6 Tools Every Coach Needs To Build A Wildly Successful Online Business

One of the biggest mistakes I see new coaches make is not investing in the tools needed to grow their business to five-figures and beyond… 

And I’m not talking about the fancy, expensive tools complete with allll the bells and whistles. You know, the ones *successful* (and I use that term loosely) entrepreneurs are convincing you to sign up for, when in reality, it’s because they’re making money off it. 

Talk about a waste of your hard-earned income, especially when you’re just getting started! 

But I’m all about working harder, not smarter. Between pitching clients, conducting discovery calls, writing contracts, creating digital products, and the 101 other things you need to do to build and grow your business, it’s almost impossible to keep up without a bit of help. 

So, if you want to scale your coaching business without completely burning out, you need to invest in a few platforms, services, and technologies. And after building my business from scratch, I’ve learned what tools—free and paid—are necessary to become a wildly successful entrepreneur! 

Email Marketing Software

It’s no secret: Email marketing is one of the most powerful strategies you can implement in your business to grow your community, generate leads, and turn your followers into paying clients. While there’s a laundry list of things you don’t need to focus on when you’re first starting our online coaching business, email is *not* one of them. Quite frankly, the earlier you take building your list seriously, the better off you’ll be one, five, and ten years from now (you can thank me later). 

If you haven’t signed up for an email marketing platform yet, or you want to switch to a new one, here’s a list of the most popular providers you need to check out STAT: 

• MailChimp 
• Constant Contact 
• Convert Kit 
• Active Campaign 

Online Course Platform

Ready to turn your expertise into a course filled with golden nuggets of genius your community will come running to? While I still book 1:1 clients, I’ve transformed my coaching business over the last two years to focus more on creating courses that will impact dozens of clients at a time. 

But I can’t do it without a platform that will allow me to create, host, market, and sell my online courses. Here’s a roundup of my four favorite course platforms: 

• Thinkific 
• Kartra 
• Teachable
• Kajabi 

P.S. Check out this blog, where I breakdown all the pros and cons of each of these platforms so you can easily determine which one is the right fit for your online business. 

All-in-One Client Management Software

Are you still using pen and paper to keep track of deadlines, sending clients questionnaires via unbranded Google docs, or manually following up on invoices? As a business owner, there’s a ton you need to do behind-the-scenes. Luckily, there’s a multitude of client management tools to help automate your client processes, so you don’t have to worry about missing a deadline or getting paid. 

While some client management software can be a bit pricey, I promise it’s totallllly worth it. 

• Honeybook 
• Hello Bonsai 
• Dubsado 

Accounting And Invoicing Software 

For those who never thought they’d *actually* use what they learned in their college math class, the joke’s on you (just kidding). But being your own boss means you also need to be your own accountant, especially when you’re in the beginning stages of your business and can’t afford to hire a pro. Whether you need something basic or more robust, there’s plenty of options that will meet your needs. 

When you’re researching these accounting and invoicing platforms, make sure you’re clear on what your budget is and what features are most important: 

• Intuit Quickbooks Online 
• Freshbooks 
• Wave 
• Zoho Books 

Video Call Software 

Nothing creates and builds relationships with prospective and current clients faster than face-to-face communication. But since you can’t take everyone you want to work with on a coffee date, video conferencing is the next best thing! Business casual on top and comfy yoga pants on the bottom, anyone? 

Now more than ever, coaches are turning to Zoom, Google Meet, or Microsoft Teams to conduct discovery calls, lead group workout sessions, teach virtual masterminds, and more. If you’re still communicating with clients solely by phone, you may find yourself losing out on dream customers to another coach. *Ouch* Remember, the only way you’ll grow your business is by getting comfortable with the uncomfortable. 

Google Forms 

While most client management tools allow you to create and send questionnaires within the platform, Google Forms is an important tool to have in your arsenal when conducting marketing research or hiring a new employee (because let’s not forget you’re building an empire). You can easily create forms to find out information about your dream clients, what course you should launch next, what type of content you should publish, and more. 

It doesn’t matter if you’ve been in business for a day or ten years; using online tools to streamline your processes will ultimately help you grow your business to five-figures and beyond. I highly recommend setting them up as early as possible because once clients start rolling in, you’ll be too busy, and I promise things will start to fall through the cracks. 

But I have one more tool (okay, more like a resource) I can’t leave without sharing with you: The Ultimate Sales Secrets to Scaling Your Online Coaching Business. It’s filled with juicy tips and tricks you can use to catapult your business and finally reach those $10,000 months you’ve been working toward.