the first year
• Increasing revenue by 35% within the first year
• Hosting a successful workshop or seminar within the first six months of operation

Help mid-career individuals gain clarity and direction and achieve their personal and professional goals.

Your plan will evolve and should be revisited regularly to grow and manage your life coaching practice.

For many of us, marketing and advertising can fill us with fear – an unknown and confusing process.

So here are a few valuable pointers drawn from Seph’s The 7 Pillars of a Profitable Practice and Steve Chandler’s book How to Get Clients: New Pathways to Coaching Prosperity .

Your coaching website should be like a funnel

• When your visitor arrives on your website, they should:
• Know which problem you can help them solve or which goal you can help them achieve.
• Find clear evidence of your successful track record.
• Be confident in your abilities and experience.
• Be provided with some upfront value (perhaps a free e-book).
• Do not overcomplicate the website. Consider removing unnecessary content. The goal is for traffic to arrive as visitors and leave as leads (or sales).
• Make use of a call-to-action, either:
• Offer a giveaway in exchange for their name and email.
• Allow them to sign up for their first (complimentary) coaching session.

Productive conversations

Productive conversations and creating relationships lead to new clients.

• Make sure that you follow up on discussions promptly.
• After an initial chat, ask the potential client to complete a prequalification survey.
• Don’t leave them wondering. Tell them when they will receive a follow-up email.
• Don’t be needy (even if you would like their business).
• Be aware that the client will remember how you made them feel rather than precisely what you said.
• Talk less about yourself and your coaching and listen more to their problems.

Online writing

Writing for a personal blog or elsewhere can increase your reach, get you in front of clients, and help others take you seriously. But remember:

• Aim for quality over quantity – you are targeting the right kind of traffic.
• Change your mindset from “How do I find more clients?” to “How do my dream clients find me?”
• Know what people are looking for and create resources on that topic.
• Earned reach is the organic attention that you receive. Perhaps you got a mention in a podcast or on a news website. Paid reach has a cost, such as Facebook and Instagram ads or using the Google Ads Platform. Consider both.
• If you post on your website, consider your owned reach. You should appear in the search results, so get to know which keywords people are searching for when they look for help.

In The 7 Pillars of a Profitable Practice , Seph covers in more detail how to rank for keywords and create a content marketing plan that includes platforms with active audiences, such as:

• The Huffington Post
• Entrepreneur

Ultimately, your goal is for people with problems to find you so that you can help meet their needs.

Finding the right name for your coaching business is not easy. Too obvious, and it is either likely to be already taken or so bland that it will not be memorable.

One approach involves using AI to create life coaching business names . Use it or your own research to consider and evolve potential names, thinking about:

• The customers’ first impression
• The identity and brand of your business
• The type of customer you wish to attract
• How memorable the name is (and for the right reasons)
• Whether the name is already being used

Here are 10 names to start you off:

• Coaching for Success
• The Successful Living Academy
• Evolve Coaching
• Courage Coaching
• The Breakthrough Coach
• The Change Academy
• Coaching for Vitality
• Abundant Life Coaching
• Positive Change Coaching
• The Courage Academy

The following articles offer more suggestions regarding how to build and promote an online coaching business.

• How to Get Clients for Life Coaching [5 Strategies] provides more information and guidance on nailing your business’s value proposition, marketing funnel, and online and offline strategies.
• How to Start an Online Coaching Business: Step-by-Step Plan is a practical guide for building a successful and profitable business.
• How to Start a Life Coaching Business From Scratch explores what you will need and your first moves to becoming an online coach.

10+ Software & Forms to Use in Your Practice

There are several online platforms for coaching, many of which are introduced in the article 12 Best Online Coaching Platforms & Tools .

PositivePsychology.com’s dedicated coaching software Quenza is compelling and unique because it:

• Is extraordinarily user friendly and intuitive
• Uses the latest SSL encryption to store client results to ensure HIPAA and GDPR compliance
• Is highly scalable, growing with your business
• Stores forms as customizable templates
• Securely delivers exercises and forms to clients
• Enables form completion on mobile, tablet, or desktop
• Nudges clients when they need a reminder to do something

In How to Send & Build Counseling Client Intake Forms Digitally , we explore how to create and share online forms using the Quenza platform.

Next, our two articles, Coaching Forms Toolbox: 17 Templates for Your Sessions and How to Create Feedback Forms: 3 Templates + Best Online Tool , explain how forms can be created from scratch, copied, or modified within the tool.

We suggest using the following forms:

• Pre-coaching questionnaire
• A self-contract to encourage client accountability
• Life domain satisfaction questionnaire
• Strength interview form
• Session rating scale
• Coach evaluation form
• End of therapy evaluation

Many other templates exist, including ones for visualization, mindfulness, goal setting, and benefit finding.

Fear, time constraints, and self-doubt can hold us back from starting a life coaching business. Learning to accept our barriers and shift our focus from ourselves to our clients can dramatically improve our chances of success.

Learning from the experiences of successful business owners like Seph Fontane Pennock can provide valuable insights and help us create a profitable and impactful practice.

You most likely feel like you have something to give to your dream clients. You wish to create an opportunity for positive change in their lives while delivering on a personal vision for a life coaching practice.

Creating a clear and achievable business plan can be simple and will help you find your ideal clients and offer them a path to setting and striving toward their goals.

Having read this article and been inspired to start your life coaching business, why not look at The 7 Pillars of a Profitable Practice and use the many lessons Seph learned along his journey to inform your business plans and give your clients their best chance of success?

• Blackbyrn, S. (2023, February 17). Does a life coach need a business license? Coach Foundation. Retrieved April 20, 2023, from https://coachfoundation.com/blog/life-coach-business-license/.
• Clutterbuck, D., David, S. A., & Megginson, D. (Eds.). (2016). Beyond goals: Effective strategies for coaching and mentoring.  Routledge.
• Lumia. (2022, August 4). Does a life coach need a business license and insurance? Lumia. Retrieved April 20, 2023, from https://www.lumiacoaching.com/blog/does-a-life-coach-need-a-business-license.
• Kanatouri, S. (2020). The digital coach . Routledge.
• Karmali, S., Battram, D. S., Burke, S. M., Cramp, A., Mantler, T., Morrow, D., Ng, V., Pearson, E. S., Petrella, R., Tucker, P., & Irwin, J. D. (2020). Clients’ and coaches’ perspectives of a life coaching intervention for parents with overweight/obesity. International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring , 18 (2), 115–132.
• Mann, A., Leigh Fainstad, T., Shah, P., Dieujuste, N., & Jones, C. D. (2022). “It’s nice to know I’m not alone”: The impact of an online life coaching program on wellness in graduate medical education: A qualitative analysis. A cademic Medicine , 97 (11S), S166–S166.
• Ribbers, A., & Waringa, A. (2015). E-coaching: Theory and practice for a new online approach to coaching . Routledge.

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Creating a Simple Coaching Business Plan 101

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Table of Contents

With an estimated market size of almost $20 billion , coaching continues to be one of the fastest growing sectors in the world. With more and more individuals and organizations understanding the true contribution and impact of coaching (boost in self-confidence, revenues, and an elevated workforce morale), the average yearly growth of the coaching industry stands at a healthy 6.7% with thousands of professionals looking at coaching as a lucrative, long term career option. There are approximately 71,000 certified coaches worldwide at this time – and that, we believe, says a lot!

If you have already taken the plunge (or are preparing to take one) and have chosen the very rewarding career of coaching, the next organic step will be to look at scaling your venture. You may have gotten in the profession with the noble thought of helping people maximize their potentials and become successful, but it is also your work and a major (if not primary) source of income for you! Making every effort to expand your client volumes and boost your revenues is absolutely necessary if you want to make your practice a continued success. 

