You want to change lives, but wait: You need to make money too!

Only about 20% of coaches succeed in making this a full-time, sustainable business. And they do because they are prepared, have a clear plan, and can execute a well-thought-out strategy. 

If you want to make this a business more than a side hustle or Mother Teresa-style mission, you must know how to write a life coach business plan. Let’s go through the essential steps of how it’s done, including:

• Free life coach business plan template
• Why you need a life coaching business plan
• 6 steps to writing a life coach business plan

Why You Need a Life Coaching Business Plan

Before jumping into action, let’s consider why creating a coaching business plan is essential. 

You can’t build a business and increase revenue unless you have a clear vision of where to take it and an actionable plan to get there.

When you’re planning a road trip, you first pick a destination. Then, you define the route to get there and research the attractions you might want to see during your trip. And, of course, you factor in the expenses.

Your life coaching business plan should be treated the same way. 

You need a solid plan to navigate your business because it will:

• Help you to know your next steps at all times
• Keep your work focused and efficient
• Guide your strategic decision-making to achieve your business goals
• Help you budget better and save money
• Make it easier to foresee potential business challenges so you can prepare for them
• Make it possible for you to grow your business
• Keep you accountable as a business owner

So, let’s explore what it takes to pin down a business plan you can rely on.Pro tip: Once you have a coaching business plan in place, you’ll want to keep your business costs down and your admin time low to bring it to life. Try Paperbell for free to run your entire coaching business from a single platform.

6 Steps to Writing a Life Coach Business Plan

1. Define Your Mission

To create a life coaching mission statement for yourself, think about:

• What type of life coach you’d like to be
• Who you’re serving
• How you want to help them
• Why you’re doing it

This is also known as your 30-second elevator pitch. Here’s an example of a life coaching mission statement:

“I’m a career coach and I help mid-career tech professionals advance in their fields. I provide strategic career planning for my clients to navigate the complexities of the tech sector, capitalize on their strengths, and unlock new opportunities. My mission is to bridge the gap between ambition and achievement, guiding individuals towards fulfilling tech careers.”

2. Define Your Target Market

From your mission statement, you’ll need to define your target market or coaching niche. 

If you don’t know who your target market is, you’ll have difficulty finding clients. That’s because you’ll have no idea who you’re speaking to.

And when you don’t know who you’re speaking to, your messaging and copywriting will target no one at all.

To find out who your ideal clients are for your coaching business, answer the following questions:

• Who are they? 
• What are their needs? 
• Where do they hang out? 
• What content are they consuming? 
• How old are they? 
• How do they spend their money?
• What are their pain points?

The best way to find the answers to these questions is to talk to people who may be your ideal customers. Get out there and speak to the people you think could benefit from your service.

Where will you find these ideal customers? Get referrals from your network or look for people you can briefly interview in relevant online communities. You may offer them a small incentive if you want to conduct an in-person or longer interview with them.

Find out what they’re looking for in a life coach:

• What are their main challenges?
• How many coaching sessions could they commit to? 
• Do they prefer them in person or online?

Gaining insights into your potential client’s needs before marketing your business will help you build a product that people want. In business lingo, it’s called a product-market fit (i.e., building a product that satisfies market demand). You need this to build a successful life coach business for the long term.

If you want to increase your chances of success when starting, build something people actually want, not what you think they want. Create your coaching packages using evidence from your customer interviews. That way, you can make sure your services answer real-world needs.

You’ll also need to decide what type of coaching services you’ll offer, or if you’ll expand beyond just coaching. According to the International Coaching Federation’s (ICF) 2025 report:

• 60% of coaches provide training
• 57% of coaches offer consulting
• 55% of coaches offer facilitation
• 49% of coaches deliver mentoring

What you offer should depend on:

• Your specific set of skills, and
• What your ideal clients’ challenges will require you to solve

3. Create Your Life Coaching Business Tagline

Once you know who your clients are and what they want from your services, it’s time to get creative. Start thinking about the messaging you want to put out there about your coaching business.

Your coaching tagline tells people in a short sentence who you are and what you do. It’s an opportunity to tell the world why they should choose you. 

To create an effective tagline:

• Choose clarity over creativity. This tagline must be clear in telling the client what you do. 
• Position yourself as an expert, and don’t be shy to be confident in your gifts. 
• Test your tagline and ask for feedback from others. This is a part of your market research. 

You don’t have to get your tagline perfect from the start. Instead, you can always reiterate it as your business and experience grow. 

A strong tagline will help you position yourself in the market and be an invaluable tool for your marketing efforts.

Here are some ideas for taglines that work well for life coaching programs:

• Getting you unstuck
• Master your goals
• Be unapologetically you
• Small steps reap huge rewards
• Get more out of life
• Unlock your potential

4. Make a Financial Plan

To make your coaching business profitable, you’ll need a financial plan and a business model.

For example:

• How much will you charge clients for a session? 
• Will they need to book you for a set term or buy your coaching packages? 
• How many clients will you need to work with weekly to earn your ideal income?

Calculate how much time you can spend working with clients and on your business, and then work backward from there. These decisions will help you create a more predictable income and financially sustain your business.

You’ll also need to take other factors into account, such as:

• The market price for your coaching niche
• Your level of experience
• Whether or not you’re certified as a coach

For instance, the average cost of an hour-long coaching session is $272. So if you were thinking of charging $500 right off the bat with little to no experience, think again.

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You’ll also need to think beyond covering your basic business expenses (including the salary you pay yourself) and paying your taxes. For instance, consider how much you’ll invest in growing your business. 

You can use budget management software to help you track and plan your finances. Having a solid plan for handling and reinvesting the money you make is an essential part of your business plan. 

5. Create a Marketing Strategy

Coaching businesses are highly competitive. The ICF’s 2025 report cited earlier states an increase of 15% in the number of coaches since 2023.

However, the right marketing strategies can help you rise above the noise.

To know what you’re working with and gain a competitive advantage, you need to know what else is happening in the market.

Competitive analysis is not reserved for consumer products and tech-based companies. In an industry as massive and lucrative as coaching, competition is everywhere. Often, life coaches compete for the same clients.

To define who you’re competing with, consider these questions:

• Who are your main competitors? 
• What are they doing that is working? 
• Where are they advertising? 
• How are they attracting new clients?
• What sets them apart from the rest? 
• What techniques are they using to close the sale?

And most importantly, how will you do it better?

Think about your unique selling point and ways you can reach clients, for example, through:

• Creating free resources as lead magnets for your email marketing campaigns
• Offering a free webinar, workshop, or session to get leads and showcase your expertise
• Using search engine optimization (SEO) and a weekly blog post to get the attention of new clients
• Making informative and engaging social media content to reach your audience
• Creating online courses to attract one-on-one coaching clients
• Speaking at in-person or online events and getting media coverage

However you decide to get your message in front of potential customers, you need to set SMART goals to execute your plan. That means your business goals are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic/relevant, and time-bound.

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For example, you may have the goal of building an email list so you can start sharing weekly advice. You can’t conjure a list from thin air, so you will need to create an opt-in strategy for getting people to sign up for your list.

So your SMART goal could look like this:

“Get the first 100 people to sign up for my email list through Facebook ads in the next month.”

The key to a successful marketing plan is to break it down into digestible action steps. Small tasks carried out step-by-step are much more achievable than one big, lofty goal.

6. Commit to a Timeline

Now that your business structure and long-term goals are clear, it’s time to define your next major milestones. You can use your business plan as your north star and set goals for every:

• Month
• Quarter
• Year
• 3-year period
• 5-year period
• 10-year period

Though it’s best to stay consistent with the fundamentals of your business, you can revise your business plan from time to time. As you keep growing it over the years, you’ll be clearer on how you can capture its essence and market it effectively.

Follow This Business Plan Template to Write Your Life Coach Business Plan

Lastly, we want to make it as easy as possible for you to create a simple coaching business plan and move on to growing your own coaching business.

Here’s a handy step-by-step life coach business plan example that you can follow to get started.

1. Business Name and Tagline

Make your business name shine and tell people concisely who you are and what you will do for them.

Example:

Business Name: Thrive Through Transition Coaching

Tagline: Empowering women to navigate menopause with confidence and vitality

2. Mission Statement

Your mission may change occasionally, but it should be a constant reminder of why you get up every morning and make life coaching your business. 

Example:

Thrive Through Transition Coaching empowers women navigating menopause to reclaim their vitality, confidence, and well-being through personalized coaching and evidence-based strategies. We address the physical, emotional, and lifestyle challenges of this transition with compassionate support, helping clients develop sustainable habits that transform menopause from a struggle into an opportunity for renewal and growth.

3. Executive Summary

Write this last. Your executive summary should summarize all of the following sections in a paragraph-by-paragraph format. 

Your entire business will be easily explained and digested in the executive summary. This benefits both you and those you may share your plan with. 

4. Competitive Analysis 

List up to five of your biggest competitors:

• What are their strengths and weaknesses?
• How do you plan to compete? 

Here’s a great how-to guide on doing a competitive analysis. 

5. SWOT Analysis 

Your competition has holes, and you likely will, too. SWOT Analysis stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.

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No one can be great at everything, but we all have positive and negative traits. Understanding those and working with them is a big part of running a successful life coaching business.

Tackle this head-on, and you will save yourself a lot of headaches and financial loss. Learn how to do your own SWOT analysis here.

6. Target Market 

If you don’t know who your customers are, you can’t find them. 

Be as detailed as possible and paint a clear picture of your client so you can find the ones that need you.

Example:

• Women aged 45-55 experiencing perimenopause or menopause who are struggling with symptoms like hot flashes, sleep disruption, weight gain, or mood changes that are impacting their daily life and overall well-being.
• Professional women and working mothers who feel overwhelmed by managing menopause symptoms while balancing career demands and family responsibilities, and are seeking practical strategies to maintain their performance and energy levels.
• Health-conscious women who prefer holistic, natural approaches to managing their menopause journey and want personalized guidance rather than relying solely on medication or generic advice.

7. Financial Plan

Create a projection of your annual income. You’ll need to:

• Define the financial goals you would like to reach
• Create a budget
• Consider working with a bookkeeper to save on your taxes and grow your savings

Example:

• Financial Goals: Generate $90,000 in annual revenue within the first year, growing to $120,000 by year two. 
• Revenue: 15 clients per month at $500 per month (ongoing coaching package) = $7,500/month or $90,000 annually, plus 2 group workshops at $200/person with 12 participants each = $4,800, bringing total projected revenue to $94,800 in year one.
• Expenses: Business insurance ($800), website and scheduling software ($500), marketing and advertising ($4,800), professional development and certifications ($2,000), office supplies and materials ($600), accounting services ($1,500), miscellaneous ($600). Total annual expenses: $10,800.
• Net Income: $84,000 in year one.

8. Marketing Plan

Your marketing plan should specify:

• How are you going to launch your business? 
• Where will you find your clients? 
• What collateral will you need to do so? 

This part of your plan is a working document that will change as you learn and grow.

