Looking for a course to help you start and grow your coaching business?
You’re in the right place. Today, you’ll get the best business courses for coaches.
Spoiler: They’re NOT all coaching certifications. There are other ways!
Ready to start your coaching journey and achieve freedom and fulfillment? Read on.
How do you start a business as a coach?
A coaching business can offer a ton of benefits.
It’s an extremely profitable business model…
You can use the skills you already have…
You don’t need a lot of traffic or a massive audience to make good money (compared to other business models, such as ecommerce businesses or blogging)…
And the coaching industry is a growing industry.
In North America, coaching is a $1.3 billion industry and between 2015-2019, the number of coaches went up by 33%.
By becoming a coach, you’re adding value to your clients’ lives by supporting them to achieve their goals. You’ll also have the option to increase your income exponentially as you grow in your coaching business.
So how do you get started?
- Determine the specialist knowledge that you have that can help others. Your niche could be dating, fitness, business, mindfulness, confidence, leadership and so much more.
- Find your first clients the easiest way possible. That means utilizing your network, posting in relevant social media groups and creating content to attract your ideal clients.
- Get your first sales call booked with a potential client and sell them your services!
After booking your first client and getting tangible results, it’s way easier to keep attracting new people to your unique services.
If this sounds complicated, don’t worry–I break it down in the video below:
But do you need something to get started, such as a certification? That’s what we’ll look at next.
What certifications should a coach have?
Coaches need certifications, right?
Not necessarily.
The truth is coaching is an unregulated industry so no governmental bodies are checking the validity of coaching certifications.
What qualifies you as a coach is the ability to help your clients achieve transformative results in your niche. That could be career coaching, health coaching, mindset coaching, or any other specialty.
The number of letters after your name doesn’t matter. First and foremost, create results to become a successful coach.
However, that’s not to say you shouldn’t get a certification if you really want to (plus, there are niches, mainly related to health, where a certification is needed). But few people will really care if you have an academic coaching certification IF you show them that you can help them get results.
That said, what are some certifications you CAN get if you want to become a certified coach? (The certification industry is unregulated, you definitely don’t want to end up wasting your time on the wrong certifications. That’s why I’ve compiled this list of the best coaching certifications available in 2023.)
Let’s take a look.
The top coaching certifications
What are the top coaching certifications? Here are 11 certifications that stand out because of their reputation and credibility.
Note: I have not taken these certifications myself so my recommendations are based on reviews of the courses and the reputation of the university. Reach out to the certification programs to make sure they are the right ones for YOU.
1. iPEC’s Life Coaching Certification Training Program
The iPEC Coaching Program centers around their unique, patented Core Energy Coaching approach. The focus is on helping your clients discover new goals, expand their view of their lives and encourage them to reach their full potential.
Pricing: $11,950, or payment plans after a deposit of $1,995 with 6-12 monthly payments.
2. Columbia Coaching Certification Program
The Columbia Coaching Certification Program is one of the top-tier certifications out there. You’re encouraged to craft your own coaching process with the techniques and skills they teach you. They walk you through a 3-phase coaching process, 9 core coaching skills and 4 guiding principles that will set you apart as one of the top coaches in your field.
Pricing: $8,500 for virtual or $10,400 if in-person (Advanced coaching intensive).
3. UW Certified Professional Coach Program (UWCPC)
The University of Wisconsin Certified Professional Coach Program gives you a community-based learning environment to become the coach you want to be. It’s a broad course where you can learn techniques that apply to every type of coaching out there. No matter what your niche is, this research-based coaching competency program will make you an excellent accredited coach.
Pricing: $11,990 including instruction and formal mentoring by an ICF Mentor Coach.
Get the Ultimate Guide
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6-Figure Coaching Business so you can achieve more freedom!
