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How To Start A Health Coaching Business

Categorized as Coaching Business, Start a Coaching Business
FEATURED How To Start A Health Coaching Business

So you’re ready to start a Health Coaching Business? Congrats! You see the importance of health coaches in our world today and you’re ready to become one. Well, we have good news for you –  you’ve come to the right place.

This comprehensive guide to Starting A Health Coaching Business will help you take your new health coaching business from ideation to monetization – fast. 

Imagine how much time and resources other health coaches could have saved if only they’d had this handy dandy guide! In fact, just hit that “bookmark” or “share” button while you’re here. You’re DEFINITELY going to want to refer to this later.

Trust us. You won’t want to skip a single sentence.

Now, let’s dive in!

What is a Health Coach?

There are many ways to define health coaches because there are so many aspects of someone’s health.

 At Lovely Impact, we define a Health Coach as someone who actively and consistently guides clients through the physical, emotional, spiritual, and/or mental improvement of their health and well-being. 

the impact list

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What is a Health Coach - how to start a health coaching business

While the specific focus and methodology may vary from a health coach to health coach, the common thread of guiding clients through their own transformation remains the same.

How Much Do Health Coaches Make?

When it comes to the earning potential of a health coach, the sky’s the limit. According to Zip Recruiter, the average Personal Health Coach earns between 29K to 97K per year. 

However, we have seen health coaches who’ve blown this number out of the water – earning 6, 7, and even 8-figures consistently. 

Personal Health Coach Salary - ZipRecruiter

There are very successful health coaches who choose to remain a one-person show, and health coaches who build massive empires, creating teams of health coaches who are also successful.

What we want you to hear is this. As the CEO of your health coaching business, YOU determine how much you make. 

You set your schedule. You choose who you’d like to work with. You are fully empowered to take your health coaching business in any direction you choose (as long as it’s up and to the right!)

Ultimately, you choose what you will charge for the value you provide your clients. And if the word “charge” already has your skin crawling – don’t worry, we’ve got you. Just take a deep breath and keep reading. We’ve got you covered!

How to Start a Health Coaching Business

The good news about starting a health coaching business is that there are repeatable steps you can follow to help ensure your success. Keep reading to find out what direction you should take next within your health coaching journey.

Step 1: Become a Certified Health Coach

Was it Shakespeare who wrote, “To get certified, or not to get certified, that is the question?” 

Okay, maybe we adlibbed a bit – but you get the gist. Now that you’ve chosen health coaching as the next step on your journey, it’s time to decide whether or not to get certified. 

We’re going to give it to you straight – as it stands you DO NOT need a college degree or a special certification in order to practice health coaching. 

There are many successful health coaches who have chosen not to pursue certification or take credits in an educational institution. 

However, earning a certification or degree in a health-related field can give you the upper hand when it comes to health coaching. 

Pro Tip:

Get a 5-Star Health Coaching Certification For Cheap on Udemy

Getting certified can be super affordable. If you are just getting started, you can get a 5-star health coaching certification for as little as $20 on Udemy as a new student.

Seriously… we’ve tested a few and they are better than the 5-figure programs we took.

Get a 5-Star Health Coaching Certification

Here are a few of our favorite Udemy Health Coaching Certification courses:

  1. Certification Holistic Health and Wellness Coaching by Holistic Coach Academy
  2. Diet And Nutrition Coach Certification: Beginner To Advanced by Felix Harder
  3. Health and Nutrition Life Coach Certification (Accredited) by Joeel & Natalie Rivera
  4. Ketogenic Diet Ketosis Nutrition Health Coach Certification by Sanda Kruger
  5. Vegan Nutrition Health Coach Certification by Sanda Kruger

Or you can go all out and get certified through the Integrative Health Institute. No matter which route you choose, you’ll want to pay special attention when drafting your coaching contracts in order to avoid liability issues with clients.

Stay tuned. We’ve got some great information on contracts and legal documents in future sections.

Step 2: Choose Your Health Coach Business Name

It’s time to choose a name for your health coaching business. This is an important step, so have fun with it. 

Whether you already have a business name in mind, a handful of names to choose from or zero ideas to work with – here are five things you should keep in mind when choosing a name for your health coaching business. 

