Is Location and Office Space Important for a Coaching Business?
You have decided to become a self-employed life coach – congratulations.
In previous articles and in the coaching business in a box, we have discussed the importance of having a coaching niche – a niche is key to increasing your referrals to starts, and is the only way to be successful with your internet marketing plan.
In addition to your niche you need to identify with your target audience, allowing you to structure the website content, images, cost per session, niche and approach to your potential customers.
If your demographic is a 40 yr old male business leader you would market to this client group differently compared to marketing to a 25 yr mother looking to set up a new business. As we discussed in the coaching business in a box your demographics and niche is key to a successful coaching business.
To make the right impression with new clients it is important to have the right office space/coaching room, as this sets out the tone of the coaching session.
Which Office Space is Best?
When I first started coaching clients I would charge a very low rate and meet clients in a coffee house. Not only did a busy coffee house create the wrong impression, the coffee house was busy, loud and you wouldn’t always be certain that you could secure a private booth.
Getting the office space right for your practice impacts on your success as a life coach. Happy customers spread the word and word of mouth is a great marketing tool.
Your Niche Office
We discussed your nice in the article start. When you understand your customer demographics, you need to find a location and office that in appearance represents this client group.
A 40 yr old male business leader would expect a professional looking office, with leather seats and even a receptionist (depending on the cost per session/clients salary)
With a demographic of a 25 yr mother looking to set up a new business, you may need to consider her needs and ask yourself if you would be happy for the client to bring along her child? If so does your room suit this purpose? Would you buy baby toys? What pictures and furniture would help this client feel at ease?
You need to think about your client, their expectations and the environment that you want to create to help your client relax. Think about the decor of the office, pictures, lighting, facilities such as toilets, tea and coffee and waiting area.
Ideal Location
Location can make a big difference with bookings. Again return to your client demographics. If you target business leaders in a particular location your ideal spot for an office would in the center of the business city.
Other clients for different niches maybe put off travelling to a busy city center, plus many clients take into consideration the cost of parking and travel before booking a coach.
Many coaches will use a spare room in their house decked out as a coaching room. Again for a particular niche this is ideal but for others such as the business coach, a room in a house simply won’t fit and will seem unprofessional.
Also consider the room size – are you offering only one to one sessions, couple coaching or group sessions. Are you a coach that sits around a table with a client or a coach that gets the client up and moving around?
Hiring a Space
As a coach you can hire a room by the hour to work from. This allows you to look professional without having the additional cost of renting a venue via a lease. Coaches that work from home, don’t have to think about venue cost and can also claim tax back on their rent/mortgage for their working space.
Common venue spaces for hire include gyms, therapy practices, shared space venues, hotel conference rooms and rooms for rent by the hour.
Make the office look your own as you don’t want to give the impression that you are unsuccessful (bring a pull up banner, books and a laptop) and need to book a room by the hour. You can also book all your client’s in on one particular day and book a room by the day (which is often cheaper)
Just be aware that you need to manage your diary when booking a room by the day and how some clients may ring you when you are with a different client to ask for directions. If clients arrive early you will also need to plan for a waiting area – some shared offices offer this and a receptionist as part of the cost.
You can even offer Skype sessions which saves on overhead cost. Just ensure your signal is good and how signal strengths various during particular times of the day.
Before deciding of the venue for your coaching practice, first think about the demographics of your client group and the niche you coach in. What image, location and venue type will bets suit you and your clients. The venue will create the clients first impression of you and first impressions count.
Chris Delaney NLP Life Coach, Hypnotherapist and Career Advisor is available for booking for One to One Private Sessions, Group Training Sessions and Public Speaking Events
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Chris Delaney NLP Life Coach, Hypnotherapist and Career Advisor is available for booking for One to One Private Sessions, Group Training Sessions and Public Speaking Events
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