To become a life coach, start by learning the coaching skills needed to get your clients results. Consider getting certified by a reputable life coach training program to add credibility to your services. Next, choose a niche to specialize in. From there, focus on building your business by marketing yourself and networking with others. Most importantly, stay committed to helping your clients achieve their goals while continuing to grow and improve as a coach.
In this post, I will explain in more detail how to become a life coach.
In This Post
Benefits of Becoming a Life Coach
With a rising interest in mental health and self-care, more people are drawn to personal development careers. According to MarketResearch.com, the global market for Personal Development was estimated at US$44.4 Billion in the year 2023 and is expected to reach US$57.3 Billion by 2030. Personal Coaching / Training is expected to reach US$22.5 Billion by the end of 2030. There is no better time to become a life coach than now!
Purpose and Fulfillment: Becoming a life coach is a rewarding career. You get to help people improve their lives and reach their goals. This can give you a strong sense of purpose and fulfillment.
Entrepreneurship and Work-Life-Balance: Most life coaches start their own business instead of working for an organization. As a life coach entrepreneur, you can set your own schedule and work from home. This allows for a good work-life balance.
Financially Rewarding: Life coaching can be a financially rewarding career. Experienced coaches often charge $100-$300 per hour. With a steady client base, you can earn a good income.
Skill Development: You’ll develop strong communication and interpersonal skills. These are valuable in many areas of life, not just coaching.
Personal Development: There’s room for personal growth in this career. As you help others, you’ll learn more about yourself too.
Low Barrier to Entry: Life coaching has a low barrier to entry. While certification is helpful, it’s not required to start working with clients.
Specializations: You can specialize in areas that interest you most. Options include career coaching, health and wellness, relationships, and more.
Is Life Coaching for You?
Coaching is a process in which a coach works with clients to enhance their quality of life. A life coach is not a therapist or adviser. A life coach works with clients to improve their quality of life through purposeful questioning, tools, coaching techniques, goal setting, and action planning.Â
You must be an individual who likes to help people without imposing your own opinions on individuals. In coaching, there is an 80/20 rule. The client speaks 80% of the time. The coach speaks 20% of the time. This is because the client has the answers inside them, and a coach helps bring those answers to the surface. The client is the real expert in their own lives.
Requirements for Becoming a Life Coach
Characteristics and Traits
To be a life coach, you will need to acquire the following positive characteristics and traits:
- A genuine concern for people.
- A warm and inviting personality.
- A vision and knowing what you want to achieve in life.
- Being a positive thinker
- A strong sense of self-awareness.
- An excellent understanding of emotional intelligence and, at the very least, working on your emotional maturity.
- Effective communication skills
- Being intuitive, perceptive, and inquisitive.
- An understanding and demonstration of how to develop and maintain positive relationships.
- Being motivating and empowering to others.
Regulations
United States Residents: The coaching industry is not federally or state-regulated in the USA. Therefore, no certifications or licenses are required to become a life coach. However, you must check with your state or county for any regulations about starting a business. This may include business licenses, zoning regulations, etc.
Licensed Professionals: Licensed professionals, such as therapists, psychologists, and social workers, may have regulations or ethical guidelines for practicing as a life coach. You must check with your professional licensing board or association for further information.
Residents Outside of the USA: Life coaching is not legally regulated worldwide. There are no specific legal requirements. However, some countries may have guidelines to ensure professionalism in the industry. Check with your country for further information.
Educational Background
A degree isn’t required to be a life coach. However, some courses of study would benefit someone pursuing a coaching career, including psychology, counseling, or social work. These provide a good foundation in human behavior and communication.
Life Coach Training
While you are not legally required to obtain a license or certification, earning a certification demonstrates your coaching skills. It provides you with training on how to get your clients results. It teaches you coaching techniques and tools to help your clients get breakthroughs. In addition, being certified will distinguish you from other life coaches. This makes it easier for you to attract clients. Many people are calling themselves coaches who are not qualified and are not producing results. This has led to increased scams, causing people to question the credentials of life coaches more frequently. Future coaches will be held to a higher standard and must produce real, measurable results, practical skills, and certification.Â
Our life coach training program is designed to provide flexible, self-paced learning with a focus on mastering core coaching skills like active listening, goal-setting, and more. Whether you’re new to coaching or looking to enhance your expertise, our program is affordable, comprehensive, and proven to help you succeed.
Coaching Skills
In coaching, clients have the answers within themselves. Your role as a coach is to facilitate the discovery of those answers.
Here are the essential coaching skills needed to achieve this:
- motivating and empowering people
- powerful questioning
- active listening
- creating awareness
- goal attainment and action planning
- accountability
- understand how the mind works
- help clients achieve breakthrough life goals
A comprehensive life coach training program teaches you these essential skills.
Coaching Ethics
Coaching is a self-regulated industry, which means maintaining ethical standards is essential to ensure quality coaching. Coaching organizations, like the International Coaching Federation (ICF), have codes of ethics that coaches can follow. This code helps coaches prioritize their client’s well-being.
