What I wished I’d known about setting up a coaching business -before I started my training by Lesley Hayman (Part 1 of 3)
My coach training was excellent but it didn’t prepare me for what I needed to do to set up and run my own coaching business successfully. I want to share some of the things I’ve learnt in this 3-part blog:- 1) before training 2) surviving and prospering post training 3) the nitty gritty of setting up your own business.
Do they resonate with your early experiences?
What did you need and learn?
Do share if you think others would benefit.
To run a successful coaching business I discovered you need three sets of skills.
To be a good coach, yes, I knew about that;
To be able to run your own business, yes, I expected that;
To market yourself and the business ‑‑this was the part I had no idea would be so important and where I’ve had to learn the most. I assumed excellent coach training and telling all my contacts would be enough. How wrong I was.
But let’s start at the very beginning; 5 tips for before and during training:-
1. Choose a training course accredited by a coaching association
Accreditation is important as it demonstrates the course meets set standards and sends strong messages about the course’s quality (see coaching associations’ websites for details). Also, if your course is accredited, and you may want to pick one that is, the credits you gain count towards your coach accreditation. Check the requirement of individual associations.
2. Why should you belong to a coaching association?
The coaching associations are a good way to get to know other coaches and to continue your professional development either f2f or online. Here are three leading coaching associations: the International Coaching Federation (ICF), the largest globally; the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC), Europe only of course; and the Association for Coaching (AoC). These associations strive for greater professionalism, set coaching standards, accredit coaches and training courses, as well as offering training courses and conferences. It is a good idea to belong to at least one.
3. Marketing is an integral part of being a successful coach, - start during training
Unless you’re lucky enough to be an internal coach in an organisation, you are going to have to market yourself to get paid coaching. This can be hard if you’ve got used to being employed and getting a fixed salary. The good news is there are lots of ways to market yourself. Pick those that suit you and keep practising: you’ll get better. Plus there are lots of webinars and short courses run by coaching associations to help coaches in specific areas ‑ such as using Linked-In for marketing. Be prepared to spend a big chunk of your time and some of your money on marketing. Start thinking about this when you are still in training. Your training course peers may be able to help. Some may even be potential business partners for you.
4. Coaching testimonials are important, start collecting these early even while you’re still training
Testimonials are evidence of your credibility to potential clients. Try to get testimonials from those in senior roles and well-known organisations. They will carry weight when you start marketing yourself.
5. Have I mentioned coaching credentials? Start thinking early about getting credentialled by one of the coaching associations
Employers of coaches increasingly expect credentials (ICF Coaching survey 2020). Check the requirements of the association and start preparing by tracking who you’ve coached when and for how long right from the beginning of your course.
At the end of the day, are all the effort, time, frustrations and expenditure worth it?
For me, yes, without a doubt. Coaching has proved more enriching, engaging and rewarding than I could have ever imagined.
To find out more about my coaching contact me via Lesley Hayman on LinkedIn
Lesley specialises in intercultural coaching for global organisations. Lesley’s international career has taken her to 33 countries, including 9 years in Japan where she worked for the British Council and learnt to speak Japanese. Other highlights include her role as Regional Director for Sub-Saharan Africa for the British Council and leading the global partnerships team for UCL. Lesley holds an MBA from London Business School and a Professional Certificate in Coaching (PCIC) from Henley Business School. She also specialises in systemic coaching and constellations work.
Look out for my next blog with tips on how to survive and prosper post training.