So, venturing into developing your own coaching business can be a natural progression to your career. But just the idea of having your own coaching business is not enough. Once the brainstorming process is over, how do you move forward and put those ideas on paper and convert them into a viable coaching business plan? Read on to find out how you can create a simple but effective coaching business plan and the lasting impact that it can have on your career.

Why should you have a coaching business plan?  

You have done the groundwork, put in those extra working hours, got a fair bit of experience working as a coach and are now ready to move on to the next level (or you may be just starting out as a coach and feeling ambitious & confident enough to take on the responsibility of running your own coaching business). Naturally then scaling your coaching services is what comes to mind. And for that you need a feasible coaching business plan. But why must you have one? Well, the answer covers multiple reasons – why having a solid, well-thought out, strategically sound plan can give you the best chance at making a success of your coaching business. 

A good coaching business plan

• Provides focus and clarity not just to you but also your other stakeholders regarding the business, its scope, start-up expenses, target clientele, expected competition, potential obstacles, possible income generation, and more.
• Gives a fair idea of what to expect in the near future based on multiple outcomes that are discussed.
• Keeps you on track and alert to the realities so that you concentrate on doing the right things and avoid missteps that could prove disastrous in the future. 

Things to know before you start putting down a coaching business plan

Now that you understand the importance of having a coaching business plan, there are some other factors to consider before you start charting out one:

• Make sure that your coaching business plan is as close to reality as possible. In their newfound excitement of staring their own business, many coaches often lose track of ground realities and overestimate their would-be success and underestimate their challenges. 
• Ensure that your coaching business plan lets you define your coaching niche – coaching is a vast segment that covers life coaching, executive coaching, leadership coaching, health & wellness coaching, personal coaching, to name a few. Based on your aptitude, knowledge, and experience, choose a niche that will give you the best chance for success as a coach. 
• Conduct thorough research about the market and emerging opportunities, the industries that have a high demand for coaching and target audience who can actually pay for your services. 
• Be honest about your financial reality (start-up costs, compare your assets & liabilities, the potential expenses that will be incurred against the potential income that will flow in, gauge if you can start out with your own seed capital or if you need to find external investors, financial goals to be accomplished in the next year as well as 5 years) and then map out your business strategy. 
• Be prepared to be flexible – a business plan that seems brilliant at the scripting stage may not look as promising once all the pieces of the coaching business plan are in place. If that happens, don’t lose heart and go back to the drawing board, tweak and tinker until you come up with a realistic plan that will stand the test of time and will result in a successful and long-lasting business. Being realistic does not mean that you curb your big ambitions – it just means that you go in with your eyes wide open to both opportunity and challenges.

Creating a coaching business plan  

Creating a coaching business plan takes a lot of research, understanding of the business world, a clear analysis of your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats, and the ability to turn ambitions into reality. It is the foundation on which the tower of your business will stand and flourish. 

1. Start your business vision

Write up a mission statement in clear and precise words that provides a detailed understanding of why you are in the business, the type of your business, your business operations and scope, the potential clientele that you wish to engage, the services and products that you will offer and how they will prove to be value additions to those who sign up, and more. This transparency in conveying your intentions can go a long way in establishing your credibility among existing as well as potential clients. 

2. Zero in on the most workable coaching model 

Getting the coaching model right is important as this is the basis on which you will take all the other business decisions, which will in turn impact your earnings. You need to decide if you want to opt for a one-on-one/personalized coaching (personal can be limiting in terms of reaching just one client against the time and effort expended), group coaching (little less time consuming with expanded client size), corporate coaching (business/executive/leadership coaching – where the organization pays a lumpsum for coaching their group of employees), hybrid coaching (a mix of online & offline) or even partially automated coaching (online questionnaires, exercises, surveys, feedback forms). 

3. Concentrate on your unique offerings 

As the data has shown, coaching is a lucrative profession, so, naturally the field will be overcrowded with hundreds of coaches offering their services. It may take extra effort and some unique offerings for you to stand out against your closest competitors, build your coaching business and also make a success out of it.  Saying you are good coach is not enough, you need to state your specialization for clients to notice you. 

Put down what your strengths are (for instance, conflict resolution, mergers & acquisitions, delegation) and what is the expertise you can provide to your clients that will make a discernible difference to their progress (how you have helped top executives complete successful career transitions that made a healthy difference to their work-life balance, for example). You need to understand your own business in depth, only then you can convince the client about your offerings.  

4. Organize your daily schedule 

Effective time management is one of the pillars of your eventual success. Having an organized schedule will mean that you not only make time for actual coaching but also for the peripherals (social media engagements, communicating with clients, updating your course materials, etc.) that are important for your coaching business. Prioritize your goals and then assign time slots for those activities as per importance. Tasks that need more attention (any client activities take top preference) should have regular markings in your schedule whereas lesser important activities can be scheduled once a week or fortnightly. Using an automated planner is a good choice rather than getting into it manually. 

5 . Invest in a good coaching management software 

Personally, handling clients as well as the demands of running a business is fine when your client size is small. But when you scale up your business and start expanding your clientele, it can get extremely difficult, not to mention exhausting, managing multiple demands manually. 

Investing in a comprehensive, fully automated business coaching management software that offers all the features – such as client & business management, sales & marketing, pricing options, coaching tools, etc. – under a single platform will make running your coaching business easy & efficiently and help deliver quantifiable & visible results for your clients and eventually help grow your business.

6 . Offer attractive coaching packages with multiple price points & duration

Not all clients are the same – their requirements and readiness to pay are different. In order to reach a wide audience, make sure that you offer attractive coaching packages with benefits, multiple pricing options as well as durations (you can list out the offerings and benefits of every coaching package, whether it’s 1-month, 3-month, 6-month or even yearly). Having a landing page where the client can reach you and take a look at all your various services & pricing choices will help your potential client make an informed choice about your coaching services and ascertain whether they are best suited to their requirements. 

7. Stick to a single coaching model that will succeed in the long run

The intent behind starting a business and creating a coaching business plan is that you want to scale up to the next level, with the aim of acquiring more clients and thus, more revenue. For that to happen, you need to zero in on a coaching business model and then stick to it. 

A coaching company model lets you be the owner of a business that employs multiple coaches who actually do the coaching alongside you and you get a percentage of the earnings as your profit. The upside is that you don’t need to spend all your time and energy coaching and can focus on business growth, but the downside is that if the client signed up for your name, they may feel short changed that they are not getting coached by you.  

A personalized coaching model is the most personal form of coaching where you deliver your coaching services to a single client in a session. The model works better for the coachee than the coach. The coachee gets the best out of the coaching process but the coach is unable to scale up their business as their time and effort are tied to one client. But by automating this coaching model (personalized questionnaires, feedback forms, assessment reports, etc.) the coach can scale this coaching model for repeated use for other clients as well. 

A productized coaching model focuses on creating a product that can be sold over and over again. Coaching courses, training modules, and other educational material that cover a host of relevant topics are examples of how coaching can be productized. These can be made available on your own website or published via learning platforms. This is one of the more popular coaching models as the products can be sold at a more affordable rate (as there’s no direct exchange of coach’s time for money) and can bought by as many clients as possible, thus widening your client base and ensuring a stable source of income. 

8. Prepare a goal tracker to monitor short-term goals 

Set small goals to achieve and create a short-term goal tracking sheet to monitor if those goals are being achieved. When you achieve smaller goals, you are automatically getting a step closer to attaining your final objective. The goal tracker helps you stay on the path, boosts your morale, and prevents feeling frustrated & getting pressurized by the larger goal. After all, the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step forward!