4. NYU Certificate In Executive Coaching
The NYU Certificate in Executive Coaching is one of the best business courses for coaches because of its depth into the material. You’re required to take 4 courses to get the certificate, which has been accredited by the International Coaching Federation. Each course lasts 12 weeks and you cover every aspect of coaching. From the research into scientific theory around coaching to applying the skills with real-life clients. Here your learning isn’t confined to the classroom. You get to test your skills with clients in a 12-week engagement. This is the perfect coaching certification program for you if you want some hands-on experience.
Pricing: $10,000 – 4 individual courses at $2500 each.
5. USC Coaching Program
USC is one of the best schools in the country. So it makes sense that the USC Coaching Program is one of the best business courses for coaches in the US. They cover a wide range of topics like building a coaching agreement, honing communication skills and using positive psychology to get results.
Pricing: $3,800 which includes the required books for the course.
6. University of Miami Certified Professional Coach Certificate
The University of Miami Certified Professional Coach Certificate program is super practical. It focuses on actionable skills backed by research. You’ll improve your listening skills, learn how to motivate clients and discover ways to get to know your clients better. That last part is key to effective coaching and it’s rare to see a whole section of a coaching program dedicated to the subject. There are also modules on coaching personal issues and coaching business issues, so you’re equipped to apply these to your niche.
Pricing: $7,495. Payment plans are available.
7. Rider University Life and Career Coaching Certificate
The Rider University Life and Career Coaching Certificate takes more of a personalized approach to your learning. Depending on whether you have a Bachelor’s degree or Masters, you need to take three courses or two to get the certificate. The courses on offer are varied. You can do anything from more counseling-based coaching to career coaching for all ages. That way you can tailor your learning to the type of coach you want to become and get the accreditation you want.
Pricing: $5,940 in person. $5,490 online.
8. Emory University Health and Wellness Coaching Certificate
For more specialist aspiring health coaches out there, the Emory University Health and Wellness Coaching Certificate is one of the best. It’s an intense, research-heavy course that provides you with a solid foundation to start your health coaching business.
Pricing: $4,995 for 20 weeks of online tuition.
9. Brown University Leadership and Performance Coaching Certification
Accredited by the International Coach Federation, this next program is ideal for those of you wanting to go into performance coaching. The Brown University Leadership and Performance Coaching Certification is a six-month program that covers all the coaching skills you’ll ever need. It has a specific professional lens to the course. You’ll apply psychological and scientific concepts to effective leadership coaching.
Pricing: $10,495 for virtual tuition. $11,495 for hybrid tuition.
10. Royal Roads University Graduate Certificate in Executive Coaching
The Royal Roads University Graduate Certificate in Executive Coaching is designed to make you an inspiring executive coach. You’ll learn how to coach others to achieve their personal and professional goals. If you want to coach business leaders, this is the ideal certification program.
Pricing: $10,716 CAD for domestic tuition. $12,992 CAD for international students. Same cost for blended or online delivery.
The top business courses for coaches
The courses in the previous section are all certification programs to teach you the basics of coaching and get some accreditation under your belt.
But what if you want to get straight into coaching and just want an accessible business course to help you launch a successful business?
That’s what these business courses for coaches are all about. Over the past years, I’ve helped thousands of students start and grow their own coaching businesses. And here they are–each one is designed to help you start YOUR coaching business in the fastest and simplest way possible, especially if you’re in a day job and don’t have a lot of extra time.
Just like Spencer who went from a 9-5 to building a thriving mindset coaching business:
Now, let’s talk about each of the courses and how they can help you.
1. Employee To Entrepreneur (ETE)
This is THE course for you if you want to start your own coaching business. I designed this course to give you a step-by-step guide on how to build a profitable business, no matter your niche. The best part is that it is designed for you if you’re in a full-time job right now–ETE maps out a complete blueprint from your 9-5 to an inspiring 6-figure coaching business.
Want to learn more? Reserve your seat for the next free masterclass.
2. Ultimate Course Launch (UCL)
Once you have your coaching business rolling, I encourage my clients to scale. A common way to scale your business is by creating group programs and courses. You can 10x your revenue just by pouring your knowledge into an easily consumable course because you create a resellable asset instead of maxing out your time with coaching. This program teaches you how to create and sell courses successfully. Boost your profit by leveraging your time with this one-to-many sales model.