  1. Is it easy to spell?
  2. Is it easy to pronounce?
  3. Is it keyword search-friendly?
  4. Is it shorter than longer?
  5. Does it allude to your chosen area of health coaching (ex. Alyssa’s Fitness Coaching or Laura’s Athletic Coaching)?
Step 2 Choose Your Health Coach Business Name - how to start a health coaching business

Each of these tips can help decrease the barriers of entry for your clients and prospects, making your business name easier for them to remember, search for online and refer to others. 

➡️ Need more help with naming your health coaching business? Click here to learn more >>

Step 3: Choose A Health Coaching Niche

Bravo! You’re ready to choose a niche.

You’ll find more success serving a small segment of the market extremely well, than attempting to meet the needs of the entire Health Coaching industry. 

There are countless combinations of health coaching services and packages you can provide to your clients. 

For example: If you’re interested in offering private or group fitness coaching for professional athletes, there’s a niche for that. If you’re looking to offer food and nutrition coaching programs for new moms, there’s a niche for that too! 

And if you really want to go for it, and develop a coaching program that helps female professional athletes lose their first 10lbs postpartum…oooh, now you’ve really found a niche AND a unique selling proposition (more on the USP in a second.)

By choosing a niche, and focusing your products and services on providing tangible solutions, you:

Step 3 Choose A Health Coaching Niche - how to start a health coaching business
  • Have far less competition
  • Can showcase your expertise in a specific area
  • Market your business smarter not harder
  • Prospect clients that are a great fit
  • Earn more revenue
  • Create a single methodology for your business
  • Develop systems that will save you TONS of time and money (we love to see it!)

Now doesn’t all this sound appealing?!  

The process of choosing a niche is crucial, and we’ve made that process super easy for you with a few different resources. 

➡️ Need more help? 

Let’s recap! You’re ready to be a health coach. You’ve decided to get certified (or not), you’ve chosen a name, a niche and now it’s time to build your business plan. 

Step 4: Create A Business Plan

GOOD NEWS! Unless you decide to apply for a business loan, you do not need a traditional business plan in order to get the ball rolling. 

You know those crazy 300 page documents with all those charts, graphs and questions you have to ask Google about before you attempt to answer them? 

Yeah… those. 

We’re not going to make you do that! 

Instead, you are going use our free template to create a short, sweet, but powerful mini-coaching business plan that includes:

  • Mission Statement
  • Executive Summary
  • Target Audience
  • Customer Acquisition Plan
  • Business Goals 
  • and more! 

You can grab this template in our resource library for coaches HERE. Sign up and you’ll see the coaching business plan in the business resources section. 

How To Start A Health Coaching Business - Mini Business Plan

Step 5: Develop Your Methodology, Techniques & Tools

Your methodology is the unique and systematic approach by which you provide results to your clients. 

It gives future and current clients the opportunity to see exactly what makes your service unique and sets expectations for how you’ll work together to achieve the results they’re looking for. 

In order to come up with your methodology, you’ll need to know the exact result(s) you want to achieve for your clients – and then work backward from there. 

Once you know the result/benefit your service provides, then write down all of the steps that you’ll take as their coach to get your client there. 

Once you have a long list of steps, try your best to group similar steps together, and find a term that encapsulates those steps. 

Deep Dive

How To Structure A Coaching Program (Step by Step)

A coaching program is an offer that you as a coach create to reflect and deliver your original teaching style and materials.

It is a signature system. Something that is unique to you and allows you to coach in a structured and organized way.

Before you move on, we strongly suggest you check out our in-depth guide ‘How To Structure A Coaching Program (Step by Step)’ >>

How to Structure a Coaching Program (Step by Step)

We’ll cover how to structure a coaching program that fits YOU.

We’ll guide you through how to create a signature program including naming, frequency, duration, delivery, pricing, and more. 

For example, if you help your clients gain 5lbs of muscle after rehab by providing them with healthy recipes, custom workout plans, and daily mindset motivation – then your methodology could look something like Nutrition Coaching, Fitness Coaching + Mindset Coaching leads to a healthier you. 

Bonus points if you create a visual representation of your methodology and include it on your website.

Step 6: Create Offers and Pricing

Your next step is to create a coaching package by creating your signature offers and establishing pricing. If you’re daunted by this step, don’t be! 