9. Have a solid sales funnel in place 

This is a coaching business plan that you are preparing, so naturally the intent is to bring in as many clients as possible and generate higher profits. As with any business, a solid sales & marketing strategy is the key to making it a success. 

Having a top-notch sales funnel is important – identifying the target audience, understanding customer requirements, listing all the services & products that you offer the client, presenting a comparative analysis of how your services and products are better than your closest competitors, and actually onboarding clients. 

In addition, utilizing other marketing tools such as webinars, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, blogs, vlogs, email & affiliate marketing, online forums & networks, etc., provide multiple platforms for your prospective clients to not only to become aware of your services but to also connect with you. How effective the sales funnel will be, depends on how much financial capacity you have for spending on advertising your business. 

10 . Create a strong brand for your coaching business 

A strong brand that is identifiable with quality offering is one of the best long-term assets that any business can have. An easily recognizable brand is your gateway to growing your business. While creating your coaching business brand, keep in mind a few factors such as its objective, the values you hope to convey, the assurances you are giving clients in terms of services, professional ethics and transparent business dealings.

Creating a lasting brand is not only about glossy and colour-coordinated websites and logos, it is about conveying your best qualities that enhance your credibility and brand recall to further your business growth. 

Setting up a business, running it smoothy, and making a success out of it is not an easy job, especially in this highly competitive industry. Benjamin Franklin summed it up aptly, ‘if you fail to plan, you plan to fail!’. Then why start a coaching business without a coaching business plan? Having a detailed coaching business plan is the foundation on which you can not only build but also scale up your venture. It gives you the required confidence, focus and clarity to shape a business that can provide for you monetarily and also help you leave a lasting impact as a sought-after coach. 

FAQs  

1. What is a coaching business plan? 

A coaching business plan is a framework that states your business purpose, objectives and the means to achieve those goals. It should include your unique service offering, target audience, coaching model, pricing strategy, sales & marketing approach, and proposals for business growth and expansion. It is important to have a solid coaching business plan in place before starting your business as it helps you understand the true current situation, make plans to move forward based on that reality, stay organized, avoid missteps and concentrate on the eventual business goals. 

2. Do you need certification to write a coaching business plan? 

It is not necessary to have certification to write a coaching business plan. If you have the necessary business background and experience, you can write one yourself or hire the services of an expert business coach to create one for you. 

Also, many coaching institutes offer programs and training on how to prepare a coaching business plan. You can choose to enrol in such a program and get certified on proper guidelines as well as learn the importance of having a sound coaching business plan.

About Simply.Coach

Simply.Coach  is an enterprise-grade coaching software designed to be used by individual coaches and coaching businesses. Trusted by ICF-accredited and EMCC-credentialed coaches worldwide, Simply.Coach is on a mission to elevate the experience and process of coaching with technology-led tools and solutions.  

Pallavi Godbole

An avid reader with love for books on history, sci-fi and popular fiction, Pallavi is a gifted content writer. She is also a keen listener of Indian semi & classical music. Currently, she juggles her duties of being a full-time mom with part-time content writing.

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Coaching Business Plan Template

Written by Dave Lavinsky

Coaching Business Plan

You’ve come to the right place to create your Coaching business plan.

We have helped over 1,000 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans and many have used them to start or grow their Coaching businesses.

Below is a template to help you create each section of your Coaching business plan.

Executive Summary

Business overview.

Premier Health Coaching Services Is a startup health coaching company located in Seattle, Washington. The company is founded by Tracy Hoffman, a health coach who holds a Master of Science degree in Food Science and Nutrition from the University of Washington. She is a certified health coach in the state of Washington, and has successfully counseled over 300 clients during the past six years as a health coach employed by a corporate medical health plan provider. Her expertise has brought her “celebrity” status. Her blog and podcasts have brought over 20,000 followers as she speaks about nutrition and health matters. Her client base of over 300 clients has already committed to follow her when she makes this professional move to start her own company, Premier Health Coaching Services.

Premier Health Coaching Services will provide a comprehensive array of health-related products and services, including holistic care, skeletal and muscular alignments, sports nutrition, nutrition and diet support, balanced lifestyle counseling and other health services. This will be a broad-based service, meeting the needs of individuals from all walks of life and in all health-conditional lifestyles. Premier Health Coaching Services will be the top-performing health coaching company within the Seattle, Washington regional area.

Product Offering

The following are the services that Premier Health Coaching Services will provide:

• Individual and group health coaching services
• Nutritional and physiological body assessments
• Skeletal and muscular alignments
• Holistic healing: aromatherapy, acupuncture, massage
• Physical therapist services
• Weight assessment and counseling
• Work-life balance alignments
• Balanced lifestyle counseling
• Product sales: nutritional supplements; health-related products

Customer Focus

Premier Health Coaching Services will target everyone in the Seattle, Washington regional area, including Bellingham and other outlying areas. In particular, they will target those individuals who seek assistance with physically therapeutic and lifestyle balance services. They will also target those individuals who are sports professionals and those who are dedicated to a sports lifestyle. Adults of all ages, including seniors, will be targeted as customers and Premier Health Coaching Services will address the needs and serve each individual with the best possible service and support team.

Management Team

Premier Health Coaching Services will be owned and operated by Tracy Hoffman. She has recruited her former associates, John Blackwell and Melissa Rodriquez, to become associates in leading her team.

Tracy Hoffman holds a Master of Science degree in Food Science and Nutrition from the University of Washington. She is a certified health coach in the state of Washington and has successfully counseled over 300 clients during the past six years as a health coach employed by a corporate medical health plan provider. Her expertise has brought her “celebrity” status, and her blog and podcasts have brought over 20,000 followers as she speaks about nutrition and health matters. Her client base of over 300 clients has already committed to follow her when she makes this professional move to start her own company, Premier Health Coaching Services.

John Blackwell is a well-known and much-admired health coach, overseeing 100 clients on a regular basis. He specializes in sports nutrition and already has the commitment from each client to follow him as he makes this professional move to Premier Health Coaching Services.

Melissa Rodriquez is much-beloved by her weight management and nutritional balance clients and is known for her emphasis on holistic solutions to health problems. Her client base of over 100 clients has committed to follow her as she makes this professional move to Premier Health Coaching Services.

Success Factors

Premier Health Coaching Services will be able to achieve success by offering the following competitive advantages:

• Friendly, knowledgeable, and highly qualified team of professional health coaches, counselors, nutritional experts, and holistic care providers.
• A comprehensive menu of services available during daytime and evening hours, including health coaching, lifestyle and nutritional coaching, holistic care, physical therapy and natural health and healing products.
• Premier Health Coaching Services offers modest pricing, setting a price structure that best meets the health insurance plans of all individuals. Comparatively, the service is a lower-cost option than competitors.
• Products offered, including nutritional supplements and natural health products, are priced lower than retail health food stores.

Financial Highlights

Premier Health Coaching Services is seeking $200,000 in debt financing to launch its Premier Health Coaching Services. The funding will be dedicated toward securing the location space and purchasing office equipment and supplies. Funding will also be dedicated towards three months of overhead costs to include payroll of the staff, rent, and marketing costs for the marketing campaigns. The breakout of the funding is below:

• Office space build-out: $20,000
• Office equipment, supplies, and materials: $10,000
• Three months of overhead expenses (payroll, rent, utilities): $150,000
• Marketing costs: $10,000
• Working capital: $10,000

The following graph outlines the pro forma financial projections for Premier Health Coaching Services.

Company Overview

Who is premier health coaching services.

Premier Health Coaching Services is a newly established full-service coaching and health management company in Seattle, Washington. Premier Health Coaching Services will be the most reliable, total health-directed, and effective choice for clients throughout Seattle and the surrounding communities. Premier Health Coaching Services will provide a comprehensive slate of coaching services, natural health treatments, and natural products for all clients to utilize. Their full-service approach includes an extensive list of health and holistic-related services and products.

