In this post: Are you spending time on the actions that are going to move your health coaching business FORWARD? If you don't have a clear Coaching Package yet, clarity on your prices, and a marketing plan...PAUSE on everything until you do.
Before you spend a lot of time on websites, logos, branding, and even other product development...create something that you KNOW your ideal clients will love so you get into the game of COACHING right away. A Purposeful Coaching Package is what propels health coaching businesses forward.
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What Really Moves Your Health Coaching Business Forward?
I was driving home last night from yin yoga with my husband and we were stopped at the lights on the way home. I noticed that there was a couple inside one of the shops that had been empty for a while. They were refitting it and it looked like it was going to be really beautiful.
This was about eight o'clock at night, and you could just feel their passion. You could feel that they were excited to be doing the hard work and getting it all set up.
Some of you might have that as you're starting to set up your new business, right?
Part of me got so lit up and excited for their entrepreneurial energy and what was coming for them. But another part of me felt a bit panicked and a little bit sad even, because of what I know in business.
Traditional businesses have to invest upfront
Now here's the thing in a traditional business like that. That couple last night, they have already had to put down a huge amount of money, time and energy, sweat, probably arguments, to get that up and running. And it's not even open yet.
I was thinking about it because they’ve been there for a few weeks now. They've probably been paying rent on that already for a month and they've refitted everything, painted all the outside - that’s a lot of money, as well as time and energy that has gone into that.
And this is the normal way for a traditional business, whether it's a cafe or whether it's a yoga studio, Pilates studio, whatever it might be, this is the way business traditionally used to be run and still is for some people.
But here's the thing: They have no idea if that business is going to work. No idea!
Business is always a risk. You never have that certainty, that is part of being in business. You have to have the capacity to hold risk and to hold uncertainty.
That's part of it, but this couple has no idea.
So think about how much time, energy, money and investment has gone into that place. And though I could feel their energy and passion pouring out of that building, they have no idea.
This is what makes an old school business so risky compared to an online business
My husband and I were literally sending them vibes that we hope this takes off for them. It's a really cool spot, but honestly, it's on a highway and this little back road that you come down and there's not really any parking.
So even if it's the best cafe ever and they have the most beautiful branding and the most beautiful logos and everything inside, I'm not sure if it will ever become a really “hot spot”.
I really hope it does! I want to come back in a month and to be able to tell you that, yes, it's taking off, but I'm not sure.
Right? I'm not sure.
And this is the thing - If that business doesn't work for them, they're going to be stuck paying that rent and having to sell the business and get new people in. So our old school way of doing business is so, so, so risky compared to setting up our online coaching businesses.
It made me reflect on how lucky we are!
So for me, I'm all about getting all of you in the game, coaching as soon as possible. If you've worked with me before, you've heard me talking, I do not want to see you guys working late at night on your shop front.
That includes websites. That includes logos. That includes all the fancy bells and whistles, trying to make it all look pretty before you know if it's going to sell.
How do you know if it’s going to sell?
The way that I teach it is that you've got to have a package that you know is going to sell and that you know the client is going to buy that and you’re actually going to make sales.
So you need to know how to explain the package to potential clients. You can't jump to things like websites and logos and that before you have this piece, it's not possible. I don't want to see you doing all that.
I believe in you testing your offer first in business.
In marketing, we called this proof of concept. We need to know.
So even if you make your coaching package (and I have a free guide that can help you with that!) you’ve still got to test it and find that people are buying it before you go out and pay a copywriter to write it all up for you or get something designed.
We've got a check and we can get you in the game, getting paying clients super quick. When you get that package right first, you don't need the website. You don't need all those things. You need a package and then you will test.
So I just wanted to reflect on that.
I'm a big believer in paying at the beginning of your coaching business for mentoring and I'd rather see you put money into getting mentoring and getting your packages right, your proof of concept right - getting you your own clients as quick as possible so you know what your business is and you know people buy from it and that’s when you put that money on your shop front.
Then you put that money on your website and your logos and all of that. Whereas an old school business, they have to do all of that first before they even know if it will sell, there's no option. And then if it doesn't, they are locked in and stuck paying who knows how much?
That’s what will happen if that couple’s business doesn't take off.
Part of me just wanted to jump in there last night, like on a reality show or something, and go in and say, “Hey, how can I help you?” Because I know that in business, there are certain things that need to be done in a certain order.
We get the luxury of doing things a better way when building an online business.
Honestly, health coaching and all the coaching modalities are one of the only businesses in the world where you can get started today. All you basically need is a laptop. I mean, you could probably even do it from your phone or an iPad. You don't need a shop front, you don't need a team.
You don't need to be building teams and relying on that. You can do it yourself.
I have ladies who have graduated from my UPswing Mastermind (my UPswing Mastermind program helps you get to your first 5k month) and are in my ongoing program for more advanced and they're making $20,000 a month without a team. And without group programs - some of them are just starting to do that now.
So you can do this yourself without all the headaches, without the investments, just by having a simple framework that is designed specifically for coaching businesses.
For a traditional business, you could end up with a ton of inventory.
I think this couple is opening a coffee shop. I don't know much about coffee shops but they have to have coffee cups and think about how much they stock up, plus the coffee and all the other stuff. I mean, you can't open a cafe if you don't have all the food ready to go, but what if no one buys it. It's just crazy.
Online business is the way to go.
And don't be fooled by the stats. When you hear that a lot of businesses have gone under this year and people lost their jobs, that's all true. But the stats for online businesses are skyrocketing. Some businesses are growing 10 fold or even a hundredfold on what they were.
So, even though online business is the way that we are all going, now consumers are totally used to buying online and looking to buy online.
I just wanted to share that when I saw that couple, they are so passionate. It made me want to go in and help them in some way. But I also realized just how lucky we are,
I do believe in investing in mentoring online so that you don't waste all your time, but there's not much else I think that you need to put money in when you are getting started. Please don't go putting money into Facebook ads and funnels and things like that until you're making at least $10,000-$15,000 a month. For most of you, this will be about one to two years in business (definitely not in your first year or so.)
You don't need to spend anything else at the beginning.
Love,
Amanda xx
P.S. Are you ready to create PURPOSEFUL PACKAGES in your coaching business - and learn how to charge in a way that gets clients booked in with ease? Then click this link to get instant access to my Purposeful Packages Guide!
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