How to Start a Successful Online Coaching or Consulting Business: check out the show notes

You’re an expert at what you do. It’s time to share that expertise through 1:1, group coaching, and/or an online course. This is your roadmap to success, a step-by-step guide.

You may be wondering: "How do I know if I’m expert enough to offer online coaching or consulting?"

When someone sets up a consultation for your services, all they're thinking is, "how can you help me?" They just want to know if you’re able to help them with their problem.

They’re not at all wondering where you went to school or how long you’ve been in business. Their only concern is how you can help them.

Regardless of your education or business experience, there are clients for every background, experienced or novice. Everyone had to start somewhere and everyone has a first day in business.

Do you have a solid foundation of education, training or knowledge in your niche? Do you hold any certifications, degrees, or specialized training in your niche? Have you successfully applied your knowledge in real-world situations? Are you a good communicator and have great interpersonal skills? Have you worked or studied in your niche for a sufficient amount of time to gain expertise?

If you’re confident in your knowledge and skills as well as genuinely passionate about helping others, you are well-suited to offer coaching or consulting.

You would start by offering your services on a small scale and gradually expand as you gain more experience and positive feedback from clients.

Stage 0: Introductory Stage - "How Do I Begin?"

Introductory Stage: "How Do I Begin?"

You're in this stage if you are currently contemplating whether or not starting a consulting or coaching business is for you. You have a million questions and are in the research phase. You may be wondering "how will I get clients" or "how much do I charge" or "how do I even begin".

You're ready to move from Stage 0 to Stage 1 once each milestone in this checklist is complete:

Release imposter syndrome of not being experienced/expert enough >>
Willing to go forth and take risks, especially when facing difficult obstacles
Understand your success is inevitable and that all failures are merely learning lessons in your business growth process
Release perfectionism or your coaching/consulting program will never launch; done is better than perfect
Willing to dedicate time each day or week to getting the business up and running starting first as a side job, later optionally moving into full-time
Aware that it will never be the "right" time to start a new business

Stage 1: One-to-One Coach/Consultant - you're currently coaching individuals

Stage 1: One-on-One Coach/Consultant

You're in this stage if you are currently coaching individuals. You've either received or are in the process of receiving testimonials that your coaching methodology has been effective. You now understand that your time in a day is limited and are ready to expand your reach through an online course or group coaching program, which is what you're in the process of researching.

You're ready to move from Stage 1 to Stage 2 once each milestone in this checklist is complete:

You're ready to move to the next stage once each milestone is complete.
Receive numerous testimonials that your coaching methodology works
Describe who is your target market and where they're at right now
Get clear on how your target market defines "success"
Design repeatable processes to make it easier for others to replicate success in your coaching program
Define your niche and what makes you stand out from your competitors

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Stage 2: List Builder - you're new to moving your business online

Stage 2: List Builder

You're in this stage if you are new to moving your business online. You may either be starting an email list from scratch or building on your current email list. You know that you need to have an audience to market your program, but are not quite sure how to go about it, which is what you're in the process of researching.

You're ready to move from Stage 2 to Stage 3 once each milestone in this checklist is complete:

Design a professional website with Home, About, Services & Contact pages
Produce a thoughtful freebie PDF or mini course that your audience desires
Create high converting website op-tin page to trade audience emails for freebie
Set up an email welcome sequence (5 to 10 emails) to guide toward your "join the waitlist" paid offer
Receive an honest review of your email sequence copy and opt-in page

Stage 3: Website Traffic Driver - you're driving traffic to your opt-in page

Stage 3: Website Traffic Driver

You're in this stage if you have set up an opt-in system to collect leads and are now trying to figure out how to get traffic to the opt in page. You know that you need to implement a marketing strategy, but are not quite sure how to go about it, which is what you're in the process of researching.

You're ready to move from Stage 3 to Stage 4 once each milestone in this checklist is complete:

Understand the difference between marketing strategy and marketing tactic
Choose 2 platforms your target market frequents and plan to post regularly
Design a marketing strategy with organic and borrowed audience tactics
Craft a 30-day repeatable social media posting and implementation strategy
Consider collaborations from a borrowed audience - podcast guest, guest blogging, speaking, social media collaboration

Stage 4: Program Launcher - you're presenting an offer to your email list

Stage 4: Program Launcher!

You're in this stage if you have a decent amount of email subscribers who are interested in purchasing your services. You're now ready to design a compelling sales page and plan how you're going to present the offer to your email list which could be via a live or pre-recorded webinar, video series, challenge, or other method.

You're ready to move from Stage 4 to Stage 5 once each milestone in this checklist is complete:

Understand all the parts of a high converting sales page
Write copy for the sales page that shows an understanding of your audience
Choose a sales mechanism for your launch that's appropriate for offer price point
Craft a clear plan and implementation strategy for your launch including dates
Design a sales email sequence from cart open to close

Stage 5: Group Coach - you've launched and are now actively coaching online

Stage 5: Group Coach

You're in this stage if you've launched your offer and are ready to do what you do best, provide the best coaching services possible to paying clients. You're now ready to design an onboarding system to welcome them and keep them accountable for showing up and completing the program in its entirety.

You're ready to move from Stage 5 to Stage 6 once each milestone in this checklist is complete:

Provide a clear and tangible promise of your program's transformation
Outline the path a student or client will take to move from point A (where they are now) to point B (where they want to be and where your program will take them)
Design each lesson in your program to move the student through milestones
Complete filming (unless program is live) along with accompanying handouts
Complete the first cohort in the program so you can understand what could be improved for the next launch

Stage 6: Project Manager - you're systematizing future launches

Stage 6: Project Manager

You're in this stage if you've launched your offer and are now deciding whether to launch over and over or place your program on evergreen. Either way, it's time to design repeatable business systems.

You're ready to move from Stage 6 to the Final Stage once each milestone in this checklist is complete:

Map out 5 to 10 buckets of content topics as they relate to your audience
Design a 12-month marketing strategy for social media using topics above
Craft an implementation strategy for the above 12 months of social posting
Create a plan to increase website search engine optimization
Choose a regular content posting platform for weekly blog, YouTube video, or podcast
Sketch a template for sending weekly or twice monthly emails of value to your list
Outline an implementation strategy for weekly content posting and weekly emails
Implement appropriate email sales sequences using segmenting

Final Stage: Thought Leader - your message is dialed in

Final Stage: Thought Leader

Your message is dialed in. You have a clear roadmap to success and are ready to scale by attracting even more customers and improving conversions.

You've hired a team to help scale so you can work solely on content and product creation.

Learn More about the step by step program >>

Ready to transform your brand into an unforgettable authority that attracts your ideal clients?

To make this happen, your audience needs to instantly understand who you are and how you can help them. That's the power of compelling messaging. When your messaging is dialed in, potential clients see exactly why you're the perfect fit for their needs.

Inside this guide, you’ll find practical exercises to amplify your brand’s unique strengths, clarify your message, and turn curiosity into committed clients.

Download the Guide >>