  Premier Health Coaching Services will be able to manage and service up to 50 clients at any time, with the ability to increase hours of operation to add more clients. The team of professionals are highly qualified, certified, and experienced in coaching, life-balance counseling and nutritional health. Premier Health Coaching Services removes all the headaches and issues of searching for and finding the right fit for the services of various coaches in multiple locations, as all services are now offered under one roof. In addition, Premier Health Coaching Services will be known for delivering the best customer service.

Premier Health Coaching Services History

Since incorporation, Premier Health Coaching Services has achieved the following milestones:

• Registered Premier Health Coaching Services, Inc. to transact business in the state of Washington.
• Has over 50 client contracts already in place with Premier Health Coaching Services. Has natural health providers in acupuncture, massage, aromatherapy, and physical therapy under long-term contracts.
• Began recruiting a staff of assistants and office personnel at Premier Health Coaching Services.

Premier Health Coaching Services

The following will be the services Premier Health Coaching Services will provide:

Industry Analysis

The health coaching and related services industry is currently at $15,653M, and is expected to grow over the next five years to over $23,587M in 2028, with a CAGR of over 7% during the forecast years. This substantial increase will be due to clients who are increasingly aware and in need of better performance in physical activity, nutrition and eating habits, weight management, diabetes prevention, and medication adherence.

These specific areas are all covered under health coaching, group coaching and lifestyle coaching, which are increasingly in step with the continued growth and concern regarding these health-condition specific issues.

The growth will be driven by key players in the industry, such as major health insurance companies, governmental oversight and other agencies, who will adopt effective strategies to combat continuing health conditions. As they do; the industry sector is expected to expand further, presenting numerous opportunities for advancement.

Customer Analysis

Demographic profile of target market.

Premier Health Coaching Services will target those individuals requiring health coaching, nutritional counseling, holistic care and other natural services in Seattle, Washington. They will target former clients who may choose to contract for services with this new all-inclusive slate of services, those who are personal contacts through years of professional experience, corporations with employee health services under expiring contracts, and individuals who are referred by professionals throughout the region.

The precise demographics for Premier Health Coaching Services are:

Customer Segmentation

Premier Health Coaching Services will primarily target the following customer profiles:

• Individuals seeking contracted health coaching and life counseling services
• Insurance companies seeking expanded services for insured clients
• Corporations seeking health service contracts on behalf of employees
• Individuals seeking natural health and healing products

Competitive Analysis

Direct and indirect competitors.

Premier Health Coaching Services will face competition from other companies with similar business profiles. A description of each competitor company is below.

Pacific Health & Physical Therapy Group

Pacific Health and Physical Therapy Group provides muscular, skeletal and physical therapy for individuals who are referred to the service by employers under contract with the group. Contracts are yearly, endorsed by the corporate human resources managers. The group provides a variety of services for clients, including a therapy spa, physical therapy services, muscular and skeletal exercise routines, and other kinesiology-related services.

The promise by Pacific Health & Physical Therapy Group is to provide accurate, detailed plans to better the lives of their clients through muscular and physically therapeutic services. The emphasis is on corrective treatments, including exercise. The Pacific Health & Physical Therapy Group provides a 4-Step Treatment Plan that covers diagnosis; analysis of treatment; care routine; extended therapy. This is a plan that is personally designed for each client and care providers follow the plan during each client visit.

Seattle Physical Therapy Associates

Seattle Physical Therapy Associates is composed of ten physical therapists, each with a roster of clients who routinely book a minimum of twenty therapy visits each. This solidifies the basis for revenue for Seattle Physical Therapy Associates and creates an on-going program of increased health properties for clients as visits continue.

Seattle Physical Therapy Associates is focused on providing physical therapy; as such, the pricing for services is higher than other full-service centers. The motto is: Creating the Best Environment for Our Clients’ Best Results. Clients are treated at least twice a week, as physical therapy continues. As the favorite physical therapy group in Seattle, the company can demand higher pricing levels, and those levels are paid by primarily corporate clients, as a result.

Ballard Holistic Health Company

Ballard Holistic Health Company is headquartered in Ballard, located in northwest Seattle. The region is a mixed-population of older university students, young couples with children, and senior residents with longevity in the region. Housing is a mixture of condos converted to apartments, older single home dwellings and multi-use leased homes. The clientele for the Ballard Holistic Health Company is generally seeking holistic treatments as curative or preventative alternatives to western medicine. The company is housed in a former home, large enough to showcase natural health and healing products. Weekly classes directed to nutrition, healthy living styles, and vegan/vegetarian living topics are discussed in group sessions. Merchandise for sale includes books, tapes, vegan foods and protein alternatives, such as plant-based foods. Also offered are a wide array of natural health products and nutritional supplements.

Competitive Advantage

Premier Health Coaching Services will be able to offer the following advantages over their competition:

• A comprehensive, all-inclusive menu of services available during daytime and evening hours, including health coaching, lifestyle and nutritional coaching, holistic care, physical therapy and natural health and healing products.
• Products offered, including nutritional supplements and natural health products, are priced lower than direct competitors.

Marketing Plan

Brand & value proposition.

Premier Health Coaching Services will offer the following unique value proposition to its clientele:

• Highly-qualified team of certified professionals who are able to provide a comprehensive slate of services and products to meet consumer demand for solutions for medical conditions, lifestyle choices, and other physical or mind-body needs.
• Substantial number of long-term contracted clients, as well as corporate clients who utilize services for employees.
• Reliable natural health and healing products sold below retail costs at competitive natural product stores.
• Pricing structure for corporate and individual clients is modest and reasonable.

Promotions Strategy

The promotions strategy for Premier Health Coaching Services is as follows:

Word of Mouth/Referrals

Premier Health Coaching Services has built up an extensive list of contacts over the years by providing exceptional service and skilled expertise for clients. They have communicated to Premier Health Coaching Services that they will continue renewing their contracts because they are highly-satisfied with the services provided at the former place of business. Once advised by the professionals that they were leaving the former company, the clients were eager to sign new contracts to continue coaching services with Premier Health Coaching Services. Former and current clients were also willing to offer referrals and spread the word of the new company starting comprehensive services just ahead.

Professional Associations and Networking

Tracy Hoffman, John Blackwell and Melissa Rodriquez are each well-established within their chosen fields and will spread the word of the new startup within their professional associations. Networking among corporations within the region will also begin, as corporate clients can offer large, long-term contracts for employees who require multiple visits or treatments.

Social Media Marketing

With the high number of followers who track Tracy Hoffman, the use of social media marketing will be pivotal to the startup. Multiple social media marketing campaigns will be launched, identifying the professionals who are starting the company and inviting new followers to engage with each via posts and comments. Former and current clients will also be included in short video reels, offering testimonials regarding the service received by these professionals. A social media marketing manager will be hired for three months to cover the costs of startup campaigns.

Website/SEO Marketing

Premier Health Coaching Services will utilize the services of the social media marketing manager to create website content and images to announce the opening of the company. The website will be well organized, informative, and list all services that Premier Health Coaching Services is able to provide. The website will also list their contact information and link to an easy reservation site for clients to book appointments online. The social media marketing manager will also oversee SEO marketing tactics so that anytime someone types in the Google or Bing search engine “Seattle health coaching” or “natural health or holistic services”, Premier Health Coaching Services will be listed at the top of the search results.

The pricing of Premier Health Coaching Services will be moderate and on par with competitors so customers feel they receive value when purchasing their services.

