How to Start a Coaching Business Online: A Step-by-Step Guide

So you want to start an online coaching business—but you’re not sure where to even begin?

Or maybe you’re swimming in way too much information and are stuck in analysis paralysis…

Let’s skip the headaches and endless Googling. I’m breaking it ALL down for you right now!

I’m Moriah—the founder and creative director of Moriah Riona Branding, where my mission is to empower female coaches, consultants, and online entrepreneurs with luxury branding. On this channel, I teach you how to build your brand, your online authority, and your audience—so you have the confidence to charge your worth and cultivate a thriving business and life.

And if you want to learn more about positioning yourself as the go-to leader in your industry, be sure to hit that ‘Subscribe’ button below!

In this video, I’m teaching you how to start a coaching business from scratch. You’ll want to stay tuned because what I’m sharing will help you set your business up for major success in the long run.

Let’s dive in!

How to Start a Coaching Business Step 1: Figure out your niche.

Before you do anything else, you’ll need to decide on your niche. Don’t skip this crucial step! Because then you won’t know what you do or exactly who you serve. And the answers to those questions will inform everything else about your business.

When you’re thinking about your niche, I want you to be very specific. “Health coach” isn’t going to cut it. And even “health coach for moms” is too broad. Let’s zoom in a little more. “Weight loss coach for working moms who want to lose the last 10 pounds” is a perfect example of how specific you want to be. 

Many beginner coaches are afraid of marketing to such a specific group because they think they’ll miss out on booking everyone else. But remember, the riches are in the niches. A niche allows you to position yourself as THE go-to expert who meets your audience’s very specific needs. And that’s a good place to be!

Start an Online Coaching Business Step 2: Figure out your ideal client and your offer.

Now that you know your niche, it’s time to define your ideal client. And again, I encourage you to be as specific as possible. 

Where do they live? How old are they? What’s their occupation? Do they have kids? What do they do in their free time? What do they value in life? To understand what makes your ideal client tick, these are the types of questions you’ll need to answer.

And if you want more help figuring out your ideal client, check out my video, Ideal Client Avatar For Life Coaches: 5 Steps To Getting Booked Out.

Next? Craft a compelling offer for THAT person. What do they really need? What are they willing to pay for? What would make their life better or easier? What is the transformation they’re looking for? The answers to these questions will empower you to build an offer that’s truly irresistible.

Start a Life coaching Business Step 3: Build your brand.

Now it’s time to pull it all together into a cohesive online presence. And if you want your brand to justify your premium pricing, you’ll want to outsource this to a professional. Because DIY brands and template websites do NOT attract the high-paying clients you’re dreaming of.

For our clients, we build luxury brands to help them effortlessly convey their high-end value — so they can attract high-end clients. Let’s take a look so you can see what I mean.

There’s Nichole McHugh, a luxury vacation rental consultant who helps her clients streamline their rental businesses. Everything about her website screams luxury—and that’s precisely the kind of client Nichole is attracting.

Then there’s Mandy Straight, a life coach. The high-end website we created for her empowers her to encourage her clients to make an investment in their home design. See how powerful a website can be when it’s done right?

Our luxury website design sets our clients apart and positions them as the go-to leader in their niche—so they can charge what they’re worth. Hit that ‘Like’ button down below if you’re ready to ditch the DIY, too!

How to Start a Coaching Business Step 4: Build your funnel.

Funnels can be a little—okay, a lot—overwhelming. There’s SO much advice floating around the internet, and it’s hard to tell what will actually work and what’s a waste of your time. 

But I’m sharing what I know WORKS—because it’s exactly how I’ve grown my own online business. Here are the steps:

Create your freebie.

This freebie should be made specifically for your ideal client. So to continue our weight loss coach example, here’s a potential freebie idea: Meal Plan for Busy Working Moms (WITH Shopping List!). 

Build your email list.

Once you have your freebie created, offer it on your website through an opt-in form. That way, you can grow your email list by capturing the email address of everyone who downloads your freebie. This is so powerful because you’ll be able to reach your lead in a much more personal way—right in their inbox—when they’re the most interested in your brand.

There are lots of list-building platforms out there, but my favorite is ConvertKit. This platform makes it easy to build forms, email sequences, and more! If you want to grow your email list with ConvertKit, grab the link below.

Promote your freebie.

Get the word out about your freebie through free content. This can be through social media like Instagram or Facebook posts or TikTok videos. But my preference is for long-form, high-value content—it helps establish your authority as an expert in your niche. 

Want to be the go-to person in your industry, too? All you’ll have to do is provide content that helps solve your audience’s problems. Remember—you’re a few steps ahead, and you’ve got the answers. It’s time to start sharing the wisdom your audience craves. If you’re ready to start building your authority in your niche, type “I’m the expert!” in the comments!

For that route, you’ll need to start creating YouTube videos, podcast episodes, or blog posts to provide tons of value to your audience. And throughout that content, you’ll want to include a CTA to your freebie as much as possible.

Create a nurture series.

When a lead opts in for your freebie, you should set up an automated email sequence that nurtures the relationship with that lead. And again, ConvertKit makes this incredibly easy. With an automated nurture series in place, you’ll build trust and drive connection with your lead, which makes it much more effective when you pitch your services.

Now you know exactly how to start a coaching business from scratch—so you can begin attracting coaching clients who would LOVE to work with you!

But do you want to make sure the clients you’re attracting are the kind that value your work and will pay a premium for it? I’ve just launched a FREE course designed to help coaches, consultants, and online entrepreneurs like you attract high-ticket clients who are more than willing to pay you what you’re worth. Click here to enroll now!

If you liked this video, be sure to check out this one, too—where you’ll learn how to break through your income barriers by reframing your mindset on high-ticket pricing.

And for a steady stream of all things branding and online entrepreneurship, be sure to subscribe to my channel. I’ll see you in the next one!

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