This part of the process can be fun, and will inevitably shift and evolve over time. 

The key is not to start with pricing itself, the key is to build your offers first. 

An offer is simply the container in which you package your services. 

Some health coaches choose to offer 1:1 services. Some choose to offer group classes. Some choose to offer workshops and seminars. The list of potential offers/packages goes on and on. 

Step 6 Create Health Coaching Offers and Pricing

To help inspire you, here are some potential options for your business:

  • Seminars 
  • # Day Intensives
  • 1:1 Coaching
  • Group Coaching
  • Workshops
  • Online Courses
  • Retreats

These offers can be virtual or in-person – whichever you prefer. Have fun with this! Price your offers based on the result you provide and the quality of your expertise.

➡️ Need more help? Click here to learn more about how to structure your coaching offers >>

Step 7: Design Your Health Coaching Brand

Building a brand is all about developing the “know, like, trust” factor with your target audience. The Know/Like/Trust Principal (KLT) essentially means your audience (and clients) know who you are and what you stand for, like your personality and your coaching style, and trust that you are who you show yourself to be and trust that you can deliver what you say you will. 

Establishing your brand creates consistency so that your marketing and messaging are consistent – no matter where you show up online.

Branding is a way of subconsciously showing your clients that you’re an expert, that they can trust you that you can help them.

Good branding design evokes feelings in your clients based on the results you can help them achieve — for instance, if you help anxious people, your branding will be calming/soothing; if you help people lose weight, your branding is going to inspire action-taking and motivate them. ← These support the know/like aspect of KLT.

Once you get the feelings locked down, you move into the consistency side of things. ← This is where the trust comes in from KLT.

Components of brand design:

ALICIA-Weight-Loss-Coach-Brand-Board - how to start a health coaching business

1. Your Logo: Should be simple, uncomplicated, and able to be shown in all one color (like black) without losing impact.

2. Your Colors: Maximum of 6 colors, including your darkest (text color) and lightest (typically white). Classify them like this: 1 text color (dark), 1 primary color (color your brand is most known for), 1 secondary color (should be bright, and typically used for buttons/links), 2 lighter accent colors (for backgrounds behind the text, in patterns, etc), 1 base light color (typically white).

These colors have the strongest subconscious emotional triggers to make your clients feel the way you want them to about your brand.

3. Your Fonts: Never more than 3, and they have to be different from the fonts used in your logo (because they can compete with your logo if they’re the same and your brand recognition will fall apart). Typically have a primary headline font, a subheading font OR an accent script font, and a paragraph font.

4. Patterns/Textures/Icons: Supporting graphic/visual information that gives your brand interest and helps clients break your information into chunks they can absorb/understand.

➡️Need more help? 

Step 8: Create Your Health Coaching Website

We have GREAT news for you! You can have a legit website that makes people want to book you before they even meet you — and you don’t have to spend a ton of time building it from scratch.

We’ve created website templates for coaches who want to elevate their online presence and show up online like the pros they are.

Meet Sylvie, one of our most downloaded website templates for health coaches.

Sylvie-Health-Coaching-Website - how to start a health coaching business

This stylish website design is easy to use and has 16 stunning health coaching-related web pages to choose from. You can even add a SHOP to your website and offer products that bring you passive income while further enriching your clients’ lives. Now that’s a win-win!

Oh, did we mention there’s ZERO CODING REQUIRED? It’s true! All of our website templates are designed in Showit, a user-friendly website platform used by creatives and business professionals around the world. 

Compatible with both desktop & mobile devices, the Sylvie website template will look just as good from your cell phone as it does from your desktop computer. 

We’ll even hold your hand as you craft your own coaching website copy. 

You deserve a coaching website that turns heads. A website that makes you money! A website that you’re proud to pull up on your cell phone or desktop computer, no matter where you are. A website that is easy for your clients to navigate. 

When designing your website, it’s important to note that the messaging must always speak to the result that your client is looking for – confirming again and again that your service is committed to providing value.

➡️ Need more help? 

Step 9: Legalize Your Health Coaching Business

Now it’s time to talk legal, baby! We’re talking contracts, articles of incorporation, EIN numbers, taxes, and all the stuff you need to protect your business and your clients. 

Before you take on this step, you’ll need a business idea (check), a business plan, and market research. Once you have that down, it’s time to get legal. 