Operations Plan

The following will be the operations plan for Premier Health Coaching Services. Operation Functions:

• Tracy Hoffman will be the Owner and President of the company. She will oversee all staff and manage client relations. She has spent several months recruiting the executive staff: members:
• John Blackwell, a well-known, certified, and much-admired health coach, will be the Vice President, overseeing 100 clients on a regular basis. He specializes in sports nutrition.
• Melissa Rodriquez, a professional counselor in weight management and nutritional balance, will be the Strategic Manager. Her client base of over 100 clients has committed to follow her as she makes this professional move to Premier Health Coaching Services.
• Gary Ragan, an accountant with ten years of experience, will become the Staff Accountant, providing all client accounting, tax payments, and monthly financial reporting.

Milestones:

Premier Health Coaching Services will have the following milestones complete in the next six months.

• 5/1/202X – Finalize contract to lease company staff, client and workroom space
• 5/15/202X – Finalize personnel and staff employment contracts for the Premier Health Coaching Services
• 6/1/202X – Finalize contracts for Premier Health Coaching Services corporate clients
• 6/15/202X – Begin networking at industry events
• 6/22/202X – Begin moving into the Premier Health Coaching Services building location
• 7/1/202X – Premier Health Coaching Services opens its office for business

Tracy Hoffman holds a Master of Science degree in Food Science and Nutrition from the University of Washington. She is a certified health coach in the state of Washington, who has successfully counseled over 300 clients during the past six years as a health coach employed by a corporate medical health plan provider. Her expertise has brought her “celebrity” status, as her blog and podcasts have brought over 20,000 followers. She is dedicated to nutrition and health-balance matters. Her client base of over 300 clients has already committed to follow her when she makes this professional move to start her own company, Premier Health Coaching Services.

Financial Plan

Key revenue & costs.

The revenue drivers for Premier Health Coaching Services are the fees they will charge to the clients for their services. Secondary revenue drivers will include the natural health and nutritional supplement products sold at the company location.

The cost drivers will be the overhead costs required in order to properly staff Premier Health Coaching Services. The expenses will be the payroll cost, rent, utilities, office supplies, and marketing materials.

Funding Requirements and Use of Funds

Premier Health Coaching Services is seeking $200,000 in debt financing to launch its health coaching and natural health service company. The funding will be dedicated toward securing the location space and purchasing office equipment and supplies. Funding will also be dedicated toward three months of overhead costs to include payroll of the staff, rent, and marketing costs for the social media marketing and association memberships. The breakout of the funding is below:

Key Assumptions

The following outlines the key assumptions required in order to achieve the revenue and cost numbers in the financials and in order to pay off the startup business loan.

• Number of Contracted Clients Per Month: 1,200
• Average Fees per Month: $50,000
• Office Lease per Year: $100,000

Financial Projections

Income statement, balance sheet, cash flow statement, coaching business plan faqs, what is a coaching business plan.

A coaching business plan is a plan to start and/or grow your coaching   business. Among other things, it outlines your business concept, identifies your target customers, presents your marketing plan and details your financial projections.

You can easily complete your Coaching  business plan using our Coaching Business Plan Template here .

What are the Main Types of Coaching Businesses?

There are a number of different kinds of coaching businesses , some examples include: Business coaching, Career coaching, Life coaching, Performance coaching, and Wellness coaching.

How Do You Get Funding for Your Coaching Business Plan?

Coaching businesses are often funded through small business loans. Personal savings, credit card financing and angel investors are also popular forms of funding.

What are the Steps To Start a Coaching Business?

Starting a coaching business can be an exciting endeavor. Having a clear roadmap of the steps to start a business will help you stay focused on your goals and get started faster.

1. Develop A Coaching Business Plan - The first step in starting a business is to create a detailed coaching business plan that outlines all aspects of the venture. This should include potential market size and target customers, the services or products you will offer, pricing strategies and a detailed financial forecast.

2. Choose Your Legal Structure - It's important to select an appropriate legal entity for your coaching business. This could be a limited liability company (LLC), corporation, partnership, or sole proprietorship. Each type has its own benefits and drawbacks so it’s important to do research and choose wisely so that your coaching business is in compliance with local laws.

3. Register Your Coaching   Business - Once you have chosen a legal structure, the next step is to register your coaching business with the government or state where you’re operating from. This includes obtaining licenses and permits as required by federal, state, and local laws.

4. Identify Financing Options - It’s likely that you’ll need some capital to start your coaching business, so take some time to identify what financing options are available such as bank loans, investor funding, grants, or crowdfunding platforms.

5. Choose a Location - Whether you plan on operating out of a physical location or not, you should always have an idea of where you’ll be based should it become necessary in the future as well as what kind of space would be suitable for your operations.

6. Hire Employees - There are several ways to find qualified employees including job boards like LinkedIn or Indeed as well as hiring agencies if needed – depending on what type of employees you need it might also be more effective to reach out directly through networking events.

7. Acquire Necessary Coaching   Equipment & Supplies - In order to start your coaching business, you'll need to purchase all of the necessary equipment and supplies to run a successful operation.

8. Market & Promote Your Business - Once you have all the necessary pieces in place, it’s time to start promoting and marketing your coaching business. This includes creating a website, utilizing social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter, and having an effective Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy. You should also consider traditional marketing techniques such as radio or print advertising.

Learn more about how to start a successful coaching business:

• How to Start a Coaching Business

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Marketing Plan for Life Coach Business: An Example

July 14, 2023 by Jeannie Cotter Leave a Comment

A well-crafted marketing plan for life coach business is the foundation for attracting clients and achieving sustainable growth. In this article, we will provide a comprehensive example of a marketing plan to illustrate its effectiveness.

Sarah’s Marketing Plan for Life Coach Business

By examining this example and learning from a successful implementation, life coaches can gain valuable insights and strategies to effectively promote their services and attract clients.

(NOTE: If you want to learn how to get your first paid clients in the next 28 days, then check out the “Well Paid Coach” webinar .  During the webinar, I’ll cover the 6 myths that stop new coaches from making money coaching. Click HERE now to attend the webinar .)

Define the Target Audience 

One of the first steps in creating a marketing plan for a life coaching business is to define your target audience. Let’s consider the example of Sarah, a life coach specializing in career transitions for professionals in their 30s and 40s. Sarah identifies her target audience as mid-career professionals who feel stuck in their current jobs and are seeking guidance to find fulfilling careers. By clearly defining her target audience, Sarah can tailor her marketing efforts and messaging to effectively resonate with this specific group.

Establish a Unique Value Proposition 

To stand out in the competitive coaching industry, it is crucial to establish a unique value proposition. Sarah’s unique value proposition centers around her extensive experience in career counseling, her proven track record of helping clients successfully navigate career transitions, and her empathetic approach. She emphasizes her ability to provide personalized guidance and support to help clients discover their true passions and align them with fulfilling career paths.

Develop a Strong Online Presence  

Creating a strong online presence is vital for reaching potential clients. Sarah invests in a professional website that showcases her expertise, success stories, and client testimonials. She regularly publishes blog articles on career-related topics, offers free resources such as e-books or worksheets, and maintains an active presence on relevant social media platforms. Sarah also explores guest blogging opportunities on career-focused websites and collaborates with influencers in the personal development space to expand her reach.

Implement Targeted Digital Marketing Strategies 

Sarah develops a targeted digital marketing strategy to reach her ideal audience. She runs pay-per-click (PPC) advertising campaigns on platforms like Google Ads, using carefully selected keywords related to career transitions and coaching. She also leverages social media advertising, specifically targeting professionals in her desired age range and geographic location. Sarah creates engaging content, such as informative videos and inspirational quotes, that resonates with her target audience, building credibility and driving engagement.