The Hardest Part is Getting Started

Hopefully, this guide has clarified how you can start crafting your master plan for your life coaching business. If you want to dig into more nifty resources, we recommend our free template pack for coaches.

And if you’re ready to bring your business plan to life without the admin overload, Paperbell is here for the job. It’s an all-in-one client management tool that handles your website, scheduling, payments, contracts, and more. Try it for free today to get your own gorgeous website with all your business tools built right in.

FAQs About Life Coach Business Plan

How do I start a life coaching business?

To start a life coaching business, begin by defining your niche, obtaining relevant training or certification, creating a business plan, setting up a professional website, and marketing your services to attract clients.

Is life coaching profitable?

Yes, life coaching can be profitable. In this fast-growing industry, your earning potential depends on your client profile, your level of expertise, and how well you market yourself.

How much does it cost to start a life coaching business?

It’s possible to set up your coaching business while keeping your expenses low by taking a free certification program first, setting up a home office and running your sessions online, creating your own marketing materials, and using low-cost marketing strategies.

Do I need an LLC for a life coaching business?

No, you don’t need an LLC to start a coaching business. However, it can be helpful to mitigate personal risk. It’s also a good idea to form an LLC if you intend to hire employees.

What is the most lucrative life coaching niche?

Business coaching and executive coaching tend to be the most lucrative coaching niches. This is because your coaching can have a significant positive impact on your clients’ bottom line, which allows you to charge higher fees.

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in February 2023 and has since been updated for accuracy.

The truth is, business coach certifications can open doors. But it’s not always necessary, which is why I’ll walk you through everything you need to know about business coach certifications, including:

• The difference between certification and courses
• 5 popular business coaching certification programs
• How to choose the right certification for you
• How to set up your business coaching business once you’re certified

Business Coach Certification vs. Business Coach Courses: What’s the Difference?

Before we get into specific programs, it’s important to understand what you’re actually signing up for. 

Not all training programs are created equal. The terms “certification” and “course” often get used interchangeably when they shouldn’t be.

Certification

A certification is a formal credential you earn from an accredited body. It’s a stamp of approval that says you’ve met specific standards in business coaching.

The most recognized accrediting bodies in the coaching world are the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and the Worldwide Association of Business Coaches (WABC). These organizations set the standards for what quality coaching looks like and which programs meet those standards.

When you complete an ICF or WABC-accredited program, you’re gaining a credential that’s recognized globally. This demonstrates to potential clients that you’ve been trained to a specific level of coaching skills.

Courses

Business coaching courses are educational training programs that may or may not lead to certification. They’re designed to get you what you need to start performing small business coaching, including:  

• Essential coaching skills
• Coaching principles
• Coaching frameworks
• Business methodologies

Some courses are incredibly valuable and comprehensive to help you achieve coaching excellence. Others are more basic. 

The key difference is that completing a course doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll earn a formal credential recognized by a major coaching body. That being said, several courses do earn you a certification in addition to your new business coaching skills. 

Why This Distinction Matters for Your Career

Let’s say your goal is to build credibility with corporate clients or land coaching contracts with larger organizations. In this case, a coaching certification from a recognized body like ICF or WABC will likely serve you better throughout your coaching journey.

On the other hand, let’s say you’re planning to coach entrepreneurs or small business owners who care more about results than credentials. A high-quality course that teaches you practical business coaching skills might be all you need to get started.

Neither path is inherently better than the other. Both should help you become a great business coach. The best choice depends on your goals, your ideal clients, and how you want to position yourself in the market.

With that being said, let’s jump into the top 5 business coaching certifications available today.

UC Davis Professional Coaching for Life and Work Certificate Program

The UC Davis Professional Coaching for Life and Work Certificate Program is a comprehensive ICF-accredited program that prepares you to coach in both life and business contexts. It’ll also help you learn executive coaching principles.

This program stands out for its academic rigor and the credibility that comes with the UC Davis name. You’ll learn from Master Certified Coach (MCC) and Professional Certified Coach (PCC)-credentialed coaches who bring real-world experience to their teaching.

ICF Accreditation: This program is ICF-accredited and serves as a pathway to both the Associate Certified Coach (ACC) and PCC credentials. It includes 150 academic credit hours of coach-specific education and 10 mentor coaching hours.

Cost and Duration: The program fee is $9,500 (payment plans available) and runs for 5 months. Classes take place every other week on Fridays and Saturdays via Zoom.

Best For: Coaches who want the credibility of a university-backed program and value structured, academic-style learning. This program works well for people balancing coaching training with full-time work. It’s also VA benefits eligible.

Transformation Academy Master Entrepreneurship Coach Certification

Transformation Academy’s Master Entrepreneurship Coach Certification is designed for coaches who want to specialize in working with entrepreneurs and startup founders.

What makes this program unique is its focus on entrepreneurship-specific challenges. You’ll learn how to help clients: 

• Gain clarity on their business vision
• Master productivity without burnout
• Build strong business foundations

The program bundles 4 full-length courses together that you can take at your own pace:

• Entrepreneurship Coach
• Business Fundamentals Startup Life Coach
• Productivity Coach
• Your choice of either Resilience Coach or Sales Coach

ICF Accreditation: This program is accredited by the Continuing Professional Development Standards Agency, not ICF.

Cost and Duration: The entire master certification costs $497 with lifetime access to all 4 courses. This is a self-paced online program.

Best For: Coaches on a budget who want to specialize in entrepreneurship coaching and prefer self-paced learning. Perfect for coaches just starting out who want comprehensive training without a major financial commitment.

Mindvalley Certified Business Coach

Mindvalley’s Certified Business Coach program is a 16-week certification that focuses on transformational business coaching and consulting.

What sets Mindvalley apart is its hybrid approach. On top of learning how to coach, you’re also learning consulting skills that enable you to advise on business strategy, operations, and transformation.

The program includes:

• Weekly training on demand to access all the tools you need to learn business coaching skills
• Live Q&A sessions with master coaches
• Hands-on practice sessions
• Access to real coaching demonstrations

ICF Accreditation: This program is ICF-accredited and provides 39 Continuous Coaching Education (CCE) units.

Cost and Duration: After a $200 refundable deposit, the cost is $4,799 for non-Mindvalley members (or $909 monthly on a 6-month plan). For members, it’s $4,299 (or $819 monthly). The program runs 16 weeks with approximately 3 hours per week required.

Best For: Coaches who want to blend coaching with consulting will do well as Mindvalley coaches. It’s also suitable for those who want to work with companies and business leaders on transformational change during times of rapid shifts.

WABC Certified Business Coach™ (CBC™)

The WABC Certified Business Coach (CBC) is a globally recognized credential specifically designed for advanced business coaches.

WABC focuses exclusively on business coaching rather than general life coaching. This means every aspect of the training is tailored to coaching in business and organizational contexts.

ICF Accreditation: WABC is its own accrediting body focused specifically on business coaching. The CBC credential is separate from ICF but highly respected in the business coaching community.

Cost and Duration: Cost and duration vary depending on which WABC Accredited program you choose. Programs typically range from 6 to 18 months.

Best For: Coaches with at least 3 years of business coaching experience and 7 years of business and organizational experience who want to formalize their expertise. Also strong for internal coaches working within organizations.

World Coach Institute Certified Business Coach (CBC)

World Coach Institute (WCI) offers multiple paths to becoming a Certified Business Coach. This gives you flexibility based on your learning preferences and experience level.

The most comprehensive pathway for ICF accreditation combines the Certified Professional Coach (CPC) Teleclass with a CBC Self-Study Niche Add-on. This route includes:

• Methodology training
• A coaching practicum
• Buddy coaching
• Business-building mentoring

ICF Accreditation: The CPC Teleclass pathway is ICF-accredited and provides 60 ICF ACSTH-approved coach training hours toward the ACC credential. The complete pathway provides 82 total training hours.

Cost and Duration: Costs range from approximately $2,000 to $5,000 depending on which option you choose. The teleclass meets twice per week for 8 weeks, with each class lasting 3 hours.

Best For: Coaches who want ICF accreditation at a more affordable price point while still getting access to live instruction and peer practice. The buddy coaching component makes this ideal for people who learn best through practice and feedback.

How to Choose the Best Business Coach Certification

With so many business coaching certification programs available, here are the key factors to consider when making your decision.

Consider Your Current Experience Level

If you’re brand new to coaching, look for programs that start with fundamentals like UC Davis and WCI. 

If you already have coaching experience but want to formalize it, you might benefit from a program like WABC’s Portfolio Pathway that validates skills you’ve already developed.

ICF vs. Non-ICF Accreditation

ICF is the gold standard in coaching accreditation. It’s recognized globally across industries. 

If you plan to coach executives or work with large organizations, ICF accreditation gives you instant credibility.

However, not all successful business coaches have ICF credentials. If your ideal clients are entrepreneurs and small business owners who care more about results than credentials, a non-ICF program might serve you just as well while saving you money.

Budget Considerations

Business coaching certification programs range from around $500 to well over $10,000.

• Budget-friendly options ($500-$1,000): Transformation Academy
• Mid-range programs ($2,000-$5,000): World Coach Institute
• Premium programs ($5,000-$10,000+): UC Davis, Mindvalley

Consider not just the upfront cost but also the value you’re getting in terms of mentoring, practice opportunities, and ongoing support.

Time Commitment

Certification programs require anywhere from 3 months to 12+ months to complete. Consider your current schedule realistically. 

If you’re working full-time, a program that meets every other week or offers self-paced learning might be more manageable.

Learning Format Preferences

Some people thrive in live, interactive environments. Others prefer self-paced learning. 

Most programs now offer online or hybrid formats, but the structure varies. Think about how you learn best and choose accordingly.

Your Specific Coaching Niche

If you know you want to work with entrepreneurs and startups, Transformation Academy’s entrepreneurship focus might be perfect. 

For broader business coaching covering everything from individual leaders to organizational transformation, programs like UC Davis, WABC, or WCI offer comprehensive training.

Community and Ongoing Support

The best programs give you access to a community of fellow coaches where you can continue to learn, get referrals, and find support. 

Look for programs that include alumni networks or ongoing professional development opportunities.

How to Set Up Your Business Coaching Business

Getting certified is only the first step. Once you have your credentials, you need to start your coaching business to start working with clients.

Creating Your Coaching Packages and Pricing Structure

Most business coaches offer some combination of:

• One-on-one coaching (typically 3, 6, or 12-month engagements)
• VIP intensive days
• Group coaching programs
• Retainer arrangements

When setting your prices, consider your experience level, credentials, coaching niche, and the transformation you’re helping clients achieve. 

Many new business coaches start around $150 to $300 per session and increase their rates as they gain experience and results.

Setting Up Your Professional Website

Your business coach website needs to clearly communicate:

• Who you help
• How do you help them
• Why they should work with you

At minimum, include: 

• Your coaching packages
• Social proof (such as testimonials or case studies) 
• Your new credentials
• A way to book a discovery call

How Paperbell Streamlines the Business Side

Instead of cobbling together multiple tools for your website, scheduling, payments, contracts, and client management, Paperbell gives you everything in one place.

