Everyone thought you were crazy when you said you wanted to be a coach. “You can’t make money as a coach! How will you pay your bills?” 

We hear stories like this all the time. Friends and family doubt the idea of coaching as a profession or business. 

“Who will pay for such a thing?” 

“It’s not covered by insurance so why would anyone do that?”

Fortunately, they’re wrong. 

Your desire to become a coach probably wasn’t to get rich but you didn’t start it as a hobby either. You truly want to help people transform their lives. Transformation, though, doesn’t pay the bills.

But, if you can figure out how to get people to pay for that transformation, THAT will pay the bills!

Download our Ultimate Guide to Delegating for More Tips & Tools on How to Delegate as a Solopreneur

How to Make Money as a Coach

Whether you are just starting out or wanting to add additional sources of revenue, there are 7 primary ways to make money as a coach.

So let’s dive right in and talk about some of them.

#1: One-on-One

The most commonly known way for coaches to make money is through one-on-one coaching which involves working with one individual at a time.

It’s a lot like traditional therapy models; one client, one coach, and it’s where most coaches get started. 

With every option, there are pros and cons. Let’s talk about some of the reasons this is a good way to make money as a coach.

Pros:

• A great starting point when you don’t have an existing audience. 
• Startup cost is practically $0. It doesn’t take a lot of money to begin working with clients one-on-one.
• One-on-one coaching is a great way to figure out your overall niche, style, and system
• It can be extremely rewarding when you get to see the transformation you facilitate.

Cons:

• It can be difficult to scale your business because you only have so many hours in a day. You’ll be locked in to how much money you can make.
• The search for for new clients that can afford your coaching services will be ongoing.

#2: VIP Days 

The next option to make money as a coach is to set up VIP Days.

VIP Days are a great way to do a deep dive with clients that need to get through your process fast.

While typical one-on-one coaching programs may happen over a period of time, VIP days condense all the work into one or two days.

Pros:

• You can charge premium rates for VIP days. 
• Transformation happens much more quickly for the client.
• Typically low investment costs. You may want to reserve a relaxing meeting space and provide some VIP extras for clients but the general costs can be taken directly from the client’s payment.

Cons:

• VIP days can be draining and often happen on weekends. 
• These are also not extremely scalable.
• You will always be looking for new clients.

#3: Online Courses/In-Person Training

Once you’ve narrowed down some of the main concerns for your audience, you can start to offer webinars or in-person training and workshops.

These programs typically focus on a specific strategy for moving your participants to the next level.

They are a great way to make money as a coach while also marketing your one-on-one coaching programs.

Pros:

• You can reach a larger audience than one-on-one coaching.
• The presentations are often a great way to promote your one-on-one coaching programs while getting paid.
• You can educate your clients on the basics that will help them get the most out of your one-on-one programs.
• If you are being hired to offer these programs, the cost to set up the webinar is very low.

Cons:

• On, the other hand, setting up webinars or in-person workshops that you will host can be expensive.
• You may not enjoy being on stage or in front of a camera.
• Participants all need to have the same starting place and ending place to truly benefit from the course.

#4: Group Coaching

Group coaching is a way for coaches to scale their services. You can make money as a coach by offering your coaching services to more than one person at the same time.

These group coaching programs typically revolve around a specific topic or desired transformation. They can be conducted virtually or in-person. 

Pros:

• Easier to leverage your time. You can serve multiple people at once.
• More scalable. You can offer more programs at any one time.
• Allow members to feel better supported and like they aren’t alone.
• Can be less expensive for individual members so you reach a wider audience.

Cons:

• Because these programs are less expensive for the members, that means you have to have more participants to get to a break-even point vs one-on-one coaching.
• You will probably have some start up costs for tools to help run your programs.
• More participants means you will need to do more marketing to fill your program.
• Clients may not see as much of a transformation since there isn’t as much time to work directly with each group member.

#5: Mastermind Groups

Mastermind groups are similar to group coaching programs in that you gather a group of individuals together.

However, group coaching is usually designed to last a limited amount of time and take group members on a specific, preplanned journey to the desired destination. The coach serves as the only guide on that journey.

Masterminds, on the other hand, bring together a group of like-minded individuals who wish to support one another.

The coach serves as the facilitator, rather than a guide, and each member can offer input and feedback to the other members.

There’s typically no fixed journey or destination in mind and the mastermind can last indefinitely.

Pros:

• You don’t need to be the all-knowing expert to run these groups. 
• It’s not necessary to have a pre-designed system or path to take group members through.
• Like group coaching, it’s easier to leverage your time. You can host more than one mastermind group at a time.
• Masterminds can be ongoing for long periods of time. This recurring revenue can be substantial without having to market over and over.
• The cost to start a mastermind can be low.

Cons:

• People typically join mastermind groups because of the leader. If you don’t have an audience already, it will be difficult to attract members.
• It can be tough to keep members engaged and active. Many mastermind groups fall apart when their members stop showing up consistently.
• There can be some headaches managing recurring payments and chasing participants whose payments didn’t go through.