Utilize Referral and Word-of-Mouth Marketing 

Sarah understands the power of referrals and word-of-mouth marketing. She encourages satisfied clients to share their positive experiences and refer to their peers. To incentivize referrals, she offers a discount on coaching sessions or a referral rewards program. Sarah also proactively seeks testimonials from clients who have achieved significant career breakthroughs and shares these testimonials on her website and social media channels. Positive word-of-mouth referrals and testimonials contribute to establishing trust and credibility, attracting new clients to her coaching services.

John’s Transformative Journey with Sarah’s Life Coaching

John, a mid-career professional struggling with job dissatisfaction, came across Sarah’s website and was intrigued by her focus on career transitions. After reading her blog posts and watching a few of her videos, he decided to reach out for a consultation. Impressed by Sarah’s empathetic approach and expertise, John became a long-term client. Through Sarah’s guidance and support, John successfully transitioned to a more fulfilling career aligned with his passions. Thrilled with the results, John recommended Sarah’s services to his colleagues, resulting in additional client referrals for her coaching business.

By examining this example marketing plan for life coach business , life coaches can gain insights into effective strategies for promoting their services and attracting clients. Remember to adapt these strategies to your specific target audience and continuously evaluate and adjust your marketing efforts for optimal results.

Jeannie Cotter

Editor/Writer, Coaches Training Blog community

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Sample Life Coaching Marketing Plan Template

• June 10, 2023

Here is how to write a life coach marketing plan sample.

Marketing is central to doing business. Without this activity, your products or services can hardly access the marketplace. It is all about the creation of awareness.

A plan will be needed to do this effectively. Hence, the marketing plan.

This article offers a life coaching marketing plan sample you can work with.

Life Coach Marketing Plan

If you’re planning on creating one for your life coaching business , this should help. Implementing your marketing plan is also of the essence.

As represented by this, a good plan should be able to define your target market and clearly understand its needs.

Mission Statement

NPowr is a business that inspires and supports people to dream, create, and achieve their life goals. We believe in a world where people can confront their fears to reach their full potential.

That is what we at NPowr stand for.

We serve the motivational and public speaking industry by inspiring leaders to attain heights they previously thought impossible.

Our self-assessment class seeks to detoxify the mind against long-held harmful beliefs. This helps our clients to begin to envision new possibilities.

At Npowr, we don’t only lead but also inspire. Life coaches see this in practice; they encourage others to overcome limiting doubts and become tremendous success stories.

Our Target Markets

At Npowr, our niche comprises people in the 20 to 38 age group. People within this age category form the bulk of persons willing to pursue a career in public speaking.

We are strategically positioned to help them realize their goals. This market segment includes persons with a flair for speaking and those interested in holding a public office in the future.

Our Services

As a life coaching company, we are more inclined to the public and motivational speaking angle. High-achieving and inspirational speakers deliver these services. These are partners we take pride in.

Their services have proven invaluable to the growth of our business.

However, we won’t restrict ourselves to public and motivational speaking alone. We plan on expanding to more areas, such as lifestyle and wellness and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP).

Providing these additional services will require recruiting more staff. There is also a cost angle to it.

Nevertheless, our additional services will take full takeoff in the medium term (5 years). Growing demand for such services should drive this.

We are upbeat about existing potentials in lifestyle & wellness and NLP life coaching sectors. The opportunities will be fully exploited in due time.

Marketing and Promotional Strategies

At Npowr, our life coaching goals will only be successful with an elaborate marketing plan. This consists of well-thought-out coaching promotional strategies that understand market needs.

Industry trends have played a significant role in choosing our niche.

The following marketing strategies will be employed to reach our target market;

i. Writing Articles

The need for life coaching services in our chosen niche areas has risen significantly over the years. Nevertheless, we aren’t resting on our oars to promote our business further.

One way of promotion is by writing articles for professional journals and newsletters. These will contain details about the services provided.

We are banking on the fact that such professional journals, newsletters, and media programs serve as convergent points for people within our industry.

Our articles teach them about our public and motivational speaking life coaching classes.

We’ll also include ample information about our intended expansion plans.

ii. Publicity and Press Releases

Our life coaching business will frequently send out publicity and press releases.

This will be done through local radio and TV stations. Newspapers and magazines won’t be excluded. This will be done to create awareness about our business.

Another aim of such press releases is to help people see why they should enroll in our classes. This action will eliminate the erroneous tendency to view life coaching as a distant and irrelevant field of endeavor.

iii. Trade Shows

Periodic trade show events will be organized. This will be done in partnership with relevant organizations.

The central message of such trade shows will be to project life coaching as an endeavor that everyone needs. Our particular niche will be promoted to ignite interest in young adults.

iv. The Social Media Space

Our marketing drive will target the social media space. This tool provides a vast online audience we can leverage on.

Therefore, we will be making use of the most popular platforms. These include Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. YouTube will also be leveraged to reach a wider audience.

Contents will include video and other forms of infographic materials. These will be uploaded frequently to keep our audience coming back for more.

Our Competition

We have deliberately sought our competition to operate a thriving life coaching business.

The sole aim of this action was to compare our strengths and find and emphasize our areas of strength. Currently, there are several life coaching services within our niche areas.

Although these are well-established businesses, we will offer more value to our clients. This includes our pricing structure in addition to the value-added services we offer.

These areas will be promoted to inform potential clients about our edge.

Our Marketing Goals

We have set definite goals on what we will achieve through our marketing campaigns. These will include attaining a yearly enrollment threshold of 40 students.

Our online life coaching platforms will have a yearly enrollment of 100 new students. This number will increase with our soon-to-be-launched expansion drive.

Close Monitoring

It isn’t enough to set these strategies in motion.

There is also the need for close monitoring. Monitoring, in this sense, has to do with measuring the impact of our actions as well as implementing calculated adjustments when the need arises.

Here is a sample life coaching marketing plan for your business. This looks into critical areas of marketing and provides a template you can include in your marketing campaign.

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Life Coaching Business Plan

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SummitRise Coaching

Value proposition.

SummitRise Coaching helps mid-career professionals find their purpose and navigate career transitions. Our tailored coaching programs provide the insights, confidence, and strategies to transform your life and open doors to new experiences.

The Problem

Mid-career professionals often feel unfulfilled or stuck but lack support to make a successful life transition. 

The Solution

SummitRise Coaching empowers mid-career professionals to navigate life transitions through customized guidance. Our tailored programs help clients discover purpose, build confidence, overcome obstacles, and reinvent their lives in a fulfilling new direction.

Target Market

• Mid-career professionals, ages 30-50, earning $75K-$200K seeking life transition support. 5M prospects spending $3K-$10K/year.
• Executives and managers interested in leadership and work-life balance. 3M prospects earning $125K-$300K, spending $5K-$15K/year.  
• Entrepreneurs starting or advancing businesses. 500K prospects earning $75K-$150K, spending $2K-$7K/year.
• Couples navigating life or relationship transitions together. 2M prospects with $100K-$250K combined income, spending $5K-$12K/year.

Competitors & Differentiation

Current alternatives.

• Traditional counseling: Provides mental health benefits but lacks life transition support. SummitRise offers tailored strategies and accountability.
• Outplacement firms: Focused on job search, not purpose reinvention. Generic, not customized services. SummitRise provides personalized solutions based on individual goals.
• Free/low-cost life coaching: Impact may be limited. Fewer credentialed coaches and services. SummitRise has certified, experienced coaches and high-touch programs.
• Online courses: Impersonal with little motivation or accountability. SummitRise combines digital learning with dedicated coach guidance focused on clients’ unique situations. Superior experience.

SummitRise Coaching stands apart through customized solutions and support for purposeful life reinvention.