When you sign up for Paperbell, you get a beautifully designed coaching website that’s ready to go in minutes. 

Your coaching packages are automatically set up with their own landing pages. These Paperbell pages include:

• Built-in scheduling that lets clients book based on your availability
• Payment processing with flexible options (payment plans, pay-in-full discounts, deposits)
• E-signature functionality for contracts built into the booking process
• Automated client communications throughout the client journey
• Client management with all information in one place

You get back the time and mental energy you’d spend managing admin work, so you can focus on what you actually got certified to do: coach clients.

Ready to Get Certified and Start Coaching?

Business coach certifications can absolutely accelerate your coaching career when you choose a program that aligns with your goals, learning style, and ideal clients.

Once you’re certified, setting up your business in a way that lets you actually coach instead of drowning in admin is crucial. That’s exactly what Paperbell does! You’ll get a professional coaching website, client management system, and business automation tools all in one place.

Ready to see how Paperbell can simplify your business coaching practice? Get your free coaching website and start building your business today.

FAQs About Business Coach Certifications

Do I need a business coach certification to start coaching?

No, coaching is unregulated. However, certification builds credibility and demonstrates you’ve been trained to professional standards recognized by bodies like ICF or WABC.

How much does business coach certification cost?

Programs range from around $500 for self-paced online courses to over $10,000 for comprehensive university programs. Most fall in the $2,000 to $5,000 range.

Can I get a business coach certification online?

Yes, nearly all business coaching certification programs are now available fully online or in hybrid formats.

Are there free business coach certification options?

Legitimate certification programs require investment. While you may find free introductory courses, comprehensive programs that meet ICF or WABC standards require payment.

What’s the difference between business coaching and life coaching certification?

Business coaching focuses on helping clients with business goals and challenges (such as blogging for business). Life coaching addresses broader personal development. Business coaching certifications include training on business contexts that general life coaching programs don’t cover.

Some promise instant credibility. Others tout their big-name founders. And plenty of them come with price tags that’ll make your eyes water.

But not all business coaching certification programs are created equal. And the most expensive option isn’t always the best one for your specific situation.

I’ve researched the top business coaching courses available in 2025, checked International Coaching Federation (ICF) accreditation status, and what makes each program unique. By the end of this post, you’ll know about:

• Overview of the top business coaching courses
• How to choose the best business coaching course
• How to set up your business coaching business

Flow Coaching Institute – Business Leadership Coaching Certification

Flow Coaching Institute offers a business leadership coaching certification that combines ICF-accredited training with neuroscience-based flow state methodology. 

What makes Flow stand out is their science-backed approach. You’ll learn how to help clients achieve peak performance states using techniques grounded in neuroscience research. 

The curriculum covers both strategic business coaching and personal transformation work.

Cost and duration: The program runs between 3 weeks and 3.5 months depending on which track you choose. Tuition costs $1,999 for the business program.

ICF accreditation status: Yes, Flow Coaching Institute is ICF-accredited, meaning your certification will be recognized internationally.

Format: The program is delivered online with live virtual training sessions available from anywhere while getting real-time interaction with instructors.

Best for: Professionals who want to work with established business leaders, executives, and entrepreneurs.

Coach Transformation Academy – Business Coaching Certification

Coach Transformation Academy has trained coaches in over 70 countries, making them one of the most globally recognized coaching institutes around. Their business coaching certification is specifically designed for coaching business leaders and organizations, not just individual professionals.

One standout feature is the optional Business Builder module. This addresses something most coaching programs ignore completely: how to actually build a sustainable coaching business.

Cost and duration: The full program includes 125 hours of coach-specific training when starting from scratch. If you’ve already completed 60 hours of ICF coaching training or hold an ICF Associate Certified Coach (ACC) credential, the program can be shortened to 65 hours. Contact them directly for pricing.

ICF accreditation status: Yes, this program is ICF-accredited for 125 hours of coach-specific training.

Format: Coach Transformation Academy offers incredible flexibility with multiple options: 

• Fast-track intensive sessions
• Weekend workshops
• Weekly classes
• Online virtual training
• In-person workshops in Dubai and Singapore

Best for: Professionals who need scheduling flexibility and want internationally recognized credentials.

Small Business Coach Training – Small Business Coaching Foundations Course

Small Business Coach Training, as the name suggests, takes a radically different approach by focusing exclusively on one market: small business owners. 

This is an 8-week program that teaches core coaching skills while earning you 30 ICF CCEUs. What makes this program unique is its laser focus on small businesses. You’ll learn to coach specifically in this context by learning about:

• Leadership
• Operations
• Financial management
• Team building
• Marketing strategy

After completing the foundations course, you can pursue deeper certification through multiple pathways. This includes programs that qualify you for ICF ACC and Professional Certified Coach (PCC) credentials.

Cost and duration: The foundations course runs for 8 weeks. The self-paced program costs $597, but the instructor-led classes, which are needed for the ICF accreditation, costs $797.

ICF accreditation status: The foundations course provides 30 ICF CCEUs. The full certification pathways are ICF-accredited at Level 1 (ACC) and Level 2 (PCC) depending on which track you choose.

Format: All programs are delivered online. Each class lasts 90 minutes.

Best for: Consultants, economic development officers, marketing professionals, accountants, bookkeepers, and anyone who already works with small business owners. If you want to specialize in helping businesses under 100 employees succeed, Systems Business Coach provides the most targeted training available.

Transformation Academy – Master Entrepreneurship Coach Certification

Transformation Academy takes a bundled approach that combines four full-length courses into one comprehensive, low-cost certification program. 

The Master Entrepreneurship Coach Certification includes: 

• Entrepreneurship Coach Certification (a step-by-step process for helping clients find clarity about the business they want to create)
• Business Fundamentals Startup Life Coach course (covering business plans, structure, taxation, funding, and marketing)
• Productivity Coach Certification (helping clients achieve more without burnout)
• Your choice of either Resilience Coach Certification or Sales Coach Certification

Cost and duration: The complete bundle costs $497 with lifetime access. The program is self-paced, so you can complete it as quickly or slowly as your schedule allows. Transformation Academy backs the program with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

ICF accreditation status: Transformation Academy’s program is accredited by the Continuing Professional Development Standards Agency (CPD) rather than ICF. While this means you won’t earn ICF credentials directly through this program, the CPD accreditation still adds credibility to your coaching practice.

Format: The program is 100% online and self-paced. You can access all course materials immediately upon enrollment.

Best for: Coaches who want to specialize in helping entrepreneurs and startups, especially if you’re budget-conscious or want lifetime access to materials. It’s also ideal if you want a comprehensive business coaching certification that covers multiple specialties in one package.

Alison – Becoming a Professional Business Coach

Alison, which is partially government-supported, offers a completely free course called “Becoming a Professional Business Coach” that provides an accessible entry point into the coaching profession. This CPD-accredited course covers essential business coaching fundamentals including:

• Effective communication skills (active listening and constructive feedback)
• Proven coaching models like GROW and CLEAR
• How to assess client needs and set achievable goals

Cost and duration: The course is completely free and requires 1.5 to 3 hours to complete. You can upgrade to receive a physical certificate for a small fee.

ICF accreditation status: This course is not ICF-accredited. However, it is CPD-accredited, which demonstrates to potential employers or clients that you’ve invested time developing your coaching capabilities.

Format: The course is 100% online and self-paced, available in both English and Spanish.

Best for: Complete beginners who want to explore business coaching before committing to more expensive certification programs. 

How to Choose the Best Business Coaching Course

Now that you know what’s out there, how do you actually choose the right business coaching course for your situation?

Consider your budget and time commitment

Be realistic about what you can afford and how much time you have available. Business coaching courses range from completely free (Alison) to several thousand dollars for comprehensive certification programs. 

Time commitment varies dramatically too. You can complete Alison’s course in an afternoon, while comprehensive programs like Coach Transformation Academy or Systems Business Coach require several months of study and practice.

ICF accreditation vs non-accredited programs

ICF accreditation isn’t absolutely required to call yourself a business coach or build a successful practice. However, it does provide several advantages:

• ICF-accredited programs are recognized globally.
• It signals to potential clients that you’ve met rigorous professional standards.
• If you plan to work with corporate clients or want to pursue advanced ICF credentials, you’ll need ICF-accredited training hours.

Online vs in-person learning preferences

Think about how you learn best. Most business coaching courses in 2025 are delivered online, which makes sense given how many coaches work virtually with clients anyway. 

But you may be someone who learns better in person or via synchronous online learning. Some courses on this list only offer self-paced programs.

Your specific coaching niche goals

Different programs prepare you for different types of coaching niches, even within the business coaching niche. 

Before choosing a course, get clear on who you want to serve:

• Small businesses
• Startups
• Large corporations
• Non-profits
• Local businesses, etc.

Check reviews and alumni success stories

Before investing in any business coaching program, look for evidence that graduates are actually building successful practices:

• Check for testimonials on the program website
• Search independently for reviews from past students
• Look for specific success stories (not just generic praise)

How to Set Up Your Business Coaching Business

Getting certified is just the first step. Once you’ve completed your training, you need to actually build a coaching business that attracts clients and generates income.

Creating your coaching packages

Most new coaches make the mistake of offering single sessions instead of packages. The problem with single sessions is that coaching requires time to create real transformation. 

Instead, create packages that give you time to make a genuine impact. A typical coaching package might include:

• Six sessions over three months
• Twelve sessions over six months
• Four sessions over one month
• Any other combination that makes sense for your business

Setting your rates

Pricing your coaching can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re just starting out. 

New coaches often start between $100 and $300 per session, bundled into packages. As you gain experience and results, you can increase your rates. 

Experienced business coaches with strong track records often charge $500 to $1,000+ per session.

Don’t undervalue your services just because you’re new. Remember that even fresh out of certification, you have valuable business experience plus professional coaching training.

Using Paperbell to streamline client management, payments, and scheduling

Once you start attracting clients, you need systems to manage the business side of coaching. This is where many coaches get bogged down in administrative chaos.

Paperbell solves this problem by putting everything you need in one platform, including your coaching website. Instead of fighting against a drag-and-drop tool or learning HTML to create a website, Paperbell creates a beautiful, branded site for you.

But it’s not just a website. It’s a fully functional business management tool. You can:

• Create your coaching packages (they’ll automatically appear on your website).
• Send your package links to potential clients (and allow them to purchase or book themselves into your calendar, no invoices needed).
• Integrate contracts, intake forms, automated email reminders, and digital downloads for your clients.

Your clients also get their own portal where they can access session notes, resources you’ve shared, and upcoming appointments. For business coaches offering group programs, Paperbell handles that too.

Try it for free today to get your website and coaching tool up and running in minutes.

Building your website and online presence

Once you’ve got your website up and running (like your Paperbell site), it’s time to build visibility where your ideal clients spend time. 

