HOW TO START UP
A HORSE RIDING
INSTRUCTOR BUSINESS
You can test the waters to find out if this really is what you want to do
HOW TO SET
UP A LIFE
COACHING
BUSINESS
Life coaching helps people to make the most of their
lives by overcoming blocks, moving forward and
working towards personal and professional goalsI
f you’re a good listener, get on
easily with people from different
backgrounds and are able to inspire
others to achieve, a business as a life
coach might be for you. Life coaching helps
people to make the most of their lives by
overcoming blocks, moving forward and
working towards personal and professional
goals. You may sell your services into a
variety of sectors including corporations,
charities, the NHS and local government, as
well as to private individuals. QUALIFICATIONS
You don’t need any qualifications to be a
life coach, but clients will be more likely to
work with you if you’ve received recognised
training such as Accredited Life Coaching
or the Life Coach Certificate. Membership
of a professional organisation, such as the
European Mentoring and Coaching Council,
is also a good idea. Training at post-graduate
level tends to focus on performance
management with organisations or within
sport. Courses can be a mix of classroom
and distance learning – and fees vary wildly.
Check testimonials from coaches who’ve
completed a course you’re interested in
and ensure that it offers good resources for
developing skills, practical training and
supervised work with a practising life coach.
Advice on setting up a business will also be
crucial.GETTING STARTED
First, you need to work out which area of
coaching to specialise in – sectors include
personal development, wellbeing and
executive business. You’ll also need to invest
time in a building networks, as well as your
experience and reputation. Organisations
such as CoachMeFree offer opportunitiesto do this. You offer your services for free,
which you can then use to promote your
work. If you impress your ‘free’ clients, they
may be inspired to pay for more advice, or
recommend you to friends - word of mouth
is going to be huge in this industry. You also
need to set up a cracking website and utilise
social media to build networks. Through
these, you could promote ‘free’ sample
sessions to potential clients to give them
an idea of what you offer – which is a great
marketing tool. It will also be crucial to attend
networking events, such as those run by your
local chamber of commerce, as well as joining
coaching networks, such as the Coaching and
Mentoring Network. COSTS AND FEES
Once you have enough experience, you can
start to charge for coaching. Expect to earn
from £40 to £60 an hour - but while this
sounds a lot, remember that you’ll only
have a few hours work here and there
when you first set up in business. You’ll
most likely run your start-up alongside
your existing day job until enough work
comes in. Once you’re up and running,
depending on the sectors you work in, you
can charge a lot more. For instance,
working in the corporate sector, you can earn
around £200 per hour. Coaching can also be
offered in group sessions. Coaching sessions
are usually sold in block of 10 to 15. Typically,
you can work from home and offer coaching
over the phone, or by visiting clients in their
place of work or at home. Another potential
source of income is to offer workshop in
particular skills, for instance, effective
leadership, or taking charge of your life. You
also need to factor in costs for insurance in
case someone is damaged or injured through
your work.this route, it’s crucial that you buy the
relevant insurance to protect yourself
in case there are any accidents. Starting
small may lead to more work through
word of mouth, or you could start to
advertise your services by pinning
up cards at tack shops or at local
stables. It goes without saying once
you reach this point, you’ll get more
work if you have qualifications you can
put alongside your name. Likewise,
if you want to sell your services into
riding schools or trekking centres,
qualifications are a must. If you join
professional organisations, such as
the BHS, you can also promote your
services through their website. Word
of mouth will however be the best way
to drum up work. If you teach a rider
who does well in competitions, people
will be queuing up to use your services.
It’s also worthwhile approaching local
riding schools, though not all will use
freelance instructors. As the bulk of
your work will be with children, you’ll
also need a DBS check. COSTS AND FEES
As a freelance riding instructor, you’ll
need to factor in the cost of getting to
your clients, and if you don’t have one
already, also the price of car. There
will be a few extra costs for training
aids, such as lunging reins, as well as
insurance. Lessons start at around £25
for a half-hour child’s lesson, and £35
for an adult – but prices vary around the
country Remember too that if you teach
in a riding school, you won’t earn as
much for a private lesson because they
need to take their cut, but if you teach
groups, your hourly rate will be higher.