How to Become a Small Business Coach

Help small business create success by becoming a coach.

With about 29 million small businesses in the United States, according to the latest 2007 statistics from the Small Business Administration, ample opportunities exist for small business coaches. Small business coaches not only have the opportunity to help small business owners survive and thrive, but also to become profitable and successful entrepreneurs in the process. However, there is much to learn about business and marketing in general if you are to become a small business coach.

Instructions

1. Complete small business and professional development courses. Look for and enroll in small business development and coaching courses in a local community college. Or, you can choose a distance learning coaching or small business education program online. Many home-study and online certificate programs exist, including those from the Coaching Academy of North America, the JWC Group as well as North Carolina State University. These types of programs teach you how to help small businesses and individuals create effective plans for success.

2. Continue learning about topics related to the necessities of small businesses. Learn the different tools that small businesses can use to create a more profitable venture, such as online marketing and customer relationship management. You should learn about these business building tools and resources, which allows you to suggest practical solutions when discussing issues with clients and makes you more credible.

3. Decide on the services you want to offer to small business owners. You should determine if you want to get paid an hourly rate or a flat-fee for your services. You can create different levels of coaching depending on how much assistance the small business owner and his employees need and set prices and fees accordingly for each level of service you offer.

4. Set up a legitimate small business coaching operation. You should create a business name, decide on which structure to use-such as a Limited Liability Corporation-and register with the proper state agency and pay any fees associated with registering your business.

5. Develop your own marketing materials. You should create business cards that have your name, contact information and a brief tagline that explains what you do for small business owners. Develop brochures that outline the benefits of using you as a coach. Set up a website so that small business owners can go to your site and see what you're all about and read about your services.

References

• SBA: Frequently Asked Questions
• Passion for Business: Frequently Asked Questions About Small Business Coaching and Consulting
• NC State University: Distance Education Opportunities

Resources

• Business.gov: Small Business Marketing
• Peer Resources: Coach Training Programs and Schools
• The JWC Group: Frequently-Asked Questions About Our Training and Certification Program
• Coaching Academy of North America: Become a Certified Coach Program