These days, people seem to be confiding in you about their relationship problems on a daily basis and there are times when you wonder if becoming a relationship coach was your calling; so you pause and think to yourself “How do I start a relationship coaching business?”

With the global divorce rate increasing drastically by 251.8% since 1960 (Divorce Rate by Country: The World’s 10 Most and Least Divorced Nations, Unified Lawyers, 2017), there isn’t a more opportune time to become a relationship coach due to the inherent human need for better relationships.

Couples need professional insight and a better approach to solving problems and many relationships can be saved or strengthened with helpful and actionable tips from a relationship coach.

Business Overview: How do I start a relationship coaching business?

So how do you get your relationship coaching business STARTED?

Start by setting regular relationship coaching sessions with your friends to get a sense of how well you’re able to help them. You may need additional training to be ready to start charging. Once you’re ready, offer free relationship coaching sessions to as many people as you can. During the free session, sign them up for paid relationship coaching with you

The point?

Before you start a relationship coaching business, you need to have a very clear picture of what a relationship coaching business is all about and your role as a relationship coach. Here are a few things to know:

What does a relationship coach do?

Unlike a professional relationship therapist who focuses on the thought patterns of couples by addressing serious underlying issues like mental illness or domestic violence, a relationship coach focuses more on the behavior, emotional, and communication patterns of the relationship to improve the relationship rather than attempting to heal it.  A relationship coach helps couples or individuals find the resources they need to alter their habits, communication, and emotions, so they can truly thrive in their marriage or relationship.

What are the skills and experiences needed to be a relationship coach?

In addition to having good people, communication, and relationship skills, you’ll also need some formal coaching experience.  Coaching skills themselves aren’t rocket science, but it may take you a while to adapt your approach towards a coaching style (versus advice or therapeutic styles). A master’s degree or a Ph.D. in a relevant field such as Psychology will be a plus point.

What is your target market?

Before starting a relationship coaching business, you need to identify your target market. The target market can be literally anyone who desires to have a healthy romantic relationship. They can include singles or couples.

You may also focus only on a particular type of person when it comes to your coaching business. For example, divorced women over the age of 50, or professional couples who work very demanding schedules.

How does a relationship coach make money?

As a relationship coach, you can make money by charging for your time, either on a per-hourly or per monthly basis. On top of that, you may also earn money by coming up with your own products, for example, publishing books on relationship, having online courses, and organizing couple get-together workshops and conferences.

What are the costs involved in starting a relationship coaching business?

Initial costs can be very low and may only involve the renting of a small office space or hosting of a website. Depending on whether you are online or operate from a physical location, this could be as low as $300 (or less) a month.

The Steps: How do I start a relationship coaching business?

Once you are ready to start a relationship coaching business, here are four practical steps to follow. By getting these four steps right, you will save yourself countless hours and the possible headache of making huge mistakes.

STEP 1: Plan your business
A clear business plan is essential for success as a relationship coach. A few important matters to consider are:

• How is the name of your business?
• What are your initial costs?
• Who is your target market?
• What products or services you will be offering?
• Who are your competitors?
• How long will it take for you to break even?
• How do I expand my business?, i.e. how do I start relationship coaching businesses?

STEP 2. Register your business
Establishing a legal business entity such as an LLC prevents you from being personally liable if your relationship coaching company is sued.

STEP 3. Define your brand
Your brand is what your relationship coaching business stands for, as well as how your business is perceived by the public. A strong brand will help your business stand out from your competitors.

STEP 4. Promote & market your relationship coaching business
Once you are done with all the intricacies of starting a business, you need to promote yourself as a way for people to overcome any ongoing problems they may have in their relationship.

For example, if you specialize in married couples with no kids, promote yourself as someone who understands their lifestyle. This can be done either online with a website and active blog, or through print ads in newspaper or flyers.

Another great way for you to promote your relationship coaching business is to write articles in magazines. Many health publishers allocate a section for relationship in their magazines. Magazines are an excellent way for you to boost your credibility as a relationship coach. As much as possible, use real client testimonials whenever possible to back up your claims.

Would you like an endless stream of new coaching clients? Simply click the image to the right and email and I’ll send you free videos with step-by-step blueprints for generating a massive income from high paying coaching clients.

Jeannie Cotter
Editor/Writer
Writer, Coaches Training Blog community