Can the Group Coaching Business Model Work For Me?
There are many reasons that more and more wellness coaches are incorporating group coaching into their business models and moving from simply coaching 1:1 to 1:many.
The group coaching model offers you a way to scale your business, make more money (in less time), impact more people, and grow personally and professionally while helping others. As more and more businesses are being conducted online, it’s a great way to shift your coaching practice from serving just a few clients at a time to serving multiple clients simultaneously from all over the world! Group coaching also provides you, as a coach, a sense of fulfillment as you create community, increase compliance, and have a whole lot of FUN!
But will it work for YOU?
Just because other coaches are successful in implementing the group coaching model doesn’t mean it’s for everyone. How can you know if group coaching is right for you?
You may be wondering how it will align with your personality type and coaching style, what topics you would cover, how you get started creating a program, and how much time and work is involved, and whether you’d even make a good leader of a group.
This article will help you determine your answers to all of these questions and more! It will help you think about what you need to consider before getting started so you can feel a resounding, “YES!” and know what steps to take next if the group coaching model seems like a good fit for you!
What Skills Do You Need for Group Coaching?
A group coaching setting can pave the way for some tremendous results for those engaging in the program. You may think that you need special skills to run a group coaching program that helps individuals create positive change and feel seen and heard. Here’s something to consider; if you’re working with clients in a one-on-one setting, you’re probably already using A LOT of the skills you will need for running a group program. And the power of groups is exponential!
To effectively run a group program, you need to be a good listener, and be able to hold the space for an environment that feels safe, transparent, and structured.
Apart from that, you don’t need a special skill set to run a group coaching program. Especially if you work with a ready-to-go program like the Healthy Habits for Life program, you’ll receive all the information you need to make your group coaching program a success, and much of the rest will come down to the group working together to problem-solve, support one another, and hold each other accountable.
You’ll be the coach guiding them, but you don’t need special skills, and you don’t need to know the answer to every single question they ask.
You’ll set the stage for quality, effective communication. This creates the shared experience as the group grows and learns together.
What Kind of Coach Do You Want to Be?
Group coaching is not for everyone. It’s helpful for you to understand a bit about yourself and what lights you up as a coach to guide you in making the decision as to whether or not group coaching is right for you.
Here are some questions to ask yourself:
Are you a heart-centered coach who holds a lot of energy for your clients?
Would you love a little more time, space, and financial freedom in your coaching practice (without sacrificing the impact you’re making!)?
Do you enjoy creating community?
Do you get energy from being in a small room full of positive-minded people with a unified goal?
Do you love teaching others as well as supporting and listening to them?
Do you have a desire to grow and scale your coaching practice?
Do you love watching a group come together and transform together?
Do you love hearing stories of people succeeding as they become more consistent in their habits and get better results?
If you answered “yes” to the questions above, the group coaching model could be exactly what the doctor ordered for your coaching practice!
As we said though, it’s not for everyone.
The group coaching model might not be a fit for you if:
- You like to go it alone and do things by yourself
- You believe that the best results clients get in working with you (or anyone) are always going to be through 1:1 individual coaching
- You want to record a DIY course for people. A once-and-done model that you market, and basically set it and forget it, without actually interacting with people
- You really don’t enjoy being in groups with 5-10 people in them
- You like your coaching practice just as it is and want nothing to change
For the record, this article is not implying that group programs are “better” than individual client work. Not at all! There are great benefits in 1:1 work. But there’s no reason you can’t do both, individual client work and groups.
The thing is, there are some amazing things that can only happen in a live group setting.
The coaches we see implementing group programs as part of their business model find it exciting! They can’t wait to get together again with their groups and can’t believe that they get paid to have FUN doing what they love! They’re helping clients and feeling great as they do.
How Do You Create a Group Coaching Program?
Ok, so you’re sold. You’re in and ready to step up and be a leader. But you may still have some questions… How do you actually go about creating a group coaching program? How long are group coaching programs? How do you actually structure it and lead a session? Oh, and of course let’s not forget, how much money can you make?
When it comes to implementing a group coaching program into your business model, the beauty is… you really get to make it work for YOU!
You get to decide whether or not you’ll meet online or in-person, and whether or not you want to work in small intimate group settings or with hundreds of people at a time.
It’s important to remember that small groups are effective because you (the coach) lead the group as a conversation, not a lecture. The most successful group programs are held live, whether in person or online. They’re not pre-recorded or go-at-your-own-pace courses, because those are not as effective for the participants.
Your group should be structured in a way that allows for hands-on learning, growing, and healing experiences, and that can only happen face-to-face. Even if it’s online, everybody is present and in the same place at the same time, talking together in one conversation that you, as the coach, guide and facilitate. That’s why keeping the number of participants small is key.
We find that the sweet spot for a number of participants in our Healthy Habits for Life group coaching programs are between 5-12 people and that the small group helps to create an environment of safety, trust, connection, and support.
You get to choose what time of day you run the program, as your schedule allows, and around what kind of clients you want to work with. You can even choose to run more than one group concurrently.
And of course, you get to decide on the pricing that feels right for you based on your demographics, location, whether or not you will be renting space or meeting online, how many will be a part of your group, and what feels right to you.
One of the most significant factors that go into pricing is your confidence as a coach, which is something that will grow and grow the more you facilitate your small groups.
If you’re just starting out, you may feel like you need to charge less for your groups.
For those of you who’ve been coaching for a while, I’m sure you would agree that the more you do this, the more confident you feel, and when you feel more confident you naturally charge more because you recognize the value in what you are offering to your clients.
The fabulous thing about a group coaching model is that it can work for nearly everyone!
Group coaching makes a fantastic addition to the work you’re already doing with individual clients. Imagine having the opportunity to help them foster change in their lives that ripples out to others. You could be the one creating a container for community, a sense of connection, and helping them to achieve lasting, life-changing results.
If you read this article and feel like you were ready to dive in YESTERDAY with group coaching, we want to share one of the easiest ways to implement group coaching and get started.
Our Healthy Habits for Life program is a ready-to-go, LIVE, six-session program where you show your participants simple ways to create habits that stick. You help guide them in making realistic and achievable changes that have a positive and lasting impact.
This small-group program focuses on the topics that so many of us struggle with including sleep, hydration, movement, and how to make the best use of our time.
And here’s the best part… this is something you can start offering to past clients, current clients, and future clients right away because it’s ready-to-go and created for you already!
This is a proven and impactful program that you don’t need to spend hours developing or creating the materials. You can start advertising and running groups right away!
So, what are you waiting for? We’d love to invite you to learn more about becoming a Healthy Habits for Life coach today if the group coaching model feels like it’s a good fit for you!