Starting a coaching business might seem like a massive job, but it doesn’t have to be.
You don’t need a fancy certification, a huge following, or years of experience running a business. What you need is a clear plan – and that’s exactly what you’ll get with my starting a coaching business checklist.
I’ve worked with hundreds of coaches, and I’ve seen it all. The overthinkers stuck on choosing a niche. The perfectionists waiting until everything’s “just right.” And the action-takers who get out there and start helping people.
Guess which ones actually build successful businesses?
This checklist will walk you through every step, from figuring out what kind of coach you want to be to landing your first clients. Inside you’ll find a simple, doable plan to get your business up and running.
Ready to stop second-guessing and take action?
Table of Contents
How to Start a Coaching Business
Starting a coaching business doesn’t always come with a clear-cut blueprint, but it starts with something simple: recognizing the demand. For me, it all began with people reaching out for help – asking how they could host virtual summits or grow their online visibility.
That’s when the online coaching light bulb went on.
At first, I doubted myself. Imposter syndrome made me question whether I had the right to coach others. But as more people asked for personalized guidance, it became clear that there was real value in what I had to offer. I didn’t need to be the “perfect” expert; I just needed to show up and help these new coaches.
If you’re starting out, don’t wait for everything to be perfect before you set up your business structure. Instead, lean into the skills and knowledge you already have.
Create simple offers, build real relationships, and trust that your audience will guide you as you go.
Starting a Coaching Business Checklist: Your Step-by-Step Launch Plan
Launching your coaching business doesn’t just mean checking tasks off a list and figuring out how much it costs to become a life coach. This launch plan is structured to help you build a profitable and scalable business from the ground up, using a proven system that’s designed to get you results fast.
Week 1: Validate your niche
- Action: Research and validate your coaching niche to ensure demand.
- What to do: Conduct surveys, research competitors, and talk to potential clients to confirm there’s interest./li>
- Goal: Know exactly who your ideal clients are for your life coaching niche and what they need.
Week 2: Build Your Magic Pill Offer
- Action: Develop your high-ticket coaching offer ($2K-$20K) that delivers real transformation.
- What to do: Focus on creating an irresistible offer that showcases your expertise and delivers high value. Define the format (one-on-one, group, or hybrid), and ensure it’s scalable.
- Goal: Create a profitable and scalable offer that resonates with your audience.
Week 3: Set up business essentials
- Action: Register your coaching business, create contracts, and set up payment systems.
- What to do: Ensure that you’re legally covered and have seamless payment solutions (e.g., PayPal, Stripe).
- Goal: Have everything set up to run your life coaching business plan smoothly.
Week 4: Launch your Lead Generation Machine
- Action: Start attracting leads through external exposure and your own platforms.
- What to do: Reach out for podcast interviews, guest appearances, or collaborations. Launch your podcast, virtual summit, or workshops to start building an audience.
- Goal: Promote your business and grow your coaching business. Begin building awareness and trust with your target audience.
Week 5: Build your online presence
- Action: Set up your coaching website and refine your messaging.
- What to do: Make sure your website clearly defines your offer, features testimonials, and makes it easy for potential clients to book calls.
- Goal: Establish a professional online presence that attracts leads.
Week 6: Start your Sales Enrollment System
- Action: Set up a simple, effective, and fun process for enrolling clients.
- What to do: Develop a straightforward sales strategy that feels natural and confident for you, such as an easy discovery call process. Focus on building rapport and closing deals.
- Goal: Make the sales process enjoyable and increase your conversion rates.
Week 7: Deliver exceptional coaching
- Action: Begin delivering your coaching sessions and start tracking client progress.
- What to do: Develop a system for checking in with clients and getting feedback.
- Goal: Ensure that your clients are receiving amazing results and becoming raving fans.
Week 8 and beyond: Plan for growth
- Action: Evaluate how your business is growing and plan next steps for scaling.
- What to do: Consider adding additional revenue streams (courses, group coaching, etc.), or expanding your team.
- Goal: Continue growing your business and impact.
This plan gives you everything you need to set up your coaching business. Follow the system and apply the right strategies, and your business won’t just start – it’ll thrive.
Starting a Coaching Business From Scratch
Starting from zero? No experience, no clients, no clue where to begin? That’s okay. Every successful coach started exactly where you are right now. The key is to take action because confidence and credibility come from doing, not waiting.
- Talk to real people: Have conversations with friends, colleagues, or online connections to identify common struggles and how you can help.
- Practice coaching for free: Offer a few free or low-cost sessions to build confidence and refine your skills. Treat them like real coaching sessions and ask for feedback.
- Document what works: Take notes on the steps you naturally use to help someone. This will become your coaching framework.
- Share value, not just testimonials: Post insights, case studies (even from practice clients), and lessons from your journey to build credibility.
- Start with a simple offer: A single session or short-term package (like a 4-week plan) makes it easy for clients to say yes.
- Ask for introductions, not just referrals: Even if someone isn’t ready to hire you, they might know someone who is.
- Stay consistent: Show up, engage, and keep helping. Coaching is a relationship-based business, and trust builds over time.
How to Start a Personal Coaching Business
Personal coaching is all about helping individuals improve their mindset, confidence, relationships, and overall well-being.
Unlike business coaching, executive coaching, or marketing coaching, it’s more personalized and emotionally focused, guiding clients through self-discovery and action-taking.
- Define your unique coaching style: Identify what makes your approach different – structured, intuitive, or hands-on? Clarify your philosophy so you attract the right clients for your online business
- Choose a specialization: Instead of general life coaching, focus on confidence, relationships, emotional resilience, or another niche that fits your strengths.
- Develop a results-driven framework: Even though personal coaching is flexible, having a clear process helps clients track progress and see real transformation.