Some general coaching ethics and professional standards coaches should follow include:
Ethics
- Resolving conflicts of interest
- Keeping the client’s interests first
- Maintaining confidentiality
Professional standards
- Setting clear boundaries.
- Communicating what the coaching relationship entails.
- Knowing when to refer clients to a therapist or other support professionals if needed.
By upholding these principles, coaches create a safe and supportive environment for client growth.
Certification and Accreditation
As stated earlier, the coaching industry is self-regulated, and you don’t need a license, degree, or certification. Therefore, any certification or accreditation you receive reflects the standards set by the school or organization rather than an official or government-regulated credential.
In coaching, certification and accreditation mean different things, and it’s important to understand both to make the right choice. Certification shows you’ve completed a specific coaching program and gained the skills to coach. It’s granted by the coaching school you attended.
Accreditation, like the ICF ACC credential, is a formal recognition from a coaching organization that you’ve met their standards for training, experience, and ethics.
Which to choose?
If you are starting a coaching business and want to learn how to coach and build credibility, then you should become certified. However, if you plan to contract with or work for companies or pursue executive coaching, then you should become accredited by a coaching organization such as the ICF. The choice depends on your goals and the audience you want to serve.
Accreditation Bodies
The ICF is the largest and most well-known accrediting body for life coaches. They offer three levels of certification: Associate, Professional, and Master Certified Coach.
Other respected bodies include the IAC and the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC). These groups set standards for coach training and ethics.
Accredited programs must meet strict guidelines. They teach core coaching skills and require practice hours. This helps ensure you get quality training.
How to become ICF Accredited
Here are the requirements to become ICF accredited at the first level, Associate Certified Coach (ACC)
- Attend 60 Coach-Specific Training Hours
- Conduct 100 hours of coaching
- Get 10 mentor coaching hours
- Take the Coach Knowledge Assessment
- Final coaching exam
Specialization and Niche Coaching
Life coaches often focus on specific areas to better serve their clients. Picking a niche allows you to become an expert in your field and attract the right clients.
Importance of Finding a Niche
Choosing a niche will set you apart from other coaches.
It helps you:
- Narrow down and market yourself more effectively
- Build expertise and become the go-to person
- Attract ideal clients
- Charge higher rates
When you specialize, you become known for solving specific problems. This makes it easier for clients to find and trust you. You’ll also enjoy your work more when you focus on topics you’re passionate about.
Use our Niche Finder Tool to help you find a coaching niche.
Setting Up the Coaching Business
Set Up The Legal Side of Your Coaching Business
This is the most overlooked step. This information varies based on where you live. Please consult with a local accountant, attorney, or other professional to help you determine how to set up the legal side of your business.
Here are some tasks you may need to complete:
- Decide and register your business structure. Are you going to be a sole proprietor, LLC, Corp, or Non-Profit?
- Register your business
- Get a business license
- Check zoning regulations
- If in the United States, get an Employer Identification Number (EIN)
- Open a business bank account
Create Coaching Services, Packages, and Pricing
Decide what kind of coaching you want to offer. Will you do 1-on-1 coaching, group coaching, or both? Think about how you’ll deliver it—will it be in person, over the phone, or online?
Next, figure out your packages and pricing. Will you charge by the hour or offer a flat fee? Will you work with clients on a retainer, or will your coaching have a set start and end date? These choices will help you set up your business and attract the right clients.
Set Up the Backend of Your Business
First, sign up for a system to collect payments. PayPal is a simple and reliable option for accepting credit card payments. You can also explore options like CashApp for Business or Square.
Next, set up your office with everything you’ll need to run your business smoothly. This includes a computer, reliable internet, a phone, and video conferencing software like Zoom if you’ll be coaching online.
Create a Client Welcome Packet
A client welcome packet includes forms to protect yourself and support your clients, such as:
- Coaching agreements
- Confidentiality agreements
- Background questionnaires
- Self-assessment forms
Gather and Organize Your Coaching Tools
Finally, gather and organize your coaching tools. There will be times when you need reinforcements to help your clients. This is where coaching tools and exercises come in. Having these ready to go can make a big difference in helping your clients progress and reach their goals.
Branding and Marketing Your Coaching Business
Create a strong brand identity for your coaching business. Choose a memorable business name and design a logo. Develop a tagline that captures your coaching style.
Build a professional website to showcase your services. Include client testimonials and your coaching background. Start a blog to share your expertise and attract clients.
Use social media to connect with potential clients. Share helpful tips and inspiration on platforms like LinkedIn and Instagram. Network with other coaches and join professional groups.
Consider low-cost marketing methods like speaking at local events or writing guest blog posts. As you grow, explore paid advertising options to reach more clients.
Long-Term Career Sustainability
To build a lasting career, focus on ongoing learning and adapting to client needs. Stay updated on coaching techniques and tools. Network with other professionals to share ideas and get referrals.
Building a strong brand helps attract clients. Use social media and a professional website to showcase your skills. Client testimonials can boost your credibility.
Consider expanding your services as you grow. You might offer corporate training or retreat programs. Some coaches move into related fields like consulting or counseling.
Remember to take care of yourself too. Maintain work-life balance to avoid burnout. This helps you stay passionate about your work and serve your clients better.