#6: Membership Programs

Membership programs are another good way to make money as a coach. Programs typically combine a little bit of everything.

They include live courses, a resource library of training materials, some group coaching, and maybe even a little one-on-one time.

Pros:

• Membership programs, like masterminds, do not usually have an end date. They are meant to be ongoing providing recurring revenue for the coach.
• These programs also allow you to leverage your time and make resources available to more people at once.
• One membership program can easily be scaled to very large numbers.

Cons:

• Most membership programs include software on the back end to manage the members. This software can be expensive to set up and usually has a recurring fee. So if you're just “trying” it out, that can be a high cost to entry.
• If you do not already have a large bank of resources, you will be spending a lot of your time creating new resources for the members. 
• Managing recurring payments, dropping and adding members, and following up on tech issues can be challenging.

#7: Evergreen Courses

Evergreen courses are named after the trees that don’t drop their leaves in the winter.

These courses are made available year-round.

The great thing about evergreen courses is that, once you create them, your work is essentially done.

OK, you still need to promote them once in a while but the work to write and set up the course is done. You don’t even need to be present for the actual course! Another name for evergreen courses might be home study courses.

These programs are one of the most scalable ways to make money as a coach.

Pros:

• One time creation. You only have to write, record, and set up the course once. After that, the money continues to come in for you.
• Highly scalable. Evergreen courses are not limited to a certain number of participants. They can be sold to one or 100k+ people all at once.
• Affordable to the participants. Evergreen courses are generally less expensive than working one-on-one or even in a small group with the coach. 
• You can make money WHILE working with other clients or taking time off.
• Evergreen courses are a great way to introduce your prospective coaching clients to you and your style in an affordable way.

Cons:

• Expensive to set up. The tools and set up of evergreen courses can be expensive to do well.
• Larger audiences needed. Most coaches struggle to sell their evergreen programs and break even because they don’t have a large enough audience yet.
• No visible transformation. For coaches that love to see the AHA moment, there’s little of that in evergreen programs. The most you might get is an email with their appreciation after the fact.

Take it to the Bank

Time to review (as all good coaches would). You want to make money by coaching so you can create more transformation for more people and still be able to pay your bills. A noble and worthy goal.

Your options to make money as a coach include:

1. Offering one-on-one coaching to individuals
2. Creating special VIP days to accelerate the transformation
3. Presenting online courses or in-person workshops to groups
4. Setting up group coaching programs
5. Running mastermind groups 
6. Managing membership programs
7. And selling evergreen courses

By choosing one or more of these methods, you can create a coaching business that isn’t just a hobby but a profitable business.

Are you a procrastinator? If so, it's ok. We're here to help you ensure that you have the tools you need to avoid hiring an ineffective virtual team.

Meet Jan, she’s a self-professed procrastinator. She’s well aware that it’s her biggest challenge. 

She’ll tell you herself that she ALWAYS waits until the last minute; always.

In her defense, it’s often because she’s working on other projects that she’s procrastinated completing. Her procrastination is a vicious cycle. 

Jan’s procrastination makes sense when you hear her story. As a student in high school, she never felt the need to get anything done right away. She’s brilliant. 

She could slide by without studying, complete projects overnight, and still get A’s and B’s in all her classes.

It wasn’t until Jan went to college that she started to notice how her procrastination was beginning to affect her performance. But she still ‘got by’.

Once Jan started her coaching business, things did NOT get any better. She was still in the habit of just waiting, knowing that she could pull an all-nighter to get the things done.

Fortunately, her business didn’t suffer, at first. She brought in several new clients and was beginning to build some group programs. But then she got super busy. 

Jan quickly realized that her procrastinator style had little effect on outcomes when she wasn’t busy but things started snowballing on her when busy times hit.

Download our Ultimate Guide to Delegating for More Tips & Tools on How to Delegate as a Solopreneur

You may have guessed by now that our friend Jan isn’t a real person. 

She’s merely the personification of many of our dearly-loved procrastinator clients that we’ve worked with over the years; talented and well intended but perpetually in over their head.

The Great And Wonderful Idea

Back to client “Jan”. 

Jan started hearing about Virtual Assistants in some of her online groups. She decided hiring one could take a lot of the work off her plate. 

They could help her be less of a procrastinator and she could get back to focusing on the things she loved to do.

“This is going to be so great!”, Jan thought. 

She quickly hired a virtual assistant that had been recommended to her by one of her friends. 

The virtual assistant and Jan got on a Zoom call and outlined the tasks that Jan needed to have done. 

After the hour-long call, the VA had a long list of tasks to complete; once Jan got her all of the access to programs she’d need. 

However, since the call ran a little late, and Jan had another call immediately after, she didn’t get the VA her access right away. 

And then other things came up.

And then days went by. 

Little did Jan know, follow-up wasn’t her new VA’s strong suit. She was great at doing what you told her to do, but she wasn’t strong in managing her client’s disorganization.

So, more days went by. And deadlines were missed. 

And, that was just the beginning. 

