Introduction
Health coaching is a growing industry. The American Health Coach Association estimates that there are over 30,000 health coaches in the United States, with many more joining their ranks every year. But what does it take to become a health coach? How do you even start? In this post, we’ll break down the pros and cons of starting your own business so you can decide if it’s right for you.
PROS
Flexibility–Be in control of your schedule. Decide when and where you work.
One of the best things about being a health coach is that you can set your own schedule. This means that you will be able to choose when you want to work and how long each session should last. You may find that productivity levels increase when you have longer working sessions. Other days, when there are more distractions, shorter sessions may work better for you. The beauty here is that you get to decide! You know yourself best which means you choose the best ways to be most productive.
Not the 9-5 office worker type? Perfect! Health coaching allows for flexibility when it comes to your working environment. Whether you decide to do face-to-face or virtual coaching, you decide the location. For virtual coaching, all you need is a strong internet connection and you’re set. You are giving yourself the freedom to work from anywhere.
Reach more people and make more money
The internet is a rather powerful tool for small businesses. Businesses that used to rely on face-to-face interactions can now expand their reach. Marketing yourself as an online health coach can help you reach clients across the country. Did you ever imagine impacting lives all over the world? Starting an online health coaching business makes that a tangible possibility. There are also other ways to reach income from your services without having to be face-to-face. Hosting webinars, offering e-books, and creating digital programs are fantastic ways to increase revenue online. If you provide quality content and serve your community well, the possibilities are endless.
Build meaningful connections
- Be a mentor and a coach
- Help your clients improve their health and reach goals
- Gain the trust of your clients to create long-lasting relationships
- Build a community of like-minded people
- Connect with other health coaches for support and advice
Do what you love and it will never feel like work
What is it they say? “When you do what you love, it will never feel like work”. You obtained your certification, and now you’re ready to change lives. Coaching within your own private practice allows you to control how you coach and who you coach. This seems pretty obvious, right? Here’s the reality. Working for an organization sounds great, but comes with restrictions. Health coaches are often handcuffed when it comes to program specifics. Certain language, topics, coaching style, and time spent with clients are often dictated. Working for yourself allows you to hone in on your craft and do what you do best.
Make the income you deserve
Okay, at the risk of sounding crass, let’s talk money. Most health coaches go into practice to impact lives and make a change. Does that mean they shouldn’t get paid? No! Working as an employee for a company usually comes with a salary on the lower end. This is especially true when you are first starting out. According to Glassdoor, the average annual salary for health coaches in the United States in 2022 was $49,883. Working full-time, this equates to $23/hour. After taxes, these numbers decrease to approximately $34,300 annually and $16.50/hour. Now, these numbers may be perfectly acceptable for some people and that’s okay! For others, they can be quite frightening after the time and financial investment made to obtain the education and certifications.
When you make the decision to work for yourself, you are deciding what income you generate. You will now have the power to choose what you charge per session, per month, or per program. Not to mention scaling your income is a real possibility that is achievable. So why wouldn’t you build toward your financial freedom?
CONS
Starting a business can be risky
What makes starting a business risky? There are several factors that can lead to this:
- Financial risk or initial investment. Starting a health coaching business can come with a cost. Business insurance, website building, and paid marketing all count as overhead. These necessities do not need to break the bank, but they do add up.
- You are the boss! This sounds amazing, right? Being the boss comes with a lot more than the title itself. You are accountable for the success and failure of your business. You are the sole decision-maker as well as the person your clients will go to when and if they are unhappy.
- Starting a business takes a lot of time. Now, we’re talking about an investment of time, not just money. The hours can add up quickly. Dedication and grit are key!
Learning to market yourself takes time
Learning to market yourself takes time. You need to build a brand, create a website and learn how to promote yourself and your services. The community you are trying to build needs to know that you exist. How will they find you? How will you grab their attention? What do they want to learn from you? When you’re starting out, this can be overwhelming.
Being an independent business owner can feel like you’re on an island
“On an island”. What does this mean? You’re in this alone. You don’t necessarily have co-workers or people physically around you to ask questions. There will need to be an understanding that working well independently is essential to success. There is no one holding you accountable to your daily tasks and goals. With that, there is no one else setting those goals or dictating the tasks to you. This is all you!
Question: Do the pros outweigh the cons? If so, let’s see if you have what it takes!
Starting your own health coaching business is one of the most rewarding decisions you can make. The sense of pride and accomplishment is unmatched. Before you go all in, ask yourself if you possess the following qualities:
Self-motivated: You need to be able to motivate yourself and keep yourself on track every day. Having the drive to get through the daily grind without a boss pushing you can be difficult
Autonomous: Having the ability to work independently and think creatively while problem solving is crucial. Without an office setting or staff behind you, your clients will turn to you for everything. You also need to be able to think critically in order to help people solve their problems or come up with solutions for them when they’re stuck (which will happen!).
Confidence: Starting your own business is not for the faint of heart. By no means should this journey be glorified or made to sound easy. It is not easy. It’s hard. That’s the truth. BUT…The fruits of this labor pay off in spades. Having confidence in yourself, in your abilities, in your knowledge, and in your willingness to stick it out through the tough times is crucial. You’ve got this!!
What if the cons outweigh the pros? Do you go straight to finding full-time employment?
So, you might be feeling like starting your own business is not right for you because the cons carry too much weight. That sounds fair. Those are honest and true concerns when starting your own practice. Before you choose the employment route, there is some good news to share. Every single one of those cons are eased by Flowell!
How can Flowell help you? Let’s check it out!
Community building and support: Our verified coaches become part of the Flowell community on day 1. We pride ourselves on providing a strong foundation of support for all of our coaches. You will not only have the continued support of the Flowell team, but of the community of coaches who have made the decision to work with us. You are no longer on that island alone!
Business building program for beginners: Honestly, starting a business usually requires hours upon hours of googling topics in order to figure out what to do first. We’ve got you covered! Becoming a verified coach with Flowell gives you the answers to all of those burning questions for google. How do I start an LLC? How do I get business insurance? How do I register my business name? How do I build a website? How do I find clients? How do I market myself? How do I build a brand? And the list goes on. How many of those questions have you popped into Google recently? We have eased that overwhelm by creating a comprehensive program that gives you step-by-step instructions on how to build your business from A-Z. No more wasting time trying to figure it out on your own!
Conclusion
If you are considering starting your own health coaching business, be sure to do your research. Pick the brains of other health coaches who have established their businesses. Make an informed decision before you choose the route you take. There are pros and cons with every choice we make, that’s true, but with Flowell’s support, starting your own practice becomes far less intimidating. Let’s do this together!
Learn how we can help you get your business started here.