• Certified, experienced coaches with proven success guiding life transitions.
• Personalized programs tailored to individual needs and goals.
• Practical strategies and accountability for sustainable change.
• Ongoing partnership through challenges and wins.

Our caring professionals provide guidance and motivation customized to your priorities so you can gain clarity, build confidence, and forge a fulfilling new direction.

Funding Needs

Here are funding needs, sales channels, marketing activities, financial projections, and milestones for SummitRise Coaching:

• $10,000 for website, marketing materials, certification and training
• $5,000 buffer for unforeseen initial costs   

Sales Channels   

• Website and email newsletter  
• Referral partners like therapists, career counselors, and mentors  
• Media exposure and contributions to build authority  
• Networking and live events  

Marketing Activities  

• Search engine optimization for website  
• Paid media (Google, Facebook, LinkedIn) targeting personas
• Blog posts and email newsletter to share advice and resources  
• Organic social media profiles and engagement, especially LinkedIn  
• Public speaking at live and virtual events   
• Strategic partnerships and networking  

Financial Projections  

With a focus on gaining initial clients through our proven introductory  offer and word-of-mouth referrals, SummitRise Coaching anticipates:

2022 $99,000       

2023 $138,873            

2024 $170,858

Expenses/Costs

2022 $74,400 

2023 $103,400   

2024 $130,000

2022 $24,600                 

2023 $35,473               

2024 $40,858  

• Earn life coaching certification (3 months)  
• Build company website (2 months)           
• Create marketing materials and brand identity (1 month)   
• Set up business legal structure and insurance (1 month)
• Define services and coaching program offerings (1 month)  
• Build email list and following on social media (6 months)  
• Continuously network, search for strategic partners (ongoing) 
• Gain first private coaching clients (4-6 months)                
• Run initial 6-week group program (8 months)         
• Line up speaking engagements and media interviews (10 months)   
• Reassess, gain feedback and adjust programs/offerings (12 months)       
• Meet with a business advisor to plan growth (18 months) 
• Consider bringing on additional coach(es) or admin support (24 months)     
• Review progress and set next 3-year business goals (24 months)

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How To Start a Coaching Business: 5 Key Points

Coaching is in its golden age, with different statistics predicting an average market size of $4.5 billion by 2028 for online coaching platforms alone. Even if such numbers predict a bright future, it’s the best case if you want to start a coaching business because you’ve reached a point in your career or life where you have the passion to share your expertise and make a genuine impact on others. 

If you start as a coach trainer and schedule meetings with clients , you can earn your first money tomorrow; if you want to launch an online course, it might take months to get your first paying clients. So what is the best way to start a business as a coach?

Today, we’re sharing what we know about starting a coaching business, and hope some of the insights will help you get started!

Define Your Starting Point

To start a coaching business, it should be crystal clear to you what exactly you want to do, what your current level of expertise is, and what is the best method to employ it.

You should start doing even more research if you want to realize in which sphere you can get the most out of your knowledge and convert it into profit. 

You can try to do your research by answering questions like:

• Which coaching sector is experiencing the most growth in your country? Is your expertise suitable for any of them? Is it worth upgrading your experience? 
• How can your coaching expertise serve the local clients? Can you target international clients? Are you ready to provide coaching online or want to limit them to face-to-face meetings? 
• Why are people searching for coaches in your area of expertise and what can you offer?
• What is the main terminology for the coaching business you want to start? Do you have the needed certification?
• What does a normal day of a coach in my sphere normally look like? Is it something I can/want to have?

Understand What Coaching Style Works Best for You

What is your coaching style, that is, what is the best way to share your knowledge? Do you want to write a book, create an online coaching course, or simply talk to people every day?

Modern web technologies can help maximize any of those styles with various coaching services delivery formats. Here are a few solutions to consider: 

Coach trainer

A coach trainer is a great option if you are looking to spend mornings facilitating coach training workshops or webinars, give lectures, participate in group discussions, practice coaching exercises, and provide feedback. You would normally work for a specific client or company. It may involve individual or group training. In this case, you can have a normal personal brand website.

Online course

Many learning management system software allow you to build a course once and sell it many times; you can also use external platforms like Udemy for it. It requires bundling in-depth courses with quizzes, assignments, and discussions. It works great for self-directed learners and passive income through coaching. Perfect for online tutors .

Membership community

Using dedicated platforms or your own website, it’s easy to build a loyal student base with exclusive content, live sessions, and member benefits. Good for recurring revenue and managing a growing student base.

Related article: 10 Best Membership Themes For WordPress: The Ultimate Guide    

E-commerce shop

Coaching is not about one-to-one training or live workshops only. You can also create various pre-made materials and sell them on your own site or using external platforms to offer clients educational materials like ebooks, tutorials, or study guides. It can be an extra source of income as well as the main one; the hardest thing in this case is marketing your product and getting your materials visible and trusted. 

Social media or blog

A coaching blog, podcast, or YouTube channel. If you want to create a popular brand and monetize your popularity, you can start with any of the already established popular platforms and regularly publish relevant content. It may take a lot of time to monetize it though.

Coaching Business Site Options

Based on the coaching style and content delivery format you prefer, you have different options to put those practices on your own website: 

• Personal brand website. It can simply showcase your expertise, services, testimonials, and pricing, and provide ways to reach out to you.
• Membership site. A powerful community where you can sell paid content, enable discussions, and run one-to-one and individual meetings. 
• Personalized consultation scheduling. This will help you show your availability times and enable clients to book appointments. View our lists with popular coaching software . 
• Classes and online courses . You can run online classes on your website.

Write a Business Plan & Calculate Initial Expenses

A good strategy for starting a coaching business is having a business plan. As the most basic option, this plan can be an outline of your main goals, practices, and expenses. For example:

• Business overview with your coaching business niche specified.
• Target market and its potential.
• Specific coaching programs or services you offer.
• Your coaching style and which software you would need to support it.
• Briefly describe your initial marketing tactics.
• Estimate your costs and describe revenue streams.
• Briefly mention any future plans to expand your services or reach new markets.

Study Legal Resources

Like any other business, coaching comes with tax responsibilities, so you’ll also want to understand how to report your income to the government.

Coaching-related associations (e.g. Coach Federation or ICF) often provide legal resources and templates for their members, including sample contracts, privacy policy templates, and general legal guides for coaches. You can also search for legal information websites like the Small Business Administration (SBA) in the US or Taxation and the Custom Union in the EU.

Let’s Conclude

So is it hard to start a coaching business? This type of business is considered a relatively low-cost startup, but still requires a lot of dedicated work.

• choose your coaching niche (career coaching, life coaching, health coaching).
• develop your coaching programs (individual coaching, online courses).
• choose your delivery method (podcast, membership site, in-person, online scheduling, blended, etc.).
• identify your ideal client and understand their needs.
• create your pricing strategy and learn the legal requirements.

Must-read articles on this topic:

• How to Add a Scheduling System for Coach on WordPress
• 15 Beautiful Coaching WordPress Themes (Free Included)

Brian is a WordPress expert with a decade of developing experience & technical-writing. He enjoys blogging, movies & hiking.

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Free MS Word Strategic Planning Templates

By Courtney Patterson | May 11, 2024

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Below is a collection of the best strategic planning templates in Microsoft Word to help you create a comprehensive roadmap for future growth and success.

Included in this article, you'll find: 

• A one-page business strategy template
• A Microsoft Word IT Strategic Plan Template
• A 5-year strategic business plan template
• A nonprofit strategic plan template
• A list of related strategic planning templates

Microsoft Word Basic Strategic Plan Template

Download the Sample Basic Strategic Plan Template for Microsoft Word   Download the Blank Basic Strategic Plan Template for Microsoft Word  

When to Use This Template : Use this template with or without sample data when you are starting your business and need to outline a clear direction and foundational strategies. This tool is crucial for transitioning from an informal approach to a more structured strategic planning process. 