How Procrastinators Sabotage Virtual Assistants

Before we move on, we want you to understand that being a procrastinator doesn’t mean you can’t be successful.

And it certainly doesn’t mean you can’t delegate. 

It simply means you need to be aware that ‘it’s a thing’ for you. 

Being aware of your procrastinator work style means you will change the things you look for in a candidate. 

And it means you will need to take a look at how being a procrastinator can make it harder for a VA to really help you. 

And you will closely watch your own behaviors and how they are affecting the overall team performance. Because having a team is what will take your business to the next level.

Here are some key ways you may be sabotaging what a virtual assistant can do for you.

Not Providing Enough Details

If you are a procrastinator who is working on a big project, you may be the kind of person who works out the details at the last minute. 

Not working out the details ahead of time doesn’t allow you to pass the baton on tasks. 

Virtual assistants are skilled but they aren’t mind readers. 

If all the VA has is a big picture overview of the project, the details will be missed and it isn’t going to help you complete your project.

• Sketch out the timeline of what needs to be done, or at least the general project flow, before you present the project to your VA. 
• Make sure you highlight for both of you, pertinent deadlines even if you haven’t thought all the way through the minor details.

Not Giving Keys to the Kingdom (or at Least the Guard Tower)

Odds are you have many different programs you use in your business. 

From appointment scheduling tools to email management systems and even website dashboards. 

The more tasks you want your VA to perform for you, the more passwords he or she will need to have to independently get the job done. 

Ensuring that your VA has access upfront ensures that they can make progress on their own. 

Don’t procrastinate making sure your VA has access to all the programs you will ask them to use. 

Tools like Lastpass can make sharing and revoking password details easy!

Not Leaving Room for Review

A second set of eyes to review something is invaluable. , especially when the first set isn’t you. 

Virtual assistants do their best for you but we’re all human. Even the most talented assistants still miss things. 

Let’s say your VA is tasked to write your social media posts or articles, create newsletter emails, or many other things that will be seen by clients and prospects. 

You will want to review that before it’s published. Remember, it’s still your brand. Everything that is published is a reflection of your brand.

For this reason, we highly recommend you review any public-facing project. 

You will sabotage yourself and your VA’s success if you wait until the last minute to check things over. 

• Leave enough time between the due date you provide your VA to allow for revisions and final review. 
• Let your VA know when you will get the review/revision back to her for changes. 
• Give your VA permission to follow up with you if she has not received it by that date. 

There may come a time when you gain confidence that your VA and trust her outcomes. If so,  you can slack off a bit. 

But if you are still in the review stage and your VA gets something back to you by the due date, you may be tempted to wait till the last minute to check it over. This won’t leave any time for a second draft and you’ll end up having to make the changes yourself.

How Virtual Assistants Sabotage Procrastinators

Like we said, being a procrastinator doesn’t mean you are determined to be perpetually overwhelmed. 

And you certainly aren’t going to change your procrastinator ways overnight. 

For that reason, it’s also important to know what red flags to look for when hiring a VA. And if you already have a VA, learning how certain tendencies on their side can present problems when paired with your natural procrastinator style.

Virtual assistants are typically well trained in the tasks you have them do. But often, managing people, including you, is not typically their strong suit; or their desire. 

Since most VAs aren’t used to challenging their bosses, they are more likely to sit back and wait to hear from you. 

For procrastinator coaches this is a recipe for disaster. 

If you’re a natural procrastinator, you will need a little more personal management and accountability in addition to the tasks you want to have done. 

** At the very least, you'll need someone who can be aggressive enough to follow up on needed tasks and push you a little when they aren’t getting what they need to do an excellent job for you.

In addition, if a VA doesn’t recognize that you are a procrastinator, they may also wait till the last minute, a deadline you agreed to, in order to get a task done. 

Don’t Throw in the Towel

Being a procrastinator does not mean you can’t benefit from delegating. It just means you may need to look for someone that has a slightly different set of skills than you originally thought.

Sure, you still want someone who has the organization and marketing skills you are looking for but you will also need someone who isn’t just a SELF-starter but someone who can hold you accountable. You need someone who can press you for more information when necessary and not wait for a response. 

A great VA will recognize that you are a procrastinator and will help you identify realistic deadlines and set them.

These qualifications tend to be rare in virtual assistants though. It’s like hiring an administrative assistant when you need an executive assistant.

What can you do then? What’s above a VA? 

We are SOOO glad you asked! 

Introducing the Online Business Manager

The next step in virtual services after a virtual assistant is an Online Business Manager; sometimes also called a Virtual Business Manager. 

An Online Business Manager is someone who can do more for you and your business. 

This person is going to have more leadership and project management skills than a traditional VA. 

While he or she may still do some of the admin tasks, they may also outsource those on your behalf to other VAs. 

The best part, though, is that THEY manage the team for you. 

An Online Business Manager is going to be that person who holds you accountable. 

She’s going to push back when you need more accountability. 

She’s going to dig in to get the details rather than wait around for you to share them. They are going to find the answers rather than wait for you to provide them. 