Here’s what we suggest:

Legalize Your Health Coaching Business
  1. Select a business structure.
  2. Choose a business name.
  3. Register your business.
  4. Apply for an EIN.
  5. Apply for License & Permits.
  6. Open a Business Bank Account.
  7. Choose a tax year.
  8. Pay your business taxes.

For links and more information, download our LEGALLY LAUNCH IT Checklist from our resource library

Legally Launch Your Health Coaching Business

We know this part may not feel fun, but it is the step you must take in order for your business to thrive! 

Take it one step at a time. It’s 10/10 worth it, we promise.

As coaches, we invest our time and energy into empowering others, helping them reach their goals. But have you thought about protecting your own business and hard work? That’s where business insurance steps in! 

Insurance for coaching business owners is a policy you will pay for on a monthly or yearly basis which covers you for accidents and problems that could arise with your clients when you are coaching.

For coaches who value simplicity and straightforwardness, StartSure is a great option. They are committed to keeping insurance simple and offer comprehensive, easy-to-understand policies that coaches can make use of. 

One of the challenges of getting insurance for coaching business owners is understanding how a policy actually protects you. StartSure combines expertise with technology to simplify how you get the custom-tailored coverage that you need. 

Backed by Arch Insurance, StartSure offers mobile-friendly insurance options, so you have everything you need at your fingertips, and their range of policies makes them suitable for coaches in all the different niches.

Step 10: Create Your Health Coaching Contract

Now, a word on contracts and why we love them.

Yes, you read that right lol! 

We love contracts because they protect everyone involved! Both clients and coaches benefit from contracts, which is why we love them.

Not only does it legally establish a relationship between coach and client, but it also clearly defines expectations for both parties, including how to handle problems should they arise.

A coaching contract is an agreement between a coach and a coachee that lays out the terms of their relationship during the coaching process. 

Step 11 Create Your Health Coaching Contract

It should cover all aspects of the coaching relationship such as payment schedule, the scope of services offered by each party, expectations from both sides with regards to confidentiality or intellectual property rights, and lots more!

But most importantly… a coaching contract should detail what happens if either party decides not to continue the relationship at the end of the term. 

Think of it like one big DTR (define the relationship) talk.

Yeah, we know it sounds like a sticky conversation, but the last thing anyone wants is an awkward legal situation after they’ve parted ways! Talk about crunchy.

If you only read one thing in this entire ebook, let it be this: You should never ever coach without a contract. 

Period. 

And if a client is unwilling to sign a contract, then you need to refuse to work with them. 

In the wise words of Ariana Grande “Thank you. Next!”

Here are some important details you can expect to outline in your coaching contract:

  1. Outline Of Services You Provide
  2. Payment Plan With Dates
  3. Late Fee Clause
  4. Confidentiality Clause
  5. Intellectual Property Clause
  6. Limit of Liability Clause
  7. Disclaimer And Release

➡️ Still have contract questions?

Step 11: Get Your First Health Coaching Client

BRAVO! You’re ready for your first client. You can’t see us, but we’re happy dancing on the other side of your computer screen.

Here are two ways that you can get your very first clients

#1 Leverage social media & online platforms

Create a social media strategy that will help you attract and book clients. Download our Social Media Strategy checklist to see the exact process we use. 

#2 Reach out personally

You may not even realize it, but your contact list is full of people who are either a part of your target audience or directly know someone else who is.

Simply reach out to friends, relatives, and people in your network informing them of your service and recommending anyone who would benefit from your program. 

If you’re already feeling vulnerable at the thought of options 1 and 2 – that’s sales baby! Get comfortable with it because, in order to grow a thriving business, you’ll need to sell, attract and retain clients.

Deep Dive

How to Get Coaching Clients Online Without Spending a Dime

How to get coaching clients online is the most asked question we get from our audience. The problem is that so many coaches are trying all the things, but they don’t work.

Taking the wrong sales approach not only hurts your success as a coach but also takes valuable time away from things that work.

It’s time to remove the mystery behind getting coaching clients online! Read our in-depth guide ‘How to Get Coaching Clients Online Without Spending a Dime (Real Strategies Inside)’ >>

How to Get Coaching Clients Online Without Spending a Dime

We know you have something beautiful to offer this world, and we don’t want you to wait until you have fancy/expensive software before you begin. You can use what you have right now to book your very first client!

