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The right tools can make it easier to grow your coaching business
If you’re a new coach and a business owner, you might wonder: What are the best tools and applications that can support me in my business?
After all, automating certain processes is key to being able to scale and grow your coaching business, so you can do more of what you love: coach!
Why use coaching tools to build your business
At the beginning of your coaching business, you might be doing everything manually, from scheduling calls to invoicing clients to posting on social media.
While this is fine at the beginning (and it will help you learn the systems yourself), you want to eventually automate the backend tasks in your business that you do repeatedly.
Luckily, there are many free (and paid) tools that can support you in your growth.
Best tools for coaches just starting their business
When you’re just starting out in your business, you don’t have a lot to invest in paying for regular tools. Plus, you might not know which tools you prefer! So it’s best to try some free options until you have a need to invest further.
Best tool for scheduling: Calendly.
Calendly can help you quickly schedule consult calls and client calls with just one link. There is a free version, though it only allows you one type of call. You can have more than one option and choose which type is “live” at any given time.
Best tool for taking payments: Stripe.
Stripe is an easy way to take payments and split an invoice into multiple payments. (Paypal is a little more complicated for payments, at least at the time of this writing). All payment systems take a fee, so be sure to build that into your pricing.
Best tool for sharing documents: Google Drive.
The simplest tools are often the best tools! I use Google Drive to house my library of coaching tools. I also set up shared folders with each client on Google Drive for the duration of our work so we can share documents. (This makes reviewing and providing feedback a lot easier!)
Best tool for creating graphics: Canva
Part of being an online business owner requires doing some online marketing! If you need to create graphics and don’t have the budget for a graphic designer, Canva has great templates to use. There’s a free version as well as paid subscription which gives you more access to templates and photos.
Best tool for sending electronic contracts: HelloSign
It’s not fun to email PDF contracts back and forth, so using an online contract service can help. At the time of this writing, HelloSign is free for 3 contracts a month, so when you’re just getting started, this is a no-brainer! Once you’re onboarding more than 3 new clients per month, you’ll want to look at better options to scale (which I have listed below).
Best tools for coaches growing their business:
Once you have some regular income and get more clients, you have more disposable income to invest in systems to help you grow and scale your business.
Here are my top tools when it comes to growing and scaling your coaching business:
Best platform to manage your coaching business: Paperbell
Paperbell is a software designed specifically as a one stop shop for coaches to manage their business. Instead of having a separate scheduling platform, contract platform, and payment platform, Paperbell integrates with your payment provider (Stripe and Paypal), as well as your Google calendar, making it an all-in-one solution. Plus, you can use it to schedule group sessions, send emails, and share client files. Paperbell offers a free trial for one client so you can test it out here.
Best platform to host a course: Membervault
At some point, you might choose to create a course or membership. There are many options (Teachable, Podia, Kajabi, etc.), but my favorite is Membervault. You can have a free account for up to a certain number of members, and there are budget-friendly options beyond that. Membervault is simple and easy to use, with great customer service. I use Membervault for my courses and love it!
Best platform to schedule your social media: Later.
Every coach wants to make social media easier for them, so they can spend more time coaching and less time on social media. Later allows you to schedule your social media content in advance can help you do just that. It allows for scheduling on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, TikTok, and LinkedIn. I use Later to schedule my weekly content in advance, so that during the week, I can log on purely to engage, without having to worry about posting.
Best project management tool: Asana.
Every business owner needs some sort of project management system. Luckily, there are a ton of options, depending on your preference. While some prefer Trello or Clickup, I like the format and ease of use of Asana. Plus, if you have a VA or a team, you can easily share projects and assign tasks, as well as check the progress. (Bonus, if you have your projects in a spreadsheet, you can easily format it and upload to Asana!)
Best way to keep in contact with clients: Voxer.
If you want to offer your clients support in between calls, Voxer is a great app that allows you to send voicemails back and forth to one another, as well as text files and images. While some clients prefer writing questions in email, Voxer can be a great tool for clients who are verbal processors. This allows you to give clients a way to check in with you in between sessions so they can get the support they need.
My top tools for coaches
Since I serve primarily coaches and healers, I’ve developed my own tools on my work with my clients and growing my own business. Here are 3 of my top tools:
1. Coaching Business Starter Checklist
The Start a Coaching Business Checklist is a comprehensive list of all the things to consider when starting your coaching business
2. Market Research Guide for Coaches
The Market Research Guide for Coaches takes you through all the steps of the market research process to validate your offerings and get feedback from your ideal clients
21 Ways to Market Your Coaching Business
Marketing your coaching business is no small feat! If you’re just getting started, you want to download this free guide: 21 Ways to Market Your Coaching Business.
What’s your favorite tool for your coaching business? Let me know in the comments!
Heads up, I’m an affiliate for a few things on this list. I would never recommend anything that I don’t personally use. That said, if you ever have an issue with anything I recommend, please let me know! My goal is to support you in your business.