If you want to read more about Online Business Managers, check out some of these great articles:

Virtual Assistant or Online Business Manager - What’s the Difference?

How to Choose the Right Online Business Manager for YOU 

Online Business Manager Interview Questions You Need to Ask

What You Can Do Right Now

An OBM sounds great but what if you have a virtual assistant right now and you need to get things moving in the right direction. Here are some tips that may help:

Plan Ahead

One of the number one things you can do to help your VAs is to plan WAY ahead. 

Solopreneurs tend to fly by the seat of their pants. But that doesn’t work well when you have others on the team trying to help you reach your goals. 

• Create a plan at least 3 to 6 months in advance and work from that plan. 
• Make sure you discuss changes with your VA as soon as you know about them.

Work Backward from Deadlines

Most procrastinators don’t think about deadlines. They work at the last minute. 

If you plan out your deadlines in advance, it can help you determine a better time frame for getting things done.

Build in a Cushion 

It's easy to anticipate how long it will take YOU to do something but working with others requires additional time. 

Unless you have a VA full time, 40 hours a week, she has other things she is doing. 

She’s not always going to be able to drop everything to work on your last-minute project. Sending her a revision at 7pm in the evening and asking her to send the email to your list at 10am the next morning isn’t realistic. 

Give your VA a longer turnaround time than you think is necessary. Negotiate realistic expectations in advance.

Encourage Accountability

Empower your VA to follow up with you as needed. Tell her it’s OK to email you or call if you haven’t gotten something to her by a certain date. 

For some VAs, this is a skill they can adapt to when they are encouraged to do so by their “boss”. 

For others, it’s just way outside of their comfort zone and they won’t do it no matter how much you encourage them.

Work with a Coach

Even coaches need coaches. 

If procrastination is preventing your business success, consider working with a coach that can help you overcome some of these traits. It may just be one of the best investments you make.

You Can Do It!

Being a procrastinator doesn’t mean you can’t be successful and it doesn’t mean you can’t delegate. 

It simply means you change the things you look for in a candidate and closely watch your own behaviors and how they are affecting the overall team performance. 

It’s not too late to recession-proof your coaching business.

Even in the best of times it can be challenging to build and grow a coaching business.

And 2020 has not exactly been the best of times.

We don’t want to suggest that challenges never happen, in fact, they do. ALL THE TIME!

But many coaches have seen more challenges this year than in an average year. 

It’s not too late to take some key steps that will help you refocus and recession-proof business for years to come.

Download our Ultimate Guide to Delegating for More Tips & Tools on How to Delegate as a Solopreneur.

Review your Financials

Wait! No, don’t go yet. I know, you probably didn’t get into the coaching business because you love numbers. 

Stay with us though because this is a really important step.

Skipping this could be the difference between a recession-proof business and one that can’t withstand the storm.

You didn’t start a coaching business to spend all your time looking at financials and figuring out the best ways to manage your business money. 

In fact, the coaches we work with often find this one of their least favorite tasks (and that’s why we have bookkeepers as part of the Virtual A Team). 

But more often than not, we see clients who are avoiding this dreadful task, and as a result, their business is hemorrhaging money.

Find the small bleeds

Odds are, you signed up for an array of business or office management type tools along the way. And odds are even better that you are no longer using at least one of them. 

Business management programs or subscriptions are a very common area to a financial bleed. 

Maybe your fax machine broke 6 years ago and you didn’t realize you’re still paying extra for a fax line in your home office.

Or maybe you’re paying for networking membership but you’re not able to attend the meetings. 

Small bleeds. Ones that are easily overlooked but add up to a fairly large hemorrhage of financial resources.

Here are some of the most common monthly or annual fees we are paying for in our businesses:

• Software as a service (SaaS) tools - these are things like social media scheduling apps, calendar booking tools, project management tools, website maintenance, etc…

• Learning programs - these might include memberships to online learning tools like Lynda.com or specific membership programs with coaches.

• Phone lines - are you paying for an unnecessary landline or too much data?

• Ads - if you have Facebook or other ads running that aren’t serving you the results you need, maybe now is the time to reevaluate those expenses.

For more information about which home office expenses can be tax-deductible, check out this article from NerdWallet. 

Take some time to review all of your monthly and annual expenses. 

• Which ones are you no longer using? Unsubscribe from them as soon as possible. 
• Are there some that could be doing double duty or just happen to be too much for what you need? Consolidate where feasible. 
• Do any of them just not fit your big goals, even if they are still being used? Decide if they are truly worth the expense.

Review Programs and Services

After reviewing what money is going out, take a look at all the ways you bring money in; your programs and services.

Most coaches will start out with somewhat of a “throw it against the wall and see what sticks” kind of plan to get stuff out there. 

If this was you, it’s ok. You’re not alone. 

But if you want to recession-proof your business it’s time to review what you’re offering and determine if each program or service still aligns with your bigger goals and vision. 

If you’ve never worked through a clear strategy for your business and products, it might be the time to do that. 

• What does your funnel look like?
• What does the client's experience look and feel like at each touchpoint?
• How are you moving prospects along their journey with you and leading them to your higher ticket services?