If you’re coaching entrepreneurs, you probably want an active presence on LinkedIn and Instagram. If you’re coaching corporate executives, LinkedIn becomes even more important.

Start Building Your Coaching Business Today

The business coaching industry is growing rapidly, and there’s never been a better time to get certified and launch your practice. 

The right business coaching course gives you more than credentials. It gives you the skills, confidence, and methodology to genuinely help business owners and leaders solve complex challenges. 

Ready to get started? Explore these business coaching programs, book consultation calls where needed, and choose the certification that aligns with your goals. Then set up your free Paperbell account to create your coaching website, packages, and client management system. 

FAQs About Business Coaching Courses

Are business coaching courses worth it?

Yes, if you choose the right program. Quality business coaching courses give you proven methodologies, practical skills, and credentials that help you attract clients. The investment typically pays for itself within your first few clients.

How much do business coaching courses cost?

Business coaching courses range from free (Alison) to several thousand dollars for comprehensive ICF-accredited programs. 

Can I take business coaching courses online?

Absolutely. Most business coaching courses in 2025 are available online, giving you flexibility to learn from anywhere. Programs like Flow Coaching Institute, Small Business Coach Training, and Transformation Academy are all delivered virtually.

Do I need ICF accreditation to be a business coach?

No, ICF accreditation isn’t legally required to call yourself a business coach. However, it does provide credibility, especially with corporate clients, and it’s necessary if you want to pursue professional ICF credentials like ACC or PCC.

What’s the difference between business coaching and life coaching?

Business coaching focuses specifically on business outcomes like revenue growth, leadership development, and operational improvement. Life coaching addresses broader personal goals. Many coaches blend both approaches in their practice.

In this guide, we’ll cover:

• A breakdown of what 17hats offers 
• Paperbell: The best alternative for coaches
• Five other tools coaches can consider

What Is 17hats?

17hats is an all-in-one business management platform created for solo business owners and small teams. It aims to simplify admin by bringing multiple tasks under one roof, including:

• Sending invoices and collecting payments
• Creating quotes, contracts, or combined 3-in-1 documents
• Scheduling appointments online (basic features included; advanced scheduling available as an add-on)
• Automating lead capture and responses
• Managing projects, contacts, and workflows
• Saving email templates for client communication

Its “multiple hats” name reflects its goal of replacing dozens of separate apps with one platform. Many users appreciate how quickly they can get set up and the integrations with tools like Gmail, QuickBooks, PayPal, and Zoom.

That said, 17hats isn’t built with coaching in mind. For example:

• Scheduling is somewhat limited: While 17hats supports calendar availability, booking limits, and availability rules, it doesn’t offer the flexibility of blocking time by session type that many coaches prefer.
• Some users find the experience clunky: The platform is a tad complex with a learning curve and occasional glitches in user experience, especially in the mobile app.
• The 3-in-1 document system isn’t built for coaches: It combines quote, contract, and invoice into one workflow, which is great for variable pricing, but for coaches with fixed packages, the quote step can feel unnecessary.

17hats is currently $60 a month with discounts for long-term subscriptions.

Paperbell: The Best 17hats Alternative

If you’re looking for a simpler, more coach-focused alternative to 17hats, Paperbell is a strong choice. It’s an all-in-one platform built specifically for coaches, with features that streamline the admin side of your business so you can stay focused on your clients.

Easy to Use (Even If You Hate Tech)

Paperbell’s interface is clean and intuitive, so you don’t need to be “tech-savvy” to set up your business on it. You’ll find exactly what you need as a coach without the clutter of unnecessary features designed for photographers, designers, or general freelancers.

Sell Coaching Packages, Not Sessions

Instead of building custom proposals for each client, Paperbell lets you create ready-made coaching packages with your pricing and terms. You simply share a link, and clients can shop for your packages using their card.

This means you’re selling results, not just hours, and your clients get a clearer picture of the value you deliver.

Your Coaching Website, Built for You

Paperbell doesn’t just give you landing pages; it gives you an entire done-for-you coaching website. Add your bio, photos, brand colors, and logo, and you’ll instantly have a polished homepage that showcases your business.

Your site includes:

• A professional homepage with your brand assets
• A list of all your packages, each linking to its own purchase-ready landing page
• Space for testimonials and FAQs to build trust
• An email opt-in to grow your list

Instead of piecing together multiple tools or paying for a web designer, you get a coach-friendly website and sales platform in one place.

Intake Forms Built In

You can attach customizable intake forms to each package, so you gather the right details from clients upfront. Forms and surveys can also be automated to send at key points, such as:

• Immediately after purchase
• A set number of days after a session
• After the final session in a package
• After a group session

This makes onboarding consistent while still keeping it personal.

Simple Scheduling

Unlike generic schedulers, Paperbell tracks how many sessions each client has left in their package. Clients can only book within what they’ve purchased, preventing confusion or over-booking.

You can also set different availability rules for different packages. For example, reserving certain days for group programs and others for 1:1 sessions.

Easy Email Automation

Paperbell’s email automation is built around how coaches work. For each package, you can schedule emails, no complicated funnels required.set up as many automated emails as you’d like – no complex funnels involved. All you need to do is click the “Add automated email” when you’re in the Emails section of a coaching package:

Choose when the message should be sent (e.g., right after purchase, a day before a session), write (or generate) your email, and you’re done.

You can even add reminders to book, ensuring clients stay engaged without you chasing them.

Effortless Payments

Platforms like 17hats, Dubsado, or Honeybook are built around invoices, which makes sense for service providers who quote custom projects. For coaches, that system is unnecessarily complex.

You don’t need to draft a new invoice for each client. You just need a simple, automated way to get paid on time for your services.

With Paperbell, every package you create comes with its own payment link and checkout page, allowing clients to purchase it just like in a store.

You can:

• Accept payments via Stripe or PayPal
• Offer one-time payments, recurring subscriptions, or custom payment plans
• Decide whether clients can book sessions before or only after paying
• Automatically tie payment to session tracking, so clients can’t book more than what they’ve purchased

Instead of chasing invoices or manually tracking who has paid, Paperbell handles it all in the background. You get paid in your sleep, and your clients enjoy a frictionless booking and checkout process.

Dedicated Client Portals

Paperbell also improves the client experience through self-service portals where they can:

• Book, reschedule, or cancel sessions
• View contracts and payment history
• Download resources you shared with them
• Purchase additional packages

This makes clients more self-sufficient while keeping everything organized in one place.Paperbell is free with your first client, all features included. After that, it costs $57 a month or $570 a year.

5 More 17hats Alternatives For Coaches

When choosing software for your coaching business, it’s worth exploring a few different options. While Paperbell is designed specifically for coaches, other platforms may fit if you want broader functionality or different workflows.

1. Dubsado

Known for its customization options, Dubsado offers a wide range of features for creative teams, such as:

• Custom forms and contracts
• Workflow automation
• Integrations with other tools like QuickBooks and Google Calendar
• Client portals where your customers can access documents, communicate with you, and make payments

Dubsado is more versatile than 17hats, but also more complex. This is because it’s designed for creative teams, not for coaches and service providers.

For example, you can set up workflow automations, but you can’t tie specific coaching sessions and downloadables to a project.

Dubsado currently costs $20 a month.

2. HoneyBook

HoneyBook is a 17hats alternative that offers a range of tools designed to streamline your business, from managing leads to creating contracts and invoices. 

With HoneyBook, you can easily track your projects, communicate with clients, and automate your payment reminders.

Unlike Dubsado and 17hats, Honeybook’s interface is clean and user-friendly for both the business owner and their clients. However, it does have several drawbacks:

• You have to create a new project for every coaching client
• The scheduler is limited for a coaching practice
• Like the other alternatives, you can’t tie coaching sessions to a project
• Can’t offer discount codes to clients
• Can’t offer group coaching

Finally, Honeybook offers a 7-day free trial, whereas Paperbell lets you play with it for free, forever, with your first client.

Honey book charges $29 for its starter package, $49 for essentials, and $109 for its premium tier.

3. CoachAccountable

CoachAccountable offers features like goal tracking with set milestones, progress reports, and a customizable client portal.

It allows you to create personalized coaching programs and automate your client onboarding process. You can set up automated reminders, send out assignments, and even track your clients’ engagement with your coaching materials. 

However, the look and feel of this platform is quite outdated, and its interface isn’t the most user-friendly. It also gets more expensive as you scale your business, from $20 per month for up to two clients to $200 with 35, and so on. With group programs, the price goes up quickly.

4. Bonsai

Bonsai is another 17hats alternative to help business owners manage their operations. It suits several industries, including:

• Consulting
• Recruiting
• Marketing
• Photography
• Software development
• Architecture
• Event planning
• Legal
• Coaching

While versatile, this platform is bloated with several features that coaches don’t need, which can make using it overwhelming.

You can use Bonsai for:

• Proposals
• Time tracking
• Task management
• Invoices
• Collaboration with other contractors

While these features are helpful, they add complexity for coaches, especially when they’re just starting out.

Bonsai costs $9-49 per month, depending on the number of features you want to use.

5. monday.com 

Monday describes itself as a “work OS” and includes products for work management and sales CRM.

It allows you to:

• Build dashboards and automate workflows
• Use integrations with tools like Zoom and Google Calendar
• Add new functionality through its large app marketplace

It’s extremely customizable and works well for large teams or organizations running multiple coaches. For solo coaches or small practices, though, the time and cost to set it up can outweigh the benefits. Many hire consultants just to design their monday.com environment.

Monday has a free plan with limited features and costs around $105-222 a month for its full functionality.

Choose the 17hats Alternative Built for Coaches

You now have a clear picture of the top alternatives to 17hats. The right platform will save you hours of admin, simplify your systems, and give you more space to practice coaching.

If you’re looking for software designed specifically for coaches, Paperbell is the clear choice. It brings together scheduling, payments, contracts, client portals, and even a ready-made coaching website.

You can try it free with your first client and see how much easier running your business can be.

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in October 2023 and has since been updated for accuracy.

In this guide, we’ll cover:

• What a coaching certification program is
• Why you might want to create one
• Who can create a certification program
• How to design and launch your own

What Is A Coaching Certification Program?

A coaching certification program is a structured training pathway that equips aspiring coaches with the knowledge, skills, and credibility to begin working with clients. Unlike informal workshops or one-off courses, certification programs are designed to provide comprehensive training that covers both theory and practice.

Most programs combine three core elements:

• Foundational learning: Trainees study coaching principles, models (such as GROW), ethics, and methodologies that form the backbone of professional coaching.
  
• Practical experience: Participants practice coaching in real or simulated sessions, often followed by feedback from mentors or trainers.
  
• Assessment and feedback: Students demonstrate their skills through observed sessions, reflective exercises, or exams to show they can apply what they’ve learned.

While the exact structure varies by program, the goal is the same: to prepare participants to coach confidently and competently.

Pro tip: While you’re training or coaching others, Paperbell runs your business from bookings, contracts, payments, and even your website.