- Leverage personal storytelling: Share your own experiences to build trust and relatability. Clients connect with types of coaches who have overcome similar struggles.
- Offer experiential coaching opportunities: Use mindfulness exercises, journaling prompts, or habit-building techniques to deepen client transformation.
- Build a community-driven presence: Engage in personal growth coaching spaces – social media groups, forums, and events where people seek support. Personal coaching thrives on genuine connections.
- Create trust-building content: Share insights, client wins (anonymized if needed), and real-life lessons to position yourself as a credible and relatable coach.
- Use interactive lead-generation marketing strategies: Instead of traditional lead magnets, offer self-assessments, reflection prompts, or interactive challenges to engage potential clients.
- Set up simple, flexible coaching offers: Some clients prefer ongoing support, while others want a short-term breakthrough session. Offer flexible options to meet different needs.
- Invest in coaching supervision or mentorship: Since personal coaching involves deep emotional work, having your own mentor ensures you keep growing while maintaining strong boundaries.
Starting a Life Coaching Business Checklist
Starting a life coaching business? This checklist covers the essentials to help you create a life coaching practice that drives real change and growth.
- Define your life coaching philosophy: What’s your core belief about personal growth? Clients resonate with a coach who has a clear vision.
- Understand transformation psychology: Life coaching is about breakthroughs – study mindset shifts, behavioral patterns, and habit formation.
- Develop your signature coaching method: Go beyond a general framework – craft a unique process that makes your coaching stand out.
- Learn to guide deep conversations: Unlike other coaching types, life coaching often explores emotions, mindset, and limiting beliefs – get skilled in active listening and powerful questioning.
- Offer clarity calls, not just sessions: Life coaching clients often need help defining their goals before committing to coaching.
- Incorporate tools for self-reflection: Journals, guided exercises, or assessments can enhance client results and add value to your coaching.
- Use testimonials that highlight transformation: Life coaching results are often intangible – focus on personal growth stories, mindset shifts, and quality-of-life improvements.
- Align your brand with personal development values: Your messaging, visuals, and content should reflect growth, empowerment, and self-discovery.
- Balance inspiration with practicality: Clients need motivation, but they also need a roadmap – blend mindset coaching with action steps.
- Develop a long-term client journey: Many life coaching clients benefit from ongoing support – consider memberships, retreats, or group coaching for continued growth.
Starting a Coaching Business Checklist PDF
I’ve already shared a checklist to guide you through the steps of starting your coaching business, but before you start writing yours, I want to make sure you leave with something you can take with you.
You can grab the Starting a Coaching Business Checklist PDF to fill in the blanks and customize it as needed, so you can stay on track and build your business with confidence.
Step 1: Define your coaching niche
- What topic or problem do you specialize in helping people with? [Fill in your expertise]
- Who is your ideal client? (Age, profession, struggles, goals) [Describe your ideal client]
- What results will your coaching help them achieve? [List the main transformation you provide]
- Is there a demand for this niche? How do you know? [Market research findings]
Step 2: Create your Magic Pill Offer
- What type of coaching will you offer? (One-on-one, group, hybrid) [Choose a format]
- How long will your coaching program last? (Sessions per week, total duration) [Specify session details]
- What will be included in your coaching package? [List tools, resources, or bonuses]
- What will you charge for your coaching? Why? [Set pricing based on value and market rates in the coaching industry]
Step 3: Set up business essentials
- What name will you use for your coaching business? [Business name or personal brand]
- How will clients pay you? (Stripe, PayPal, bank transfer, etc.) [Set up payment options]
- Do you have a coaching agreement or contract in place? [Yes/No – Action required]
- Do you need to register your business legally? [Yes/No – Steps to take]
Step 4: Build your online presence
- Where will you promote your coaching? (Business website, social media, LinkedIn, etc.) [List platforms you’ll use]
- What is your core message or brand statement? [Summarize in one sentence]
- How will people book a call or session with you? [Link to booking system or contact method]
Step 5: Attract and enroll clients (Your Lead Generation Machine)
- How will you generate interest in your coaching? [Free strategy calls, webinars, lead magnets, etc.]
- How will you collect and showcase client testimonials? [Plan for gathering reviews]
- What is your process for handling a discovery call? [List key points for structuring calls]
- How will you follow up with potential clients who don’t enroll immediately? [Your follow-up strategy]
Step 6: Sales Enrollment System
- How will you sell your coaching offers? (Confidence, simplicity, fun!) [Outline your approach]
- What strategies will you use to handle objections during sales calls? [Prepare responses]
- How will you make the enrollment process simple and enjoyable for clients? [Clarify steps]
Step 7: Deliver an exceptional coaching experience
- How will you track client progress and keep them accountable? [Tools or methods you’ll use]
- How will you provide support between coaching sessions? [Email, messaging, extra resources, etc.]
- What’s one thing you can do to make your coaching stand out? [Your unique value]
Step 8: Plan for growth
- What’s your long-term vision for your coaching business? [Write down your big goal]
- What additional income streams could you add? (Courses, memberships, speaking, etc.) [List future offers]
- How will you continue improving as a coach? [Ongoing education, mentorship, certifications]
Simple Steps, Real Results
Starting a coaching business doesn’t have to be complicated. The moment you decide to follow my starting a coaching business checklist, you’re one step closer to a clear roadmap to move from idea to paying clients. Every successful coach starts with the basics – defining their niche, creating a simple offer, and showing up consistently.
The key is action. Fill in the checklist, take the first step, and refine as you go. Your coaching business isn’t built in a day, but every move forward brings you closer to a thriving practice.
If you’re ready to skip the guesswork and start attracting high-ticket clients, this is your next move. Get free access to the exact 3-step system that has helped 100s of coaches turn their expertise into a thriving, predictable business.