Having a strategy will ensure that you’re offering products and services that tie together.

When you are intentional about the cohesiveness of all your offerings it positions you as the go-to source for whatever it is that you do.

Refine Your Brand

We recently worked with a client who put out a new “group coaching” program every 2 or 3 months depending on what the current events dictated. 

Unfortunately, it left her with no identifiable niche. 

Her programs ranged from stress management to relationship coaching.

And while she had great information on each focus area, because she didn’t pick a lane so-to-speak, people weren’t entirely clear on what it is that she has to offer. 

You want to be top-of-mind for your clients when someone is asking them for a referral or is in need of what you have to offer.

If You Sell Seashells...

For example, you want your audience to be able to say, “Oh, Susie? Yeah, she sells seashells by the seashore!” 

With a focused niche and a well defined personal brand for your coaching business, your clients will immediately think of you when someone they know is asking for the best place to buy seashells. “Why at the seashore with Susie of course!” 

One of our expert strategists sat down with her and worked out a plan to use 3 of her existing programs to build towards her signature coaching program. 

A recession-proof business is one that can easily sway when the wind blows. 

And the current events have been a bit breezy, right? 

So we helped her build a marketing plan that would be effective while honoring her desire to respect current events. And set her up to weather future storms. 

We discovered that her programs didn’t need to change all that much, we simply needed to adjust her marketing to convey a different tone or emphasis.

Hone Your Marketing

• What programs do you have now? Write them all down and see how they work together. If they aren’t working together to grow your business, they are working against each other.

• Which ones do you need to toss? Are there any that can be tweaked for a better fit? What new ones do you need to create to fill in the gaps?

Clean Up Systems

We have a client whose primary business is helping other business owners become more profitable. 

She recently added more hours to her package with us for the express purpose of focusing on a strategy to recession-proof business. She knew that she needed better, more efficient systems.  

Now, we know you might be thinking, “I don’t have any systems in my business.” We hear that often. 

People often equate systems with large corporations but systems come in many shapes and sizes. For example, if you:

• Use Mailchimp, Constant Contact, Active Campaign or another email marketing platform ~ you have a system.

• If you have a certain way of responding to requests via email ~ you have a system.

• The way in which you prioritize how you spend your day ~ that's a system.

• That certain way you manage your social media ~its a system.

• And even the fact that you only schedule certain types of appointments on certain days ~ yup, it’s a system. 

Focus on Function

Systems can be physical, using paper and pencil, digital, or automated. 

For example, if you move emails around in your email folders as needed. You have a manual system.

If you have set up rules so that emails from a particular sender land in a designated folder, you’ve automated that system. 

Just from the example above you can see how the click-and-drag method might not be the best way to go about doing things especially when you have a lot of emails coming in. 

Better systems can help you increase your own personal productivity. And when you, the revenue generator, are more productive you’re able to focus on more revenue.

If you are working with a team, better systems can help your team function more optimally and save you money in the long run.

Increasing revenue and saving money is a powerhouse way to effectively recession-proof your business.

Connect, Relate, and Align

When everything is smooth sailing we can easily get caught up in our normal program engagement with our clients. 

It’s easy to forget to get to know them as people, not just clients.  

But in our current shifting environment people will most likely be looking for more. 

• Interactions are at a distance now which means people will be naturally craving deeper connections. 

• And with our uncertain economy, they will be more selective about where, and with whom, they spend their hard-earned dollars. 

They want like-minded relationships with businesses that make them feel special. 

Know How to Attract Your Tribe

Set aside a few extra minutes with your clients. Be intentional about being ‘in the moment’ with people you come in contact with in daily life. 

The offshoot of really getting to know your existing clients is the ability to create better programs. 

You will get more insight into the personality and identity of your ideal client; what attracts them and what could turn them away. 

For example, terms like Boss Base or Fempreneur may be offensive to some individuals but may speak loudly and proudly to others.

You’ll also be better able to create a strong identity for your business.

Now is a great time to recession-proof your business by building relationships.  

Consider Payment Options

If your business can afford to, figure out some creative payment options for your clients that also may be struggling financially. 

Here are some creative ideas some of our clients have been using to recession-proof business.

Pay What You Can

Add a “Pay What You Can” option to group programs and trainings.

Don’t be afraid of having people pay less than you normally charge for a program.

You may find you get more people to register with a flexible payment option than would have without any sort of discount.

This concept also allows you to avoid the “discount” mentality since your focus is on continuing to provide valuable services to as many as possible.

Skip a Payment

Take a cue from some of the big insurance companies.

If a client comes to you and needs to skip a payment, and that doesn’t cost you a lot of money to do so, consider allowing this to happen.

One missed payment is better than losing the whole client.

Add Alternative Payment Options

Perhaps you’ve never included credit card payments before.

Now is a great time to add this service so you can make it easier for clients to continue with your services.

You may also want to consider bartering for things you're needing. 

Be Flexible

When you can work with clients and be willing to be flexible in light of the times, you are more likely to build raving fans that will be with you long after the recession ends.