How Certification Works

Some coaching certification programs are accredited by professional bodies like the International Coaching Federation (ICF). In these cases, trainees usually need to complete additional steps to receive formal certification, such as:

• Logging a required number of practice coaching hours
• Working with a certified mentor coach
• Completing a skills assessment
• Passing a written or oral exam

Not all programs include these steps in full, so it’s important to check what kind of certification or accreditation is attached before enrolling. A strong program will not only teach coaching skills but also guide participants through the requirements needed to qualify for recognized credentials.

Why Create Your Own Coaching Certification?

Moving from being a coach to training other coaches is a bold move. Here’s why it may be worth the effort.

1. Grow Your Brand

Your certification program is like your signature. Every coach who completes it learns your methods and carries your approach into their own work.

That means your influence extends well beyond your direct clients. Over time, their testimonials and results showcase your philosophy too, multiplying the visibility of your brand.

2. Shape the Future of Coaching

With your own program, you get to decide what skills and principles matter most. Maybe that’s active listening, accountability, or something specific to your niche.

The structure and values you build into it become part of how the next generation of coaches works. It’s a powerful way to leave your mark on the industry.

3. Create a New Revenue Stream

Coaching clients one-on-one is rewarding, but there’s a ceiling to how much you can scale. A certification program brings in a new audience: people who want to learn your methods.

For example, if you’re a parenting coach, you can keep helping parents directly while also training coaches who want to specialize in the same work. It’s growth in both reach and revenue.

Who Can Create a Coaching Certification Program?

So, can anyone launch a coaching certification program? Technically, yes. Coaching isn’t a regulated industry, which means anyone can put together a program, build a sales page, and start calling it a certification.

The real question is: should you?

There are two very different paths here:

The first one is creating an accredited program.

If you want your certification to be recognized by organizations like the International Coaching Federation (ICF), you’ll need to follow their guidelines and go through their accreditation process. This can take time, especially for higher levels of approval.

The second is creating your program independently.

If you’re building your own from scratch, you can technically design it however you like.

The catch? Credibility.

Coaches often pursue certification not only to learn but also for the authority that comes with the credential. If your program isn’t backed by strong brand recognition, it’s harder to attract participants.

So what makes an independent certification valuable? Usually, it comes down to either establishing authority or a clear incentive.

Take Chanti Zak, for example.

She became known for her quiz funnels and coaching. Her demand grew so high that she now charges $25k per project, which is too high for many of her potential clients.

To continue helping that audience, she created a certification for quiz copywriters who not only learn her methods but also get added to her referral list.

This way, everyone benefits:

• Chanti profits from a new revenue stream.
• Clients who can’t afford her get access to copywriters approved by her.
• Certified copywriters gain credibility and referrals.

You can apply the same principle to your own coaching business. Even if you don’t have ICF-level recognition, a certification program can still create value if you have a proven process and strong demand.

That said, if you’re still building your client base or haven’t established a repeatable coaching framework, it may be worth waiting before moving into certification.

How to Create a Coaching Certification Program

Launching a certification program comes down to designing clear training, building credibility, and supporting your students long-term.

If you want to create a program accredited by the ICF, follow these instructions.

If you prefer to build your program independently, here are the key steps.

Step #1: Define Your Focus

Decide what your certification will train coaches in. This should be an area where you already have proven success with clients, whether that’s life coaching, executive coaching, health coaching, or a smaller niche. Stick to your expertise so your program carries authority.

Step #2: Build Your Curriculum

Outline a complete learning path that covers:

• Coaching fundamentals
• The frameworks you use (like the GROW model)
• Your signature methods or processes

When you’re coaching clients, more isn’t necessarily better. However, now that you’re training other coaches, it’s important to be thorough.

The goal isn’t to get your students fast results but to turn them into qualified coaches who can be trusted to support clients on their journey of transformation.

Step #3: Provide Practical Experience

Coaching is learnt through doing, not just theory. Offer your students practical experience through:

• Practice coaching sessions with peers
• Role-play exercises
• Feedback from mentors or trainers

These elements help students apply what they learn before they work with real clients.

Step #4: Create an Assessment

Certification should mean more than just completing a course. Develop an assessment process that proves students can apply your methods.

A mix of theoretical tests and observed coaching sessions can help make sure your certificate is effective, not just a piece of paper.

Step #5: Provide Post-Certification Support

The more valuable programs don’t end when the certificate is issued. Offer graduates ongoing support, such as:

• A community of certified coaches
• Regular Q&A or mentorship calls
• Access to a referral list
• Continued education or resources

This extra step builds community, strengthens your reputation in the industry, and most importantly, helps your certified coaches succeed.

Grow Your Impact, Let Paperbell Handle the Rest

A certification program can open new doors for your business and help shape the future of your niche.

While you focus on building your program, Paperbell takes care of running your business.

It handles your website, bookings, payments, contracts, surveys, and automated emails. That way, you spend less time on admin and more time teaching what you do best.

Set up Paperbell for free with your first client and see how much smoother running your practice can be.

FAQ: Creating a Coaching Certification Program

How Do I Create My Own Coaching Program?

Define your focus, build a clear curriculum, add hands-on practice, include assessments, and provide ongoing support after certification.

How Do You Structure a Coaching Program?

Set clear goals, combine theory with practice, include feedback opportunities, and end with an assessment to confirm skills.

How Long Does It Take to Create a Coaching Program?

It depends on its complexity. Usually, anywhere from a few weeks to several months or more. Make sure you invest enough time in your program so it delivers real value.

What Is the Difference Between CPC and PCC?

Certified Professional Coach (CPC) is an entry-level certification, while Professional Certified Coach (PCC) requires more hours of training and experience. Both are recognized by the International Coaching Federation but offer different levels of expertise.

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in September 2023 and has since been updated for accuracy.

People are already searching for coaches like you.

Life coach directories are one of the simplest ways to get discovered by new clients online. Let’s break down what they are, why they work, and 10 of the best directories you can join today.

What Is a Life Coach Directory?

A life coach directory is an online listing where potential clients can browse and connect with their ideal coaches based on specific criteria, such as:

• Location or time zone
• Coaching specialty (career, health, relationships, etc.)
• Certifications or training background
• Coaching experience
• Languages spoken

Most directories are free for clients to search. Coaches may pay a subscription fee or a one-time listing fee to be included, although this is not always the case.

For coaches, the main benefit is visibility. Instead of convincing people they need a coach, you’re putting yourself in front of people who are already searching for one. That makes directories an organic way to attract clients, especially when you’re just starting out.

Other key advantages of joining a directory include:

• Lead generation: A steady stream of potential clients without paid ads.
• Credibility: Being listed alongside other successful coaches can build trust.
• Early traction: Great for new coaches gathering testimonials or building experience.

Of course, directories aren’t a magic bullet. You’ll be competing with other coaches, and some clients may shop primarily by price. That’s why it’s best to treat directories as one strategy in your client acquisition efforts, alongside other avenues of marketing.

👉 Pro tip: Once clients find you through a directory, you’ll need a website where you can feature your services in more detail and manage new sign-ups. Paperbell gives you an all-in-one coaching platform with bookings, payments, and contracts plugged into it. Try it for free today.

How to Choose the Right Life Coach Directory

Some life coach directories are broad and list every type of coach, while others focus on specific niches, audiences, or geographic regions.

When evaluating a directory, consider:

• Fit with your business model: Some platforms set your schedule or hourly rate for you, which limits control over your client experience. If you prefer flexibility, look for directories that let you manage these details yourself.
• Your target clients: Check whether the directory attracts the kind of people you want to work with before committing time or money.
• Cost vs. value: Some directories are free, while others charge a monthly or annual fee. Make sure the investment aligns with the visibility and leads you expect.

And remember, you don’t have to limit yourself to just one. Joining multiple directories can broaden your reach and increase your chances of being discovered by the right clients.

10 Top Life Coach Directories to Get Listed On

Finding the right coach can be life-changing. You might just be the best coach for someone struggling with an area of their personal or professional life, such as their health, career, lifestyle, relationship, or overall confidence.

If they are a good fit, you can help them achieve lasting change, empowering them to fulfil their wildest dreams. Here’s where to find them.

1. 🏆 CoachCompare (Our Pick!)

If you only choose one directory, make it CoachCompare, our sister site. Unlike others that focus on geography, CoachCompare organizes coaches by specialty, making it easier for clients to find exactly what they need.

The platform has a clean, modern design that feels professional and client-friendly. You can tag your specific coaching niche, like women managers and entrepreneurs unsure about how to move forward, or leaders with performance anxiety.

If you’re a certified life coach, you can feature your qualifications to stand out. Make sure you show your passion and enthusiasm for your expertise to create a profile you’ll be proud to share.

2. Trusted Coach Directory

Designed for executive and leadership coaching, Trusted Coach Directory only features thoroughly vetted coaches who have proven their success in the industry.

Coaches listed here must meet high standards, such as credentials, experience, supervision, insurance, and memberships. These all signal excellence and add a layer of trust and credibility.

3. Noomii

Noomii remains one of the largest coach networks available with powerful visibility across a diverse range of coaching niches. They offer tiered membership options with varying commission rates and premium benefits.

With strong SEO and client matching built in for paid members, Noomii is a powerful option if you’re looking to boost lead generation and visibility.

4. The Life Coach School Directory

This directory is exclusively for the certified life coaches of the Life Coach School (LCS). If you’ve completed the LCS certification, your coaching profile becomes part of their directory. It’s a great option for those who value association with the organization’s reputation and methodology.

5. WiseHead

WiseHead is a free global directory that helps coaches fill their calendars and focus on coaching while the platform handles the logistics. Coaches can set their own hourly rate and working hours, and clients can book directly through the site.

Its features include PayPal payment processing, integrated video calls (Zoom, Skype, Google Meet), and session management tools.

6. Craigslist

It’s an oldie but a goodie! Craigslist isn’t of the past. People still search for local services on it every day, so it’s worth having a page on here too. You can list your services as classified ads to find clients in your area.

7. The Life Coach Directory

The Life Coach Directory is a global platform where basic listings are free. A premium listing costs $15 a month and includes benefits like expanded profile content, articles, embedded media, and an SEO-friendly review and rating system.

8. Bark

Bark is a lead-generation marketplace for all types of local services and small business owners, including life coaching. Coaches only pay when they choose to contact and talk to a potential client, and receive their direct phone and email details. With no commissions, it’s a cost-effective solution if you want to vet your leads carefully.

9. International Association of Professional Life Coaches

Joining the International Association of Professional Life Coaches costs $47, which includes both a directory listing as well as monthly training sessions and masterclasses.

10. BetterUp

BetterUp operates more like a coaching agency or marketplace than a directory. Coaches apply by submitting their credentials and experience, and once accepted, they get matched with clients through AI.

BetterUp’s programs focus on Whole Person™ growth, offering one-on-one coaching, group sessions, and specialist support in areas like career development, communication, well-being, and leadership.

Coaches who join the platform gain access to streamlined scheduling, automated payments, and a strong peer community with ongoing professional development events.