Notable Template Features : This basic strategic plan template simplifies the planning process with a clear, easy-to-follow structure that covers essential strategic elements. It includes sections for mission and vision statements, a SWOT analysis, goals, and action plans, making it accessible for first-time strategists.

Check out these  free strategic planning templates that offer robust resources, including ready-to-use frameworks and expert advice, so you can meticulously craft and execute your strategic vision.

Microsoft Word One-Page Business Strategic Plan Template

Download Sample One-Page Business Strategic Plan Template for Microsoft Word Download Blank One-Page Business Strategic Plan Template for Microsoft Word

When to Use This Template : Consider this template when you’re on a deadline and need a swift, comprehensive snapshot of your strategy. Available with or without sample data, the template is ideal for pre-meeting preparations, allowing you to quickly and thoroughly review your strategic position.

Notable Template Features : This one-page business strategic plan template boils down intricate strategies to a single, accessible page. Featuring streamlined sections for goals, actions, and metrics, it delivers a clear and concise strategic outline that's easy to share and discuss. Download the sample version for a pre-filled template, or try the blank version to fill in the sections with your own data.

Check out this  strategic planning guide , complete with free templates that offer you all the tools and insights you need to expertly develop and implement your strategic plans.

Microsoft Word IT Strategic Plan Template

Download Microsoft Word IT Strategic Plan Template Download Sample IT Strategic Plan Template  

When to Use This Template : Dive into this template when your IT department is gearing up for a major overhaul or aligning with new business strategies. Available with or without example text, the template is a must-have for plotting out the technological roadmap that supports your organization's long-term vision.

Notable Template Features : This IT strategic plan template features IT-specific sections, such as technology assessments and future roadmaps, making it a powerhouse for managing and planning IT investments. The template includes detailed prompts, so you can thoroughly address and align each aspect of your IT strategy, from cybersecurity to cloud computing, with overarching business objectives.

Explore this  article on crafting strategic plans . It offers a treasure trove of free templates to guide your team through the strategic planning process, ensuring a seamless and effective strategy formulation.

Microsoft Word Advanced Strategic Planning Template

Download the Sample Advanced Strategic Planning Template for Microsoft Word Download the Blank Advanced Strategic Planning Template for Microsoft Word

When to Use This Template : Turn to this dynamic template with or without sample data when you’re ready to plan an all-inclusive strategy. Perfect for times of significant growth or change, it's especially useful for teams looking to blend comprehensive market insights with long-term planning.

Notable Template Features : This advanced strategic planning template is designed to guide you through every facet of strategic development, from SWOT analysis to detailed financial planning. Offering structured sections for an all-encompassing view of your business landscape, it ensures that you have a robust foundation for decision-making and future growth. Download the sample version for a pre-filled template, or try the blank version to fill in your own data.

Dive into this comprehensive  guide on strategic planning model templates to access a diverse array of free resources and streamline the path to your strategic goals.

Microsoft Word One-Year Strategic Business Plan Template

Download Sample One-Year Strategic Business Plan Template for Microsoft Word Download Blank One-Year Strategic Business Plan Template for Microsoft Word

When to Use This Template : Use this one-year template with or without sample data to reach your key goals within the next year. It's a must for companies looking to translate annual objectives into clear, actionable steps.

Notable Template Features : This one-year strategic business plan template is designed with simplicity in mind, featuring sections that help break down goals into achievable actions and timelines. The template’s streamlined approach ensures that you can focus on what matters most, making it easier to track progress and adjust strategies as needed.

Microsoft Word 5-Year Strategic Business Plan Template

Download the Sample 5-Year Strategic Business Plan Template for Microsoft Word Download the Blank 5-Year Strategic Business Plan Template for Microsoft Word

When to Use This Template : Use this template to lay the strategic groundwork for the medium-term achievements your organization aims to reach in the next five years. Available with or without sample text, it's perfect for transitioning from startup to established entity, allowing you to focus on expansion and scalability.

Notable Template Features : This 5-year strategic business plan template empowers you to set ambitious yet attainable goals and create strategies for market expansion. It also includes tools for financial forecasting and resource allocation, making it easier to manage growth and measure success over a longer period.

Microsoft Word Long-Term Strategic Business Plan Template

Download the Long-Term Strategic Business Plan Template for Microsoft Word

When to Use This Template : Use this template when you’re aiming for a plan of 10 years or longer and envisioning your business's journey toward long-term innovation and industry leadership.

Notable Template Features : Featuring a decade-spanning outlook, this long-term strategic plan template empowers you to set visionary goals and detailed strategies for sustainable growth and innovation. It’s designed to help you align your long-range plans with actionable steps, ensuring every department is moving toward a common, ambitious future.

Microsoft Word University Strategic Plan Outline Template

Download Sample University Strategic Plan Outline Template for Microsoft Word Download Blank University Strategic Plan Outline Template for Microsoft Word

When to Use This Template : This template helps university leaders chart a future course that enriches academic excellence and campus life. Use it during periods of strategic reflection or in advance of accreditation reviews to ensure all goals align with the institution's mission and vision.

Notable Template Features : Tailored to the academic sector, this strategic plan outline includes sections for setting educational priorities, creating a strategy for program development, and planning campus enhancements. Available with or without example text, it facilitates a comprehensive approach to institutional growth, encouraging stakeholder engagement and long-term planning for academic and infrastructural improvements.

Microsoft Word Marketing Strategic Planning Template

Download the Sample Marketing Strategic Planning Template for Microsoft Word Download the Blank Marketing Strategic Planning Template for Microsoft Word

When to Use This Template : Turn to this template when you're preparing to put a new product on the market or revamping your brand's presence. It's ideal for synchronizing your marketing initiatives with your overarching business goals.

Notable Template Features : This template with or without sample data stands out with its clear sections for defining marketing objectives, pinpointing your audience, and crafting detailed campaign strategies. It supports marketers by laying out a comprehensive plan that not only attracts but also retains customers, ensuring all marketing activities are in lockstep with the business's vision and objectives. Try the pre-filled template to see sample text, or use the blank template to fill in your own data.

Microsoft Word Nonprofit Strategic Plan Template

Download the Nonprofit Strategic Plan Template for Microsoft Word

When to Use This Template : Reach for this template when your nonprofit is gearing up for a period of strategic renewal or aiming to better align its efforts with its core mission. Helping you clearly articulate your organization's direction and impact, this tool is crucial for running annual planning sessions or preparing funding and grant applications.

Notable Template Features : This template is designed specifically for nonprofit organizations, featuring sections dedicated to mission statement clarification, stakeholder engagement strategies, and impact assessment methods. It offers a comprehensive framework for nonprofits to navigate the complexities of sustainability and mission-driven planning, ensuring every activity contributes to long-term success.

Related Strategic Planning Templates

Discover this list of free templates that perfectly complement your strategic planning needs. From business model canvases to detailed market analyses and customer journeys, these tools ensure a solid value proposition and guide your business toward success.

Free Microsoft Word Action Plan Templates

Check out these  free Microsoft Word action plan templates for tools to streamline your project planning, enhance your task management, and achieve your goals more efficiently.

Free Gap Analysis Templates

Explore this  collection of free gap analysis templates to help you identify the discrepancies between your business's current state and its desired future state, offering a clear pathway for strategic improvement and goal achievement.

Free Scenario Analysis Templates

Use these  free scenario analysis templates to get frameworks that prepare you for various future possibilities, enabling strategic decision-making and risk management.

Secure Your Organization’s Future Success with Strategic Planning Templates from Smartsheet

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