Step 12: Grow Your Health Coaching Business

First, Develop a marketing strategy.

Your business is going to change the Health Coaching game. So let’s get it in front of the right people! Another name for this section is “making friends and keeping them.” We’re sort of kidding…but not really. 

Your marketing strategy should attract the attention of the right people, and create connections with them.

Choose which platforms you are going to leverage when marketing your business. Then, create a content strategy for the kind of information your customers will benefit from the most. 

Social media is a great place to start when establishing yourself as an expert in Health Coaching, and building “know, like & trust” with your audience.

Once you have your marketing platforms chosen, it’s time to create effective methods for interacting with your audience on that platform. 

Here are some things to consider when creating an effective marketing strategy.

  • Create your client avatar
  • Choose platforms where your clients spend their time
  • Create & publish content to build a “Know, Like & Trust” factor
  • Measure content effectiveness
  • Refine & repeat

Document your methods and continue to refine this process.

➡️Need more help? Grab our FREE Marketing Research Plan from our resource library >> 

Develop a marketing strategy for your health coaching business

Next, Develop a sales strategy.

Once you have the attention of your target audience and you’ve created a connection with them – it’s time for your sales strategy to kick in and convert those connections into paying customers & repeat clients.

There are inbound and outbound sales strategies. No matter which one you choose for your business to start a health coaching business, you’ll need:

  • A powerful value proposition.
  • Stories of transformation that your client desperately wants to experience for themselves.
  • Clear sales goals & milestones
  • A formalized sales cycle
  • Methods for tracking revenue
  • Clearly listed items/programs needed to achieve your goals

Remember, your sales and marketing strategy go hand-in-hand. They are most effective together! 

➡️Need more help?

Lastly, Get help.

So you’re ready to build a team and increase your impact, and we’re here for it!

We’re picturing you in a  cape leading a whole squad of superheroes, ready to make the world a healthier place one person at a time.

The first step is determining what kind of help you need. Take time to assess the amount of time you’re spending in your business. 

Then choose which tasks only you can complete, which tasks you can assign to someone else, and which tasks you can automate completely.

Once you have these listed out, put the amount of time each week these tasks take. You can use this information to inform if hiring a Virtual Assistant, Contractor, Full-time or Part-Time team member is the best fit for you.

When hiring, we recommend:

  • Hiring slowly
  • Creating a training & development process
  • Interviewing with intention (value-based interviewing)
  • Clearly defining goals and KPIs (key performance indicators)
  • Contracts, contracts, contracts!

A new team member can be a great asset to your business! Take your time finding a great fit.

➡️Need help with hiring? Read about how other coaches chose their first hire, here. >>

Be consistent.

The secret to success? Your greatest ally in business is consistency. 

On the journey to launching your very own, highly-successful health coaching business, you may encounter any combination of challenges. No matter what comes your way, remain consistent. 

Stay on the path. 

Over time, you will build the momentum, and one day you’ll look back on this very moment with pride because you took the leap and created a business that is changing lives!

Wahoo! You did it!!! You have the valuable information you need to Start A Health Coaching Business! Make sure you save this for later and refer back to it at any time.

Final Thoughts – How To Start A Health Coaching Business

If you came here wondering how to start a health coaching business, we hope this guide helped get you started! Starting a coaching business involves many other aspects, and this is just the beginning.

Put these basics into consideration and implement a plan, and you’ll be well on your way to building a thriving health coaching business that will fulfill your dreams and positively impact the lives of the people you work with.

➡️ Interested in taking this process to the next level? Check out our in-depth guide to starting a coaching business here. >>

How To Start A Health Coaching Business - Mini Business Plan

What questions do you still have about starting a health coaching business? 

Let us know in the comments below, we love to hear from you!

About The Author

Hey, I'm Stasia! I'm a regular columnist at Lovely Impact. I'm also the CEO of Perennial Brand Collective where I host transformational workshops and retreats for women who want to reignite their creativity.

Hey! I’m Tee, a Certified Business Coach and a Co-Founder at Lovely Impact. I help coaches grow and scale their coaching businesses. Here on our blog, my content focuses on web design, marketing, business, and social media strategy.

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