Are you an experienced service professional who’s ready to start an online coaching business?

Or sell your consulting services online?

But… you’re also not sure where to start?

Or, what steps you’ll need to take to attract your dream clients and grow your service business?

Well, that’s where I can help!

Back in 2018, I quit my corporate life and started an online coaching business.

And since then, I’ve also helped many service-based business owners do the same.

So, what steps did I take? And what do I teach my coaching clients?

I’ve outlined the five simple steps you can take to start an online coaching or consulting business in the blog post below.

When you follow these steps, it will help you find focus, move forwards sooner, and avoid making the costly and time-consuming mistakes that many people make when they first start their businesses.

1. Master your marketing strategy

Your marketing strategy will position you as an expert in your niche and help you to stand out online.

And is essential to your success, given the high number of other coaching and consulting businesses online these days.

So, to master your marketing strategy, you’ll need to select your:

1. Target market or niche – who you serve

2. Area of expertise – the type of services you provide

3. Value proposition – why you are better or different to your competition

I highly recommend conducting some target market and competitor research to have a clear idea of what your clients want and what other businesses are out there.

This research will also be valuable when crafting your marketing messages, as it will help you communicate your marketing strategy so it reaches your dream clients.

RELATED: How to position yourself as an expert in your niche

Not sure where to start when it comes to marketing your service-based small business? That’s where I can help. Get started by downloading my free Ultimate Marketing Checklist by clicking the button below: 

2. Design your services and sales plan

The next step is to crunch your sales numbers and work out how you’ll make money in your online coaching business.

You’ll want to start by designing the service offerings that you’re going to sell.

Within a coaching or consulting business, this could include selling or charging for:

• 1:1 coaching or consulting sessions
• Group programs
• Courses
• Facilitating
• Keynote speaking
• Event tickets and more…

When trying to decide what type of services you’re going to sell, I recommend you consider what you enjoy, what you are good at, and where there is a demand in your market.

Ideally, you’ll want to design service offerings that you enjoy delivering and that your dream clients want and are willing to pay for.

Once you’ve decided what your services will be, you’ll want to package and price them so they’re competitive in the market.

And determine how many clients you’ll need to find to achieve your sales goals.

RELATED: 15 Things you need to create an irresistible service offering

3. Optimise your website and online presence

If your online business is going to be a success, you’ll need a website that your dream clients can find.

So, you’ll need to begin by researching and finding the keywords and keyword phrases that your clients are most likely to search in Google.

You can use several online tools to do this research, including Keywords Everywhere, Answer the Public and Moz.

Once you’ve identified the best keywords for your business, then you’ll need to add them to your site so that Google can determine what type of content people will find on your website.

I also recommend adding a blog to your website to enhance your Google ranking and provide more opportunities for your website to get found.

You’ll also want to add your chosen keywords to your social media profiles, hashtags, and online posts to attract more qualified leads to your business.

RELATED: How to choose the right SEO keywords for your target market

4. Follow a structured sales process

To attract clients consistently, you’ll need to have a solid sales and marketing process in place.

This process includes having activities in your marketing plan that will attract, nurture, and help you build relationships with your dream clients so that you can close sales with ease.

I recommend implementing activities such as posting on social media, blogging, podcasting, networking in person or online and collaborating with other businesses to build awareness.

Next, you’ll want to regularly email and communicate with your community of followers to demonstrate your expertise and help people get to know you better.

The final stage in your sales and marketing process is to give value and build trust with your audience by hosting webinars, running challenges, launching promotions, and inviting people to work with you.

These marketing activities will help you build know, like, and trust with your audience, making it much easier to close sales.

If you’re not currently making as many sales as you would like in your online coaching business, consider where you may have any gaps in your sales and marketing process.

RELATED: 10 Effective ways to market a service business online

Not sure where to start when it comes to marketing your service-based small business? That’s where I can help. Get started by downloading my free Ultimate Marketing Checklist by clicking the button below: 

5. Build an accountability and support network

It’s incredibly challenging to run an online small business on your own, so if you have plans to grow and scale, then you’re going to need support.

Once you’ve got some revenue coming into your online business, consider where you could outsource some tasks to free up more of your time.

Or where you could invest in some coaching or online courses to learn new skills and improve the productivity in your business.

Additionally, joining paid memberships, networking groups, or online communities is a great way to build support around you and get some accountability.

This support will help you reduce overwhelm, avoid costly mistakes, and grow your business sooner than if you were going it alone.

RELATED: How to build a network: The ultimate small business guide

So, there you have five simple steps for starting an online coaching or consulting business.

When you follow these steps and implement them in this order, you’ll be well on your way to growing a successful online business.

Tired of trying to figure out what you’re missing when it comes to finding clients and making sales in your service business?

Break through the barriers that are holding you back with the support of an MBA-qualified Marketing Coach and Business Mentor who will tailor a 1:1 program specifically for you.

BUSINESS BREAKTHROUGH is a 3 or 6-month 1:1 Coaching Program for service-based business owners who want to develop the strategy, systems, and structure they need to find clients and make sales, so they can stop feeling stuck and start gaining massive momentum in their business.

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