Don’t go into debt to keep a client but consider what you can do to help them out.

Recession-proof Business

We never want to think about having to tighten our belts and refocus our businesses because that takes us away from our primary focus, helping people. However, it’s a lot like the analogy goes, 

"In the event of an emergency, please put on your oxygen mask before assisting others."

The best ways to refocus your coaching business and build a recession- proof business are to:

• Review your financials
• Review your programs and services
• Clean up systems
• Get connected 
• Consider payment options.

When you can invest some time in taking these steps, you’ll build a stronger, more stable business for years to come.

Are you thinking about working with an Online Business Manager but you aren’t sure what it’s all about? A little planning and understanding will help you choose the right Online Business Manager for you. 

Working with an Online Business Manager can be business changing.

Making sure you choose the right Online Business Manager for you helps to avoid turnover. And will get you the most out of your OBM partnership.

Meet Tish. She's a coach who works with families to help them through the world of Special Needs services.

Most of her coaching programs are offered online. She’s grown a very steady pace over the last couple of years.

She's hired a VA and someone to produce her podcast.

She even has a go-to graphics designer.

Unfortunately, she’s starting to find herself spending a lot of time working with each of her team members. She is often frustrated by helping them understand what she wants. 

Recently, Tish attended a Mastermind group, virtually - of course. She heard from several different members about their experiences working with online business managers.

She was intrigued by the possibilities. But after listening to the varied experiences of her peers, she left feeling confused and overwhelmed. 

It seemed like a great solution but she didn't trust that it wouldn't be another bad outsourcing experience.

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Know What YOU Need

Online business managers are a really great way to help coaches build and grow their coaching business without adding extra hours to their workload.

In fact, OBMs usually relieve you of work so you have more time to do the things that you choose to do.

But not all online business managers are created equal. If you don’t know what you are looking for, you may end up with more of a mess than you bargained for.

Let’s explore a little more about what you need to know to find the right online business manager for you. 

What IS An Online Business Manager Anyway?

You’ve heard the term but you may not have a good understanding of what an Online Business Manager, aka OBM, is or what he or she does. 

OBMs are a category of freelancers typically known as Virtual Business Managers.

The terms Virtual Business Manager and Online Business Manager are often synonymous. However, there is a slight difference between the two.

While both can help manage businesses remotely.

Online Business Managers focus on managing online businesses. 

An online business could be an e-commerce site, affiliate marketing, vlogs or blogs, SaaS (software as a solution) companies, or digital products, just to name a few.

With this large variety of online businesses, it’s easy to see how the world of Online Business Managers is growing at exponential rates!

Know What To Expect

What does an online business manager, um, well, manage?

There is often some confusion regarding the role and responsibilities of an OBM.

A great OBM is best utilized to manage projects and teams, not to perform most of the tasks.

While there may be some tasks that an OBM will perform simply because they can, many of the tasks will be outsourced to other experts.

Currently, Tish is acting as the business manager.

She’s in charge of making sure each person knows what to do, how to do it, and that they get it done. 

And this is where you start to see that not all OBMs are created equal.

One of the reasons that different people have different experiences with their OBMs is because they have different expectations than the OBM does. 

What Do You Do Well?

Part of the problem is that OBMs vary greatly in their expertise.

Many OBMs will come to you with prior management experience in specific key areas such as social media, content creation, or administration, for example. 

There’s a reason that traditional businesses have specialized positions. They have Office Managers, Production Managers, Marketing Managers, HR managers, etc…

It’s because each area of business has its own set of skills and challenges.

But, typically, there is one main general manager who handles the management of the entire company. 

Most often, an MBA is the ideal candidate for the general manager position.

Master of Business

Let’s look at it in terms of the MBA, from Wikipedia: 

The Master of Business Administration (MBA or M.B.A.) degree originated in the United States in the early 20th century when the country industrialized and companies sought scientific management.[1] The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business administration such as accounting, applied statistics, human resources, business communication, business ethics, business law, business strategy, finance, managerial economics, management, entrepreneurship, marketing, supply-chain management, and operations management in a manner most relevant to management analysis and strategy.

If your business is exclusively online, your online business manager can serve as your general manager. 

While you may not require your OBM to have an MBA degree, you are looking for someone with equivalent work experience.

Choose What to Delegate

If you work with both online and offline aspects of your business, your online business manager may only manage one part.

Good OBMs have a wide base of knowledge without going deep into any one area.

This varied experience allows them to help with the overall management of the online elements of your business.

If you simply need someone who is great at social media and can manage social media marketing for you, then you’d want to hire a social media manager, not an online business manager. 

Clarify Your Expectations

But those expectations should be made clear in the interview process and discussed when things change.

Trouble may also happen when a business owner expects their online business manager to manage things outside of his or her areas of expertise.

Think of asking an HR manager to manage production.

Often, the OBM is not upfront with their client to let them know the request is not a good fit.

Matching Expertise With Projects

Having conversations early, and often, will help to make sure everyone is having the best possible experience with the greatest possible results.