You may not have considered adding courses to your coaching business. In this short video, I explain why it could be a good move:
If you want to learn more about UCL, go to the link here above to reserve your masterclass seat.
3. Your First Paying Clients (YFPC)
A coaching business is nothing without those precious first clients. Your first clients teach you about your process, give valuable feedback and validate your coaching skills. Your First Paying Clients dives into the methods you can use to find your tribe and book your first clients.
This is a mini supplementary course that’s specifically aimed at getting your first few clients. However, if you want a broader view to starting a business, I recommend enrolling in my flagship course Employee to Entrepreneur, as we cover some of this material there.
If you want more information about YFPC, get on the waitlist to learn when enrollments open.
4. My First 10k Subscribers
Is email dead? Absolutely not. In fact, I’d argue that email subscribers are a vital part of building a successful coaching business. Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and all the other platforms can change their rules and algorithms. But your email list is a way to reach your following that no social media platform can take away from you. They are a pool of loyal fans you can consistently sell to strengthen your business. In this course, I talk you through the process of how I got to 10,000 email subscribers in under a year.
Learn more by joining the waitlist.
5. Sell More With Webinars
Webinars are great for connecting with new potential clients, even while you sleep. With a well-made evergreen webinar, you can attract ideal clients, provide value and sell them your services easier than ever before. You can also use webinars to boost your email subscriber base and connect with potential paying clients from around the world. Want to know how to make a solid webinar strategy? This is the course for you.
Get on the waitlist to learn more.
6. Content Cornucopia
Content can be tough to create consistently if you’re not used to it. How do people make entire weeks or even months of content in advance? Enter Content Cornucopia. This short course will teach you the ins and outs of effective, sustainable content creation. Follow my process and you’ll be a content-making machine by investing less than an hour a day. Don’t believe me? Give it a try!
Learn more by joining the waitlist.
7. The Successful Entrepreneur
One of the biggest hurdles my clients face when creating a profitable business is mindset. To succeed, you have to get out of your own way. It’s not an easy task but to achieve the coaching business of your dreams, you need an unshakable belief in your knowledge and worth. This class is designed to transform your mindset and give you the tools to build confidence.
It’s one of my most popular courses so if you struggle with mindset, get on the waitlist today!
8. Sold Out Sales Pages
Sales pages are tricky. You don’t want to come off as too “salesy” but at the same time, you want to use clear language that converts. That’s what I teach you in my Sold Out Sales Pages class. I walk you through my sales page formula and reveal the secret to selling. Whether you are creating a page for your coaching services, courses or any other product, this strategy won’t fail you.
Learn more by joining the waitlist.
9. Freedom Decoded
There’s a common pitfall that many entrepreneurs make. They leave their 9 to 5 and end up becoming 5 to 9 workers (or worse). It’s so easy to do when you work for yourself. You forget you left your full-time job to have more freedom, not less! If you want to scale, you need solid systems in place to make it happen. This class will give you the automation, emails, and templates to streamline your business to 6-figure potential.
Get on the waitlist to learn more!
10. Sold Out Sales Emails
Email is an art form. Your email list needs nurturing over time to become a profit center for your coaching business. In the Sold Out Sales Emails course, I deconstruct my best-selling email, explaining why it works and how it can work for you. I’ll give you a foolproof formula for creating a converting email sequence that resonates with your potential clients.
Want to learn more? Join the waitlist for the next run of this course!
11. Clients Come to Me
Clients Come to Me is a course for coaches who already have clients, but who want a more sustainable way of finding clients. You’ll learn my entire strategy to the most scalable and profitable traffic source in my business: SEO.
Want to get the CCM strategy? Watch the masterclass here.
Over to you!
Now you know the best business courses for coaches, whether you’re looking for an academic certification or an accessible online course to launch your coaching business.
Get the Ultimate Guide
for building a
6-Figure Coaching Business so you can achieve more freedom!
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