How to Become a Life Coach? A Complete Guide for Beginners:

Do you want to know how to become a life coach? Life coaching is a significant emerging field with so many opportunities. Everyone needs to make essential decisions in life. But some people are good at decision-making, but few can’t handle the stress. Thus, in this situation, life coaches come to the rescue. Short-term decisions must be aligned with long-term goals and life events. So, life coaching is a good business if you are good at decision-making, making plans, and overcoming obstacles. Here, we will note down the steps of this career. 

Who is a life coach? How to become a life coach? 

“It’s like a wellness professional who lives to attain fulfillment in their own and other people’s lives.”

The purpose of this business is to bring clarity to someone’s life. However, this profession has been in demand for the last decade and has no sign of slowing down. The life coach assists their clients in improving their relationships, careers, and day-to-day life events. Thus, the primary aim is to clarify the goals and clear the obstacles. Later, the life coach comes with a strategy and implementation plan. In addition, the life coach is the one who targets the client’s unique skills and tries to convert them into strengths.

Why should you work with life coaches? 

I know many of you aren’t aware of why you need to work with life coaches. People need assistance, whether it’s about their personal lives or careers. So, find a life coach to be happy and have a meaningful life. Here we are defining the following signs when you need to contact a life coach: 

However, for these reasons, life coaches have recently gained considerable attention. Now people from all walks of life, like creatives, executives, and entrepreneurs, are teaming up with coaches to attain success in their lives. In addition, it’s vital to mention here that a life coach can work on a Workation pattern. It means you can adopt this career as a side hustle until it becomes a full-time job. 

Growth of the life coaching industry: 

If you plan to become a life coach, you should be aware of its growth. However, if you love helping others, life coaching is your best career, as these people are good listeners and advisors. So, if you enter this career, you become a marketer, salesperson, networker, entrepreneur, and leader. The following stats show that the industry will do much more in the future.

“According to the stats of USA labor bureau, people in this field earn up to $42,080/year on average.”

• A life coach’s earnings depend on location, education, workplace, and experience. 
• There are around 18,000+ life coaching businesses that are registered in the USA. 
• The industry saw a growth of 2.2% from 2014-2019 
• According to the international coaching federation, the number of coaches has grown by 33% since 2015. 

The earning of a life coach is like the other careers. But there are no educational requirements for this career. Many people think life coaches and therapists are similar, but the roles are different. 

In short, a life coach helps clients progress while meeting their goals. On the other hand, therapists help those struggling to heal from their traumas and bad experiences. 

How to become a life coach? A step-to-step guide:

If you are learning to become a life coach, you aren’t alone on this boat. It’s essential to be a skillful person if you want to convert your abilities into a fruitful career improvement. However, a life coaching career is a good choice if your communication and problem-solving skills are good. In addition, you need the following skills to become a coach: 

Above all, it’s vital to get ready to spend time, energy, and resources to take a head start. You need to follow these steps to become a life coach: 

Find a niche:

The first landmark is to find a niche in which you feel interested. We can say life coach is an umbrella term that further has so many wings. So, to become a successful life coach, find a profitable niche and focus on developing expertise. Here are the following questions that you should ask yourself before selecting any category: 

• What are your areas of expertise that you want to share with others? 
• Identify your biggest obstacles. 
• What kind of difficulties can you face during your career? 

Coaching is vast, and you will meet different types of clients during your career. So, as a good life coach, it’s your responsibility to deal with their challenges in a unique way. Here are a few areas where you can develop expertise: 

Choosing a field in which you have strengths and skills is vital. The life coaching profession can be gratifying and fulfilling if you are on the right way. 

Get certifications: 

The second step is to get certificates. But remember that no governing body requires you to pass the test and get a specific degree to become a life coach. However, it’s good if you can get certifications from recognized organizations. For instance, International Coaching Federation (ICF) is the perfect place to boost credibility. According to the stats: 

• 77% of clients prefer life coaches who are certified 
• According to 83% of clients, life coaches need to hold specific credentials 

So, to become a good life coach, stay committed and professional in the industry. However, ICF holds three levels of training and certifications that can boost career and adds credibility. The certificates and training add the following skills and abilities to your portfolio. 

Apart from this, other ways, like education, work experience, and references, boost credibility. So, these are the plus points that will help you to become a life coach. 

Set up your business: 

The next milestone is to set up your life coach business. If you think things are overwhelming, it’s better to consult a contract lawyer or financial advisor. However, if you want a company, then here are the following types that you will want to choose between: 

A sole proprietorship is an independent business that has only one owner. On the other hand, you can start an LLC – a registered business in which all members have limited liability. These types vary in liability, costs, regulation, and tax payments. Moreover, the next step is to get business insurance for the coaching business. Getting an insurance plan is not mandatory, but it will protect you from emergencies. 

Decide the prices of your life coach business: 

The main aim of the life coaching business is to deliver quality. You can charge your clients for services in the following ways: 

• Charge on only base or per session 
• Per month charges 
• And per package with sessions of 3-6 months 

Once the coaching business is set up, you can predict the income that later helps manage expenses. Usually, life coaches charge between $75-$1,000, and the price range depends on the following factors: 

Apart from this, your income depends on how much your audience is willing to pay. If there aren’t enough clients starting, you can offer discounts and mini sessions. 

Use social media:

We live in a digital world where every single thing is just a click away. For instance, if someone needs a life coach, they will search for it on the internet. So, in this condition, it’s great if you can build your online presence. You can use the following ways to make your online presence: 

• Build a website and offer different price packages along with your experience, qualification, and niche 
• Join other social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to capture more clients 

If you want to work with more clients, then the critical thing is to focus on mindfulness and wellness. You can’t get attention on social media without applying some tricks. For instance, you can adopt recommendations like: 

• Use most searched hashtags 
• Join relevant Facebook and LinkedIn groups and forums 
• Create mini-life coaching sessions and post videos on social media 

You can create a blog and share your content to drive more traffic. Moreover, start sharing your expertise and knowledge, and then people will start perceiving you as a leader. 

Invest in upgrading your skills: 

We see many real-life examples where it’s vital to upgrade skills after regular intervals. However, to become a life coach, you must adopt this approach here.

“You can’t help people without improving yourself.”

As a life coach, your main aim is to deliver professional development and personal growth. So, you should continue finding learning opportunities. Here are options that you can take to upgrade your skills: 

• Continue training sessions from ICF or IAC 
• Attend seminars, webinars, and panel discussions 
• Read books, articles, and research papers in your niche 
• Participate in online communication and try to interact with the audience 
• Find a mentor and try to follow in their footsteps 

Apart from this, if you want to improve your skills, ask for the client’s feedback, and try to improve weak areas. If you invest in yourself, you will ultimately be able to invest in your business and get positive client feedback. 

How to become a life coach? Tips to follow:

Every business starts with an idea, and you need the enthusiasm to take off your life coaching career. Here are the following tips that will help you throughout the process: 

• Keep the concept simple 
• Don’t ignore to search for your chosen niche 
• Overestimate the costs to give yourself enough leeway 
• Establish a strong support team to accommodate your clients 
• Understand that commitment and the right timing are everything 

So, never miss an opportunity to become a life coach that delivers quality by prioritizing clients. Life coaching creates a perfect balance between a meaningful career, excellent pay, and helping others.