As a business owner, your job is to guide your team and focus your time on doing the things that only you can do.

When you hire a virtual assistant, you are choosing to delegate tasks.

When you work with an OBM, you are delegating projects.

Which projects you delegate will be determined by your OBMs areas of expertise.

Choosing The Right OBM For YOUR Needs

With there being such a huge discrepancy in the quality of online business managers, how do you hire the right one? 

How do you choose the right online business manager?

How do you ensure their experience is well-suited for your particular project management needs?

Write a clear job description

Depending on how you do your hiring, you may or may not be posting an actual job description somewhere.

But even if you don’t, a well-written job description will help you to have a clear idea of what your needs and desires are. 

Workable.com offers some great tips on writing a good job description.

For example, they suggest clearly describing tasks without using jargon or vague descriptions.  

Interview Several Candidates

Hiring well takes time.

Don’t look at the first few resumes, have one interview, and offer the job on the spot.

From our experience, the first candidate usually looks pretty good until you interview several more!

Take your time. Make a list to help you evaluate the prospects, and check out our article on online business manager interview questions you can ask.

Ask for Referrals

Referrals are generally going to provide glowing reports about your potential candidates.

It can be tricky to know what questions you can and can’t ask.

However, when you’ve nailed down a few key questions, you can get the 'inside scoop' on what your candidate may not share with you.  

Check Social Media 

We hate to admit this but checking what your candidate is posting on is such an important step these days.

There are stories everywhere of employees who said or did something, shared on social media, and ultimately damaged the reputation of the company.

While we can’t avoid ALL of these situations, we can minimize them by reviewing social media profiles before hiring.

Do a Careful Review

Hopefully, you took some great notes on each candidate up to this point.

Virtual A Team potential candidate ranking system.

We've identified the skills and traits that are most important and rate them throughout each step.

This helps take the guesswork out of hiring and makes the process less subjective.

That being said, gut instinct is something we measure but it's only one part of the overall candidate rating. 

Interview Again

That’s right. The best companies will tell you to conduct more than one interview with your top-pick candidates.

The second interview is an opportunity for you to chat with a candidate when they are more relaxed.

It gives you the opportunity to clarify their answers to any outstanding questions you might have.

It also gives you another chance to ask more granular 'pocket questions' to further evaluate if this is the right Online Business Manager for you. 

Red Flags

If you’ve never hired an Online Business Manager before, you may not know what to look out for.

Here are some red flags that may signal a less than ideal candidate:

• A Yes Ma’amer - This is the person who agrees with everything you say all the time. While an OBM isn’t a coach, he or she should be able to give you ideas or call you out when something doesn’t fit with your goals. They are there to help you grow your business and sometimes you don’t know what you don’t know.

• Negativity. It’s rare to see this in an interview when prospects are on their best behavior so if it does come out, you know it will only get worse. 

• Short Answers - While not everyone is going to be thoroughly expressive in an interview, someone who is able to talk through ideas and concepts with you will likely be a better long term fit.

• REALLLLLLLLYYYY LONG Answers - on the flip side, if someone is extremely long-winded, that may use up a lot of your time.

• Someone who is JUST LIKE YOU!  - One huge trap coaches fall into is getting along so well with someone because they are just like them and then hiring them. You don’t want or need a clone (as much as you think you do). You need someone who compliments your abilities and can pick up slack in areas you aren’t great in.

That’s a Wrap!

The right Online Business Manager can help to relieve a lot of the overwhelm of managing the online areas of your business.

Take your time in finding the right fit.

Experience the greatest return on your investment by determining your exact needs. And investing time to find the 'right-fit' OBM who will compliment your skills and can help you manage your online business needs 

As a coach or consultant, you most likely create programs designed to draw in new and returning clients.

Whether designed for groups or individuals, you provided needed advice and other offers for your audience.

However, as anyone knows, the biggest hurdle is getting people to register. Afterall, teaching requires students, right?

While you can make social media posts or advertise it on your website, sometimes that’s not enough. 

So, what do you do if the ‘traditional’ ways to get butts in seats aren’t working?

When you’re struggling to boost attendance you’re going to have to reach out to people in different ways.

Here’s five fantastic (and super effective) ways to help you to share the value your programs offer and attract more people to register for your coaching or consulting programs.

Make Calls

Ok, stay with us here. We know that picking up the phone and calling people may be a little uncomfortable for some.

We’ve become accustomed to reaching out via emails and text messages.

While it’s true that written communication allows you to plan out what you will say, making calls provides other benefits we simply can’t ignore.

Making a phone call allows for a two-way conversation.

You have the opportunity to personally interact with people. You get to build or deepen relationships and find out what is happening in their lives. 

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Valuable Conversations

Understanding where your clients are at will help you 

• Design better programs around your client's needs
• Gain insight as to why they may not be signing up (time, fear, money)
• Increase your odds for registrations and referrals

Moreover, those personal interactions will help your clients more fully understand how the program can benefit them, on a personal level. 

All that said, don’t just pick up the phone and start dialing. 