FAQ

How Do I Get Listed in Coaching Directories?

Most directories let you apply online by creating a profile with your details, niche, and qualifications. Some require you to be a certified coach or pay a membership fee.

Do Coaching Directories Actually Bring in Clients?

Yes, but results vary. Directories connect you with people already seeking a coach, but since more and more coaches join them, competition can be high. They work best alongside other marketing strategies.

Should I Pay for Premium Directory Listings?

Only if the directory matches your niche and ideal clients. Paid listings may give you more visibility, but free profiles are often a good starting point.

What Information Should I Include in My Directory Profile?

Most life coaches add their niche, coaching style, client results, and a clear call to action. If you’re a certified life coach, be sure to mention that. A photo with personality and an engaging bio also builds trust.

How Many Directories Should I Be Listed In?

List in multiple directories if they’re relevant to your audience. Just make sure you can keep each profile updated and consistent with your brand.

Find Clients and Manage Them Seamlessly

Life coach directories can help you get discovered, but once clients find you, you’ll need a smooth way to handle bookings, payments, and contracts.That’s where Paperbell comes in. It’s the all-in-one coaching website and client management platform designed for coaches to run their business with ease. Try it free and see how effortless running a coaching business can be.

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in October 2022 and has since been updated for accuracy.

Having all your client data organized in one neat place frees up your time and energy and creates a much better experience for your clients. It allows you to skip creating manual client documentation and even automate your business processes.

Find the most efficient way to organize all key client information from this quick and easy guide.

What is Client Information — and Why Should You Keep it Organized?

Your coaching client information includes everything your client shares about themselves, plus your history of working together. This may include their personal details, payment records, progress notes, and all other data shared during the coaching relationship.

Keeping track of all information tied to your clients is a crucial part of managing your coaching practice for several reasons.

1. It Creates Trust

Running a successful coaching practice relies on giving the best possible experience to your clients. And the quality of your client’s experience isn’t only about delivering transformation but also about making it easy to work with you.

Digging through email and message threads to find their session balance and coaching materials will make the coaching relationship feel disorganized and complicated. On the other hand, accessing all the information they need anytime in one neat place will regain their trust in you.

They will be more likely to become repeat clients and to tell their friends about you, this wonderful coach who’s a breeze to work with. Effective client information collection leads to better customer relationships, which means more clients for you.

2. It Helps You Work More Efficiently

Having your client information spread around in email threads and a bunch of different folders isn’t just inconvenient for your client; It also prevents you from running your company efficiently.

Keeping your client information organized saves you time and allows you to spend more energy on bringing value to your clients. It can also provide you with key insights about your business for future projects, such as where most of your focus goes or where your revenue mainly comes from.

[ Read: How to Create a Successful Coaching Client Portal Without Coding ]

3. It Allows You to Automate Your Business

If all your client info is organized, you can easily sync your different business apps and skip many of the menial tasks of running a coaching practice.

For example, with Paperbell, you can:

• Create integrations with Zapier to sync all your management systems
• Link your sales records from Stripe or PayPal to accounting software like Quickbooks or Xero
• Set up an automated email sequence for your clients triggered by new purchases made or new appointments booked (no more reminders and follow-ups!)
• Set a custom availability and have your Zoom meetings automatically set up for your upcoming sessions
• Design a variety of coaching packages that automatically appear on stunning landing pages tied to your client management system

What Types of Client Information Do I Need to Store?

Coaches, consultants, and other small business service providers who work with multiple clients need to keep track of individual client history and the summary of all client information.

Client history includes:

• Client details/customer information, such as name, company name, or phone numbers
• Client schedule and appointment history
• Financial information such as payment history
• Client questionnaires and intake forms
• Session notes and other essential information
• The details of the packages they’ve purchased
• Their coaching session balance
• Their contracts with all terms and conditions agreed upon

Overall client information includes:

• Your overall session schedule
• Lifetime revenue per client
• Sales made on each package

How to Organize Client Information Efficiently with Paperbell

Paperbell is an all-in-one client management software that runs your entire business. Here’s how you can use it to manage your client information and create an amazing experience for your clients.

1. Create Your First Package

First, let’s create a package your client can sign up for.

Set how many sessions this package would include and add different appointments based on your coaching process. Setting the session length to 50 or 25 minutes is a great way to avoid being booked back-to-back.

Next, create a payment plan for your package or subscription. Paperbell is a payment-first platform, so your client can only finalize their booking once the payment is settled.

Your packages will be automatically synced with your dedicated landing page, where clients can see all your offers and pick the best one.

Once they sign up, both of you can see all session materials and your client’s session balance in Paperbell. No room for confusion. This will help you avoid giving away free sessions by mistake or overcharging for the ones never delivered.

2. Set Up Your Availability

Next, let’s get your schedule right.

You can create customized availability for each coaching package to start Monday strong with deep-dive sessions and leave shorter check-ins for Fridays. Or you can schedule all your coaching sessions in one afternoon block and leave your mornings free for other personal or professional commitments.

You can easily review your work schedule by:

• Viewing your upcoming and past sessions with a particular client on their profile;
• Seeing all your upcoming and past sessions with all clients on your appointment page;
• Or take a look at the overview of your entire calendar.

Upgrade Your Client’s Experience

We’ve saved the best for last. With Paperbell you can automate all your client management processes while also having the freedom to customize how you work with clients.

Your client information sheet with both past and new clients is baked right into the system. You can get a quick overview of all key information on your client’s profile, such as:

• Their contact information (for example, names and phone numbers)
• Their past and upcoming appointments
• All the data about their purchase history
• Your message history with them
• Their contracts are signed (digitally through Paperbell, of course)
• All session notes
• The questionnaires they filled out for you
• The coaching materials you shared with them

You can either share video lectures and downloadable resources as a part of a standardized package or add personalized materials under “private content” to a particular client’s Paperbell account.

Client intake forms and questionnaires are all built into your client’s profile, too. Surveying your client before your first session with them greatly impacts the efficiency of your work together. Their answers will always live in their client profile in Paperbell (not in email 3 of 27 of the thread called “Re: intro.”

[ Read: 14 Life Coach Intake Form Questions (And How to Create Yours with Zero Tech Skills) ]

Another key aspect of client experience is how you communicate with them. A little encouragement and consistent communication can help your clients keep up the momentum. However, writing these emails for each of your clients would take ages.

With Paperbell, you can set up automated emails with your packages triggered after your client makes a purchase or sets a new appointment.

Get a Better Grasp of Your Revenue

Paperbell keeps your complete revenue history on file for each client and package. 

You know how they say that 80% of your revenue comes from 20% of your clients? Now you’ll be able to tell which one. This way, you can direct your focus on the clients and packages that pay off.

A little reflection on where your energy goes in your coaching business combined with this analytics can lead to some powerful insights.

Make Client Management a Breeze with Paperbell

Beyond just storing client information, Paperbell also manages all your payments, bookings, contract signing, and more. It lets you create customized group coaching and one-on-one packages and sets up impressive landing pages for you.

Paperbell automates routine processes while giving you full freedom to design custom packages, work on your own terms and schedule, and personalize your client relationships.
Take Paperbell for a test drive for free.

But here’s the thing: You don’t need to stress yourself out trying to find the “perfect” name. You just need one that feels authentic to you and gives potential clients a sense of what you’re all about.

In this guide, we’ll cover:

• What makes a coaching business name actually work
• Practical tips for choosing your own name
• 57 real examples to spark your creativity

Whether you’re just starting out or thinking about rebranding, we’ve got you covered.

Which Name is Best for Coaching?

An excellent coaching business name effectively communicates the essence of your coaching practice while also being memorable, professional, and reflective of your brand identity.

Here are some criteria to keep in mind when choosing one:

Clarity and Relevance

A clear coaching business name is crucial for potential clients to understand your services and feel drawn to them. It must succinctly convey your coaching focus and resonate with their needs and desires.

Choose a name that aligns closely with your coaching practice’s mission, values, and areas of expertise. This way, potential clients can immediately see if your services are a good fit for them.

Memorability

Coaching is a crowded industry, so a memorable business name is essential to create brand recognition and recall for yourself. It needs to make a lasting impression and be easily remembered by potential clients.

[ Read: Branding for Coaches: How To Build a Powerful Brand to Stand Out From Your Competitors ]

A memorable name increases the likelihood of word-of-mouth referrals and encourages repeat business. When your coaching business name is distinctive, concise, and easy to pronounce, it creates brand awareness and loyalty among clients.

Uniqueness

An original business name sets your business apart from competitors and reinforces your credibility in your coaching niche. It needs to be easy for clients to distinguish your brand from others offering similar services.

Choosing a unique name also helps your coaching practice establish its own identity and brand personality. You’ll likely find an available domain and social media handle for a distinctive name. Plus, you can even trademark it if you want to protect your business’s brand identity in the long term.

Pro Tip: Once you’ve landed on your coaching business name, getting your website up and running is way easier than you think. With Paperbell, you get a professional coaching website that’s ready to go in minutes.

Should I Use My Own Name for My Coaching Business?

Using your own name for your coaching business has its advantages. It gives you a chance to build your personal brand. It also creates authenticity and trust, allowing clients to connect with you directly as the coach.

If you later decide to become an author or speaker, start other businesses, or expand into a new niche, your personal name will remain a constant that you can build on. If you have a common name that’s easily confused with others, you can use a variation of your name or your middle name as your personal brand.

The downside of using your own name for your coaching brand is that it may limit scalability. If your personal identity becomes closely intertwined with the business, it may be harder to step back in the future and hand it over to other coaches.

Also, your given name won’t encapsulate your niche and what you do. However, you can always create sub-brands for your various coaching programs and courses.

[ Read: The 4 Pillars of Sold-Out Life Coaching Packages ]

How Do I Come Up With a Life Coach Business Name?

1. Take Inventory

Write down all the words that come to your mind about your business. Reflect on your coaching niche, values, and target audience, and let your ideas flow freely without judging them just yet (no matter how unconventional they seem).

Consider words, phrases, or concepts that capture the essence of your coaching practice and align with your brand identity. If you have brand guidelines or a business vision documented, use them to guide your brainstorming process.

If you want to use a variation of your name for your business, you can still do the same to see what shortened or altered versions of your name would look like written down. Play with your middle name, nickname, or a chosen last name that captures your personal and business identity.

2. Organize Your Ideas

Once you’ve collected a great deal of words, organize them into clusters to discover the overlapping themes they express. You can also visualize them in a mind map to see how they tie back to your core values and brand traits.

To mix and match your shortlisted words, you can either:

1. Blend shorter words to create portmanteaus, a combination of two words, such as Mindvalley or Samaviral; or
2. Put two to three separate words together to create a new meaning, such as Business Rise or Pause Breathe Reflect.

Narrow your brand name ideas down to a few that best capture your brand essence and feel the most authentic to you.

3. Get a Sounding Board

Share your brand name ideas with a trusted mentor or friend, and ask them for feedback. Sometimes, just speaking your ideas out loud helps you reflect on them and hear how they represent your business.

