Every coach needs a coaching practice plan; sports coaches routinely create a plan for every practice – outlining the drills they will use and the skills they will work on during each session. However, the practice plan for other types of coaches, life, executive, personal, fitness, career, is somewhat different.

Since you don’t have practices like a sports team, the coaching practice plan is more like a business plan. You need a plan that serves as the foundation, or the instructional manual for your coaching practice. In case things break down, or your business veers off course, you can refer back to this manual.

What is a Coaching Practice Plan?

The practice plan has everything you need to launch and grow your coaching business. In this statement of purpose, all important aspects of your coaching practice are covered:

• The mission
• The vision
• The core values
• The coaching niche
• Fee setting
• Initial marketing plan
• Methods of attracting clients
• Client retention strategies
• Coaching strategies
• Proper work/life balance
• Administrative – licenses, certifications, tax permits, etc.
• Continuing education
• Alternate streams of income

2 Keys to Creating the Best Coaching Practice Plan

There are two keys to creating a great business plan – time and quiet. You can’t expect the create a statement of purpose for your coaching practice in an hour or two. It takes time to lay out each and every component of your business. You should spend a few days brainstorming and writing down notes. While driving, or working out or in the shower – any down time during the day or night – think of things to include in your plan. Once you have a list of ideas and items, you need to take enough time to create a comprehensive yet concise statement of purpose for your coaching business. Blocks of time are important. Ten minutes here, fifteen minutes there, and twenty minutes here and there will not get the job done. Extended periods of time are needed.

The other essential key is time without distractions. Create an environment away from the usual distractions to do your work. Turn you cell phone off, put down the television remote, tell your secretary to hold all calls – whatever it takes to be in a distraction-free environment. Coaching practice plans are not easy to create – creating them while answering calls from clients, doing your billing, or watching the NBA playoffs, makes it impossible.

You will be amazed at how much you can accomplish in a distraction-free environment and if you allow enough time to fully concentrate and create. The coaching practice plan will serve as an important instructional manual for your business – it will allow you to put your practice back together if a wheel falls off, add new features to the existing machine, or locate the source of a nagging problem. Though it is possible to succeed without a business plan, starting a coaching practice without one is like driving a boat without a rudder.

By the way… you’re invited to claim your FREE step-by-step “Master Coach Blueprint” video toolkit. Just go HERE now to get your master coach blueprint videos.

Fred Philips
Business Coach
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