• Make a plan. 
• Be strategic. 
• Draft a loose script but stay open to letting the conversation flow.

Start by reaching out to those that you already formed a relationship with. Previous clients, prospective customers, and anyone else that you know who would be interested in your program.

If Not You, Then Who?

Even if the person says no, don’t be afraid to ask if they can think of anyone that could benefit from the program you’re offering. 

When you get a referral, always ask the person the best way to reach out to their colleague, friend, or family member. 

Referrals can mean more butts in seats but even more valuable is they grow your audience and allow you to reach people you would not have been able to otherwise. 

If you’re still saying, “Umm, yeah. This introvert will never be comfortable with making calls.” That’s ok.

Even though calling is about relationship building, this is something you can delegate.

Believe it or not, there are people out there that love this stuff; it’s their zone of genius!

If you don't feel comfortable making these phone calls, you might want to enlist some help from a super outgoing virtual assistant skilled at relationship marketing to handle them for you.

Send Personal Emails

Automation is a huge time-saver. We are strong supporters of automating everything you possibly can. However, every blessing can also be a curse. 

Spam folders coupled with everyone’s overwhelm with coupon after coupon means it’s a bit tougher to stand out in your client’s inbox. 

This means that you take the time to write the personal emails to your key contacts. From you, to them.

Relate Appropriately

For example, if you have a strictly professional relationship, then you can use a professional tone and style.

However, if you are acquaintances, then use a more friendly and approachable tone. This further communicates to the receiver that this is indeed a personal email especially for them. 

In short, strive to relate to the individual recipient.

Keeping the receiver in mind and communicating that you took time to reach out and that you care can deliver a great return on your time investment. 

Again, be strategic with these.

Make a list of people in your direct circle of influence that would be interested in your program, offer you valuable feedback, or would be strong supporters with qualified referral leads.

Create an Online Presence

Phone calls and writing personal emails are effective but you’re going to need a way to reach people with a wider sweep. 

Videos and live social media posts are a great way to get your message out in an interactive way. 

Show Personality!

• Create a video that explains the program and how it can benefit potential users.
• Go ‘live’ at the start of your promotion and right before registration ends (a few times in between won’t hurt either) to allow people to ask personal questions and to build excitement and value for your program. 
• Create a video showing any handouts or materials they will be getting with the program; their take-aways. 
• Use personal pictures, not just stock images. Show people what your program will offer them. 

These visual, interactive, and connection-based posts help your potential clients process information more easily and helps them relate better to the content and messages that you share with them.

Don’t stop there. Make sure you’re commenting and responding to people on your social channels. This will help your customers develop more trust and interest in your offers and programs.

In short, use images and videos to easily invite people to register for your programs in a creative way.

Appear on Podcasts

Join in on podcasts in your niche to spread brand awareness.

This is a great way to grow your audience, help people find out about you, and connect with more potential clients. If you’re really loving this idea, check out this article on being a podcast guest.

Being a guest on a podcast is the perfect opportunity to share your program while you discuss interesting topics with like-minded people.

If you land a podcast guest spot, focus on sharing interesting points of view or content during the podcast to catch the attention of listeners.

It’s not only about plugging your program it’s about building credibility, allowing people to get to know you, and feel comfortable with you. 

Contribute to Attract

Join high-quality podcasts that fit your audience. This way, you can attract the right people to join your coaching programs while contributing valuable content to the podcast itself. The result? 

• Gain more traction, attention and interactions for your program.
• Draw in high-quality customers potential clients.
• Build your know-like-trust factor with a wide reach

Showing up as a guest on a podcast allows you to draw in more customers, make them feel comfortable and spread your program to potential clients.

Pay for Ads

Sometimes you need a little dough to get a rise in attendance. 

Puns aside, paying for ads remains an excellent way to get more people to register for your programs.

Even with a small budget, paid ads allow you to share your programs with people that may have an interest in them.

This is where metrics and algorithms become your friend.

For example, if you offer life coaching, then the algorithm will aim for people that would be most open to your services.

Target the Right People

Whether you pay to...

• Boost a post.
• Run a social media ad campaign,
• or opt for the pay-per-click model (you pay a website for every person that clicks on your ads)

you’re drawing the attention of specific people who would be most interested in your brand. 

Paying for ads can help put butts in seats while growing your list.

Bonus benefits are building brand awareness, driving more traffic to your website, and helping people find you when they are asking the search engines questions that you can answer. 

We sound like a broken record but if you’re going to put your hard-earned money on the line make sure to spend some serious time designing and implementing ads for your programs.

Mirror Your Model

In conclusion, if the traditional ways of program promotion are not filling your virtual classroom seats give one (or all) of these ideas a try to help you stand out.

Track your data so you can determine which method or combination of methods works the best to attract your ideal client. 

Always be expanding your overall reach.

Don’t stop if the traditional methods aren’t producing the results you’re looking for.

At the end of the day, coaching and consulting is a deeply personal business model, let your marketing strategies mirror that. 

As you do, you’re likely to see more butts in seats and more dough on your bottom line.