Look at your potential new brand name in different font styles and sizes, or place it under your logo. See if you can shorten or simplify it further while keeping its essence.

Remember, using a version of your name will cement it as your personal brand beyond your coaching practice in the long run, so make sure you choose one that isn’t just functional and feels authentic to you.

Life Coaching Business Names Ideas

Here are some of the best real-life coaching business names and some ideas for various niches you can gain inspiration from.

Real-Life Coaching Business Names

These coaching business names capture a strong brand essence and immediately communicate what they offer:

• Samavira: A modern-day meditation method rooted in ancient principles. ‘Sama’ is the tranquility of the mind in Buddhist traditions, while ‘vira’ means hero.
• Boldly now: An online membership for people who want to be part of something greater than themselves.
• Pause Breathe Reflect: A minimalist meditation app and community.
• Inner Peace Network: A community of mindfulness, spiritual teachers, and students.
• SOMA Breath: A hub for breathwork meditation courses and coaching.
• Mindvalley Coach: The coaching sub-brand of Mindvalley, the leading life transformation platform.
• Business Rise: Business coaching services for startups.

Keep in mind that if you use more generic names, people may confuse them with other similar businesses. For example, there are multiple brands called Life Circles and Mindset Horizon. It’s always worth looking up your name to see whether another business in a related industry already uses it.

You can use ‘coaching’ after your name to indicate your field or niche. For instance, Rodrigo Costa Coaching is a real-life example of a personal coaching brand that’s easily searchable online.

Life Coaching Business Names

Life coaching is a crowded industry, but you can differentiate yourself by choosing a name that reflects your unique coaching values. Here are some examples of how you can do that:

• InnerPath Coaching
• Thrive & Flourish
• Mindful Momentum
• Purposeful Path
• Authentic Living
• Radiant Realization
• Empowerment Dynamics
• Balance Beam
• Clarity Compass
• Renewed Perspective
• Journey Forward
• Balanced Life Coaching
• Illumin8

To make your business name more catchy, you can use alliteration or rhythm in it.

Business Coaching Names

Business coaching brands often capture business outcomes. Here are a few ways you can do that.

• Leadership Boost
• Growth Catalyst
• StratEdge
• Perfomax
• Innovatech
• Profit Pursuit
• BizSight
• Succeleration
• Business Mastery
• Profitify
• LeadGenius
• GrowVantage
• Visionize

Try to combine different brand attributes that best describe your services instead of simply using buzzwords. This will also help you shorten your brand name and make it more memorable.

Career Coaching Business Names

The trick to developing a strong brand name is to communicate your niche without mentioning it. Here are a few examples that do that without using the word ‘career.’

• Professional Pursuit Partners
• Jobify
• Ladder Climbers
• Acceler8
• Vocatrend
• WorkVista
• JobQuesta

If you want to stick to a longer brand name, you can use its initials in your brand communication. For example, instead of spelling out Professional Pursuit Partners every time, you can simply use PPP.

Health Coaching Brand Names

Health coaching names need to communicate harmony and ease. Choose a brand name that rolls off the tongue.

• Vitalitea
• Mind-Body Harmony
• BeWell
• Holistique
• Vital Living
• Thrive Tribe

Your coaching brand name can be a variation of a more common word if you simply change its spelling — just make sure the domain name for it is still available.

Relationship Coaching Business Names

Your relationship coaching brand should reflect the kind of services you offer and how they differ from other brands in your niche. Here are a few examples:

• Blended Family
• Parent Crossroads
• IntiMate
• Heart Connect
• Secret Bond
• ComPassionates 
• Uplifters
• Loveology
• HarmonyHub
• HeartSync
• Renewed Flame

If your favorite business name isn’t entirely self-explanatory, but it has a nice ring to it, you can use it and emphasize its meaning in your brand communication.

3 Tools to Generate Life Coaching Business Names

You don’t have to come up with brand name ideas on your own; use these tools to generate more options.

1. AI tools: AI chatbots like ChatGPT or Gemini can generate endless ideas for your brainstorming sessions. Try out different prompts and describe the parameters of the ideas you’re looking for to get better insights.

2. Name generators: An online business name generator like Namelix or BNG can list potential coaching business names based on the keywords and criteria you specify.

3. Thesaurus: Using a thesaurus can help you brainstorm synonyms and look up words related to your coaching niche or brand identity, expanding your pool of potential name ideas.

Don’t just copy automatically generated name ideas as they are; use them as a part of your brainstorming process to come up with a name as unique to your business as possible.

[ Read: Build an Epic Coaching Brand: Top 10 Branding Tools for Coaches ]

Build the Coaching Brand of Your Dreams

If you’re ready to launch your coaching brand, here are a few templates that may come in handy: Use these life coaching package and website cheat sheets to get your business up and running in no time.

To make sure the admin side of your business runs just as smoothly as your campaigns, leave your client management to Paperbell.

It’s an all-in-one coaching tool that handles your contracts, schedule, payments, landing pages, and more. Try Paperbell for free with your first client.

If you use the right tool in the right coaching situation, it can spark breakthroughs that may be harder to achieve with coaching questions alone. This helps you turn your coaching conversations into transformative experiences that create a ripple effect in your clients’ lives.

In this roundup, we’ve gathered some of the most impactful life coaching exercises and how to use them for maximum effect with clients.

4 Types of Life Coaching Exercises

1. Coaching Exercises for Evaluation

Evaluation exercises act like a mirror for your clients, helping them step back and see their current situation, strengths, and blind spots more clearly.

These coaching tools are often the starting point for uncovering the real issue because what a client thinks is the problem isn’t always the root cause. By focusing on the present, evaluation exercises can map out a path for long-term coaching work and help clients get unstuck.

Some assessments are structured, like personality or strengths tests that provide clear results (introvert vs. extrovert, for example). Others are more open-ended, giving clients space to define their own experiences and identity in their own words. Both can lay the groundwork for meaningful breakthroughs.

[ Read: 9 Free Coaching Assessment Tools And Where To Find Them ]

Pro tip: Assign exercises and collect answers automatically in Paperbell. Add custom forms to packages, send reminders, and keep every worksheet in the client’s portal.

2. Coaching Exercises for Reflection

Reflection exercises focus on past events and how they’ve shaped your client’s life. They can help reframe negative memories and shift their meaning in a healthier direction.

These exercises require a certain level of vulnerability, especially if your client has experienced trauma or tends to shut down around difficult topics. Make sure they feel ready and supported before diving in. If not, start with gentler coaching questions or a workbook they can fill out on their own to slowly ease the barriers that may be holding them back.

[ Read: 53 Life Coaching Questions That Work With Every Client ]

3. Coaching Exercises for Goal Setting

Goal-setting exercises focus on your client’s desired future: the dreams they envision, the intentions they set, and the goals they want to pursue.

While coaching is rarely a straight path, these tools work best once your client is ready to define goals that truly come from within, not ones shaped by outside expectations.

If their drive feels more like pressure than genuine motivation, it may help to return to reflection exercises first, so they can clarify what they really want before moving forward.

4. Coaching Exercises for Personal Growth

Personal growth exercises help clients make tangible changes in the direction they want to go. This might include building trust within a group, practicing assertive communication, or learning how to manage conflict.

They work well in both one-on-one and group sessions and are especially powerful in relationship coaching, where clients can immediately put new insights into practice.

6 Life Coaching Exercises to Use During Sessions

1. The 5 Whys

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This simple method was originally developed by Sakichi Toyoda in the 1930s, and now it’s widely used in business settings, including coaching. It helps clients uncover the deeper motivations behind their goals or struggles so they can focus on what truly matters.

Here’s how it works: When your client shares what they want or struggle with, ask “Why?” Then repeat the question four more times, using their own words each time.

For example, if a client says they want to become wealthy, you may ask, “Why do you want to be wealthy?”

If they answer that they want to enter higher circles of society, you may follow up with, “Why do you want to enter higher circles of society?” And so on.

This might reveal that what they really seek is love and acceptance. Getting to the root cause of their desires can then completely shift the direction of your work together.

2. Energy Assessment

This exercise helps clients see the bigger picture of what lifts them up and what drags them down. Ask them to make two lists:

1. One of the people, places, activities, or even belongings that gives them energy,
2. And another that drains it.

Encourage them to get specific. For example, it may not be their spouse who drains them, but a particular habit or interaction with them, or the meaning they attach to it.

Once the lists are complete, you can work together to decide what to eliminate, change, or increase in their daily life to create more balance.

3. “I” Statements

“I” statements are a simple but powerful tool for healthier communication, especially in conflict. Instead of blaming (“you always make me feel X”), it encourages clients to take ownership of their emotions.

Here’s what it looks like:

When you [do X], I feel [Y emotion]. It would work better for me if you could [do Z]. Would you be willing to try that?

This shifts the conversation from defensiveness to openness. You can role-play a real situation with your client to practice “I” statements so they’re better prepared to use them in an actual conversation.

4. Secret Recipe

Sometimes, clients find themselves wondering, “How did I end up here?” Their life may even feel like it’s on autopilot or veered off course. In these moments, ask them to describe the “recipe” that led them to their current situation.

This exercise encourages ownership by tracing the series of choices that shaped their reality. It also shows them that if a set of decisions created their present, a different set can create a new future.

5. Circles of Influence

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Difficult situations often feel overwhelming because clients believe they have no control. The Circles of Influence exercise helps them sort reality into three categories:

• What I can control
• What I can’t control but can influence
• What I can’t influence at all

You can draw three concentric circles to map these out with your client.

This visual tool is especially useful in situations when clients feel helpless, such as processing loss, because it redirects their energy toward areas where change is possible.

6. SMART Goals

The SMART framework helps clients turn vague aspirations into actionable plans by checking whether goals are:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Relevant
• Time-bound

Once a client sets a SMART goal, you can break it down into smaller objectives and ensure they aren’t overcommitting. Discuss how to spread their goals across yearly, monthly, and weekly milestones, track their progress, and celebrate each achievement along the way.

5 Life Coaching Exercises Clients Can Practice on Their Own

1. Wheel of Life

The Wheel of Life is a classic coaching tool for evaluating satisfaction across different areas of life. Clients can rate each category on a scale of 1-10 or note what’s working and what isn’t, then bring those insights into your next session.

Common categories include:

• Personal growth
• Romantic love
• Family and friends
• Health and well-being
• Finances
• Business and career
• Physical environment
• Fun and recreation
• Contribution
• Spirituality

For a deeper dive, look into Mindvalley’s Lifebook Program, which expands this exercise into a full-blown program envisioning 12 life categories.

2. Self-Authoring

The Self-Authoring Suite is a structured journaling tool that helps clients reflect on their past, identify their present values, and create a vision for their future.

It’s a time-intensive exercise (each section can take several days), so it works best as an optional assignment outside of sessions. Your client’s reflections can become rich material for your coaching conversations.

3. Gratitude Journal

Keeping a gratitude journal is one of the simplest yet most effective ways to boost feelings of happiness and contentment. It’s especially powerful for clients who are overly future-focused and struggle to stay grounded in the present.

By recording small daily moments of gratitude, they can shift their perspective and cultivate a greater sense of balance.

4. Discovering Your Purpose

This exercise helps clients uncover potential passions or a deeper sense of purpose. Ask them to send this question to 5-10 people who know them well:

“What is my unique ability that I do better than anyone else?”

Once they gather the answers, review the common themes together and explore how they resonate. This can provide clarity for clients considering a new career path, project, or direction that feels more fulfilling.

5. The Unsent Letter

In relationship coaching, clients often carry unspoken emotions they struggle to express. Encourage them to write an unfiltered, honest letter to the person involved, but without sending it.

During your next session, they can choose to read it aloud or simply reflect on the process. This often reveals the real source of hurt and lightens the emotional load, making space for a healthier, more constructive conversation later.

100+ Additional Free Life Coaching Exercises

Want to expand your toolkit even further? Here are three great resources offering 100+ additional coaching exercises you can draw from:

• The Coaching Tools Company
• Mindvalley’s List Of Coaching Tools
• Positive Psychology Exercise Library

FAQ

How Often Should I Use Coaching Exercises With Clients?

Use them intentionally, not by default. Many coaches assign one exercise every few sessions or at milestones. Let goals and client capacity guide cadence, and debrief before adding more.

What If My Client Resists Doing Exercises?

Explore the reason behind their resistance, such as relevance, time, or discomfort. You may modify the exercise according to their preferences by offering a lighter version of it or turning to another one.

Can I Modify Exercises for Different Clients?

You can modify coaching exercises by keeping their core structure and objective in place and altering their prompts according to your client’s needs. This often improves client engagement and leads to better results.

How Do I Know If an Exercise Is Working?

You’ll know an exercise is working when your client gains new clarity, takes action between sessions, or shows noticeable shifts in mindset or behavior. You can also ask for their direct feedback.

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in January 2022 and has since been updated for accuracy.

Effective client tracking allows you to stay organized, provide personalized support, and ultimately help your clients achieve their goals. 

But having a streamlined client tracking system is easier said than done. In this post, we’ll cover how you can manage client tracking as a coach, even if you hate fancy tech! Keep reading to discover:

• The importance of client tracking for coaches
• 4 ways in which to keep track of clients
• Creating your own client tracking system
• Paperbell: The client tracking software made for coaches

Why Client Tracking Matters for Your Coaching Business

Client tracking goes way beyond just keeping names and contact info. It’s actually one of the most powerful tools in your coaching toolkit.

Here’s what good client tracking does for you:

• Provides insights into your client’s progress : You can spot patterns and celebrate wins.
• Helps identify their specific needs: No more guessing what they’re struggling with.
• Lets you personalize every session: Because one-size-fits-all coaching just doesn’t work.
• Builds serious trust and credibility: When clients see you’re organized and paying attention, they feel valued.

Pro Tip: With Paperbell, all your client information lives in one place. No more juggling spreadsheets, sticky notes, or trying to remember what your client mentioned three weeks ago. Everything from session notes to payment history is right there when you need it.

4 Ways to Keep Track of Clients

You can use various methods to keep track of your coaching clients, depending on your preference and the size of your coaching business. Here’s how to keep track of clients with 4 specific tools.

1. How to use paper tracking for a low-ticket client tracking system

One traditional approach is to use a paper-based system to track your coaching clients. 

This method involves using a notebook or a physical folder for each client. With a paper-based system, you can easily: 

• Jot down notes during sessions
• Keep track of progress
• Add sticky notes for reminders or goal-tracking

Even though I’ve adopted digital methods to track my clients, I have to admit I’m partial to keeping a notebook with me at all times. But that’s because of my personality. To me, it’s easier to write raw, unfiltered notes on paper than on a computer or smartphone.

2. Can spreadsheets work as client management software?

An alternative to paper-based tracking is using digital spreadsheets. Tools like Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets offer the flexibility to create customizable client tracker templates.

With spreadsheets, you can: 

• Categorize clients based on their goals
• Track progress from almost any device
• Record important milestones
• Create charts or graphs to visualize their development

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Spreadsheets make it easier to standardize how you track your clients and simplify sharing this data with them when needed.

However, like any digital resource, it’s important to back up your work or manage your spreadsheets from the cloud. Imagine your computer getting corrupted or destroyed with no backups to your spreadsheets – you’d lose all those client trackers and be unable to support your clients in the best way possible!

3. How to systemize with Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platforms

Another effective method is using customer relationship management (CRM) software. 

These tools offer many features that can streamline your client tracking process. For example, they provide contact management, allowing you to store all client information in one place. 

Progress tracking features enable you to monitor and evaluate your clients’ progress. Task management tools help you stay organized and ensure that you are meeting your clients’ needs. Appointment scheduling features make it easy to manage your calendar and avoid any scheduling conflicts. Some CRM software even offers automated reminders, so you never miss an important session or follow-up.

Some popular CRM platforms include:

• Salesforce
• Pipedrive
• Hubspot
• Zoho

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The biggest issue with CRMs is that many of them are designed for sales teams – not coaches. As such, many of them can feel a bit bloated with features you don’t need.

And they’re a bit hard to understand if you’re not already tech-savvy. Plus, some of the most popular CRM platforms, like Salesforce, are extremely expensive.

4. All-in-one online business platforms

Finally, you can opt for software for keeping track of clients with an all-in-one online business platform such as Dubsado or Honeybook.

These platforms allow you to automate workflows with your clients and prospects, such as:

• Appointment reminders
• Contracts
• Invoices
• Payment reminders

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Most of these platforms typically allow you to keep client notes as well.

However, I’ve tried both Dubsado and Honeybook – and while they’re great tools, both have big issues when it comes to running a coaching business.

Dubsado itself is extremely powerful, but it’s also very complex. Entire businesses were born specifically to help service providers set up their Dubsado accounts – and it’s not cheap to pay for that kind of setup. 

As for Honeybook, it’s clear the software was designed for local service providers like photographers – and not for coaches. 

For instance, you have to create a new project for every single client – instead of creating a ‘project’ for every coaching program. And you’ll also run into several limitations with the calendar scheduling options.

Creating Your Own Client Management System

While using existing software or tools can be effective, you may prefer to create your own client tracking system tailored to your coaching style and unique needs. Here are a few steps to help you get started:

1. Define your goals

Start by identifying what specific information you want to track, such as client contact details, session notes, progress updates, or goals. 

This will help you establish the foundation for your tracking system.

Your goals may be different from another coach, depending on your coaching niche. For instance, a fitness coach will likely track milestones such as max weight during reps, while this makes no sense for a mindset coach to track!

2. Consider the unique needs of your coaching practice

Are you primarily focused on helping clients achieve specific outcomes, or do you also want to track their overall well-being and personal growth? 

By clarifying your goals, you can ensure that your tracking system captures the data that is most relevant to your coaching approach.

3. Choose which tools you’ll use to build your client-tracking app 

Decide the tools, software, or apps you want to use for your tracking system. 

Consider factors like:

• Ease of use
• Accessibility
• Integration with other tools you may be using 

When building your own client tracking system, there are various options available to you. Some of them include:

• Spreadsheets
• Flexible project management platforms like Airtable or monday.com
• Digital planners

Take the time to research and test different tools to find the one that best suits your needs – and the one you’re capable of customizing in the way you like. 

For example, while I love spreadsheets, I’m not the best at creating custom tracking solutions. So, I don’t typically use them for client tracking systems.

4. Create a structure

Determine how you want to organize your tracking system. Depending on your needs, you may want to categorize clients based on their goals, create folders or tabs for each client, or use tags to mark important milestones.

The structure of your tracking system will play a crucial role in its usability and effectiveness. Think about how you can organize your clients’ information in a way that is intuitive and easy to navigate for you – not for other coaches.

5. Set regular check-in points

Establish a schedule for checking in with your clients and updating all client progress tracking. This will ensure your tracking system remains up-to-date and relevant to their journey.

Regular check-ins are vital for maintaining a strong coaching relationship and ensuring that your clients are making progress towards their goals. By incorporating check-in points into your tracking system, you can stay informed about your client’s current status and provide timely support and guidance.

6. Regularly evaluate and evolve

Continuously assess your tracking system to see if any improvements or modifications are needed. As your coaching practice grows, you may discover new requirements that can improve your client tracking process.

Paperbell: The Client Tracking Software Made for Coaches

Let’s be real: you’re probably busy and don’t want to waste time learning a bunch of tech or building an entire system from scratch.

But all-in-one business platforms with client tracking features force coaches to adapt to them instead of being the other way around!

That’s where Paperbell comes in – it’s hands-down the best client-tracking software for coaches!

Designed specifically for coaches, Paperbell offers a simple and intuitive client-tracking solution that can streamline your coaching practice and help you minimize all that admin work.

One of the standout features of Paperbell is its ability to manage client profiles via its client tracking portal easily. With just a few clicks, you can access all the information you need about each client, including: 

• How many purchases they’ve made (and which packages they’ve bought)
• How many appointments remain in their current package
• Scheduled appointments
• Contracts
• Survey responses
• Private content shared with your client and vice versa
• All email logs
• And finally: notes you’ve been taking on this client!

Every time you create a new note in your client tracking database, you’ll be able to add:

• Links
• Files
• Formatted text

Plus, you can choose to share the note with the client or keep it private to yourself.

But that’s not all. Paperbell also makes scheduling appointments with potential clients (and existing clients) a breeze. 

And because the calendar scheduling tool is designed specifically for coaches, you can create custom availability for every coaching package type. It also lets your clients see how many appointments they have left with you.

Paperbell also makes communicating with your clients easily from a single platform! All you need to do is click “Send email” and select which client you’ll send it to. No need to change tabs and open your emails.

For coaches who offer virtual coaching sessions, Paperbell integrates seamlessly with Zoom so that your clients never have to scramble to look for that link. 

And let’s not forget about the financial side of things. Paperbell offers seamless payment processing, making it easy for you to collect fees from your clients. You can set up recurring payments, create payment plans, or ask for a one-time payment upfront.

It’s the best way to keep track of client payments without consistently scrolling through your inbox. No need for a separate client payment tracker.

And this is only the tip of the iceberg. With additional tools such as package creation, landing pages, and automated emails, Paperbell is the last tool you’ll ever need to run a coaching business without all the tech overwhelm!

Simplify Your Client Tracking and Sales Process with Paperbell

Whether you choose a traditional paper-based approach, digital spreadsheets, or opt for specialized software designed for coaches like Paperbell, client tracking is a non-negotiable if you want to keep your clients happy while keeping your mental health intact.

So, if you’ve been spending too much time managing dozens of spreadsheets or fumbling through your paper notes, why not try Paperbell for free? 

Your account is free forever until you get your first client. And with all that admin work gone, you’ll be able to focus on what truly matters – helping your clients achieve massive results! 

Grab your free account of Paperbell today to get started.