Thinkific_-Online-Course-Business-Plan-_-Model-Template-1.pdf
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Jun 21, 2024
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About This Presentation
كيف تصمم كورس تدريبى متكامل
Slide Content
Online Course
Business Plan
Template
Starting your own business, or scaling up, is intimidating.
We’re here to break it down piece by piece so you can
create your very own plan.
Business Plan
Template
Starting your own business, or scaling up, is intimidating.
We’re here to break it down piece by piece so you can
create your very own plan.
Contents
You’re in the right place if…
○You want to take your online
course to the next level
○You’re ready to start building
your business but are unsure
where to start
○You have specific knowledge
and valuable content that can
be used to create online
programs and courses for
people
●7 Business Plan Parts
●Business Model Canvas Templates
●Scaling Analysis Templates
●Appendix
You’re in the right place if…
○You want to take your online
course to the next level
○You’re ready to start building
your business but are unsure
where to start
○You have specific knowledge
and valuable content that can
be used to create online
programs and courses for
people
●7 Business Plan Parts
●Business Model Canvas Templates
●Scaling Analysis Templates
●Appendix
Why Create a Business Plan?
Starting a business without creating a plan first is like taking a shot into the dark… While there is the
off chance that you will hit the target, you most likely will be scrambling around trying to find your
missing shot and ultimately taking longer than necessary to reach your target goal.
Seems inconvenient, right? It’s almost as if this could all be avoided with a little more light shed on the
target. Creating a plan may seem like a hassle in the beginning, but trust us when we say that your
future self will be thanking you.
So when should you start thinking about creating a business plan?
○You’ve found your ‘niche’ specialty and you’re ready to create a profitable business
○You have an obvious market demand (people are willing to pay for your advice and support)
○You have proof that you know what you are doing, and are good at it (testimonials from
people you have helped, and case studies showing their success)
○Your coaching calendar is overflowing with students and you are in high demand (you may
even have a waitlist!)
○Your growth is halted as you are reaching your cap (you need leverage)
… If these are true, start with a business plan template to map out your road to success for your online
course! Use our template to get started creating your business plan.
Starting a business without creating a plan first is like taking a shot into the dark… While there is the
off chance that you will hit the target, you most likely will be scrambling around trying to find your
missing shot and ultimately taking longer than necessary to reach your target goal.
Seems inconvenient, right? It’s almost as if this could all be avoided with a little more light shed on the
target. Creating a plan may seem like a hassle in the beginning, but trust us when we say that your
future self will be thanking you.
So when should you start thinking about creating a business plan?
○You’ve found your ‘niche’ specialty and you’re ready to create a profitable business
○You have an obvious market demand (people are willing to pay for your advice and support)
○You have proof that you know what you are doing, and are good at it (testimonials from
people you have helped, and case studies showing their success)
○Your coaching calendar is overflowing with students and you are in high demand (you may
even have a waitlist!)
○Your growth is halted as you are reaching your cap (you need leverage)
… If these are true, start with a business plan template to map out your road to success for your online
course! Use our template to get started creating your business plan.
Business Plan Parts
1.Executive Summary
What is an executive summary?
Think of your executive summary as an abstract to a research paper, or the
summary on the back of a book cover, or a proposal of some sort. It is often
written last, once everything else has been finalized.
Generally it is considered one of the most important parts of a business
template, as the executive summary covers the highlights of all the other
sections.
Your executive summary should be short and to the point (no room for
word-vomit here). It should emphasize what your business is and what readers
can expect from the rest of the plan.
What is an executive summary?
Think of your executive summary as an abstract to a research paper, or the
summary on the back of a book cover, or a proposal of some sort. It is often
written last, once everything else has been finalized.
Generally it is considered one of the most important parts of a business
template, as the executive summary covers the highlights of all the other
sections.
Your executive summary should be short and to the point (no room for
word-vomit here). It should emphasize what your business is and what readers
can expect from the rest of the plan.
1.Executive Summary
Typically, an executive summary has 5 main points:
Project Summary
➔In a few sentences, provide a brief description of the business, its purpose, and the main
problem or issue that prompted you to expand your business.
Background
➔Concisely describe the history of the business and cite a particular event which led to its
conception.
Process
➔Discuss what departments are involved, how they participate, what their contributions
are, and how long it takes for completion. Mention what the key challenges might be,
highlighting how this can be resolved.
Results and Conclusions
➔Talk about the results of the business plan and how you can use these findings in the
future. If there was a problem you encountered, discuss how it was resolved.
Recommendations
➔Explain how the findings can be translated into a strategy to help your business grow. If
there needs to be any changes, discuss how they will impact the business.
Typically, an executive summary has 5 main points:
Project Summary
➔In a few sentences, provide a brief description of the business, its purpose, and the main
problem or issue that prompted you to expand your business.
Background
➔Concisely describe the history of the business and cite a particular event which led to its
conception.
Process
➔Discuss what departments are involved, how they participate, what their contributions
are, and how long it takes for completion. Mention what the key challenges might be,
highlighting how this can be resolved.
Results and Conclusions
➔Talk about the results of the business plan and how you can use these findings in the
future. If there was a problem you encountered, discuss how it was resolved.
Recommendations
➔Explain how the findings can be translated into a strategy to help your business grow. If
there needs to be any changes, discuss how they will impact the business.
2. Company Description
It’s time to get into the bread and butter of the business
template! This is where you get into the details of your
business and its livelihood.
The company description outlines vital details about your business,
such as where you are located, how large the business is, what you do,
and what you hope to accomplish.
A company description is the general overview of a business’s plan,
vision, and relationships. The exact elements included in your
company description can vary, but some elements are more common
than others and most likely should be part of the section.
It’s time to get into the bread and butter of the business
template! This is where you get into the details of your
business and its livelihood.
The company description outlines vital details about your business,
such as where you are located, how large the business is, what you do,
and what you hope to accomplish.
A company description is the general overview of a business’s plan,
vision, and relationships. The exact elements included in your
company description can vary, but some elements are more common
than others and most likely should be part of the section.
2. Company Description
Think of your company description almost like it’s an elevator pitch. A good
company description is clear and concise, and you can leave out many of the
specifics that your business plan covers elsewhere.
Remember, don’t be shy! Let your passion and excitement show in the company
description section as you explain why you started the business and what you
hope to accomplish.
1.Company's name
2.Business structure
3.Ownership/management team
4.Location
5. Company history
6. Mission statement
7. Overview of the target market
8. Vision statement
This section typically includes:
Think of your company description almost like it’s an elevator pitch. A good
company description is clear and concise, and you can leave out many of the
specifics that your business plan covers elsewhere.
Remember, don’t be shy! Let your passion and excitement show in the company
description section as you explain why you started the business and what you
hope to accomplish.
1.Company's name
2.Business structure
3.Ownership/management team
4.Location
5. Company history
6. Mission statement
7. Overview of the target market
8. Vision statement
This section typically includes:
3. Market Analysis
The market analysis section of your business plan is basically centered around understanding
your customer base. It is advantageous to identify how your business can be competitive in the
industry by being aware of the different types of people that might be interested in your service.
Typically, the market analysis section should include information about the industry, your target
market, your competition, and how you intend to make a space for your own service.
Note: Comprehensive data (only the most important statistics) for this section should be added to the end of the business plan as appendices.
The market analysis section should include the following:
1.Industry Description: Statistics on industry size, growth rate, trends, and outlook.
2.Target Market: Who is your ideal audience (demographics including age, gender, income
level, and lifestyle preferences), and how do you intend to reach that market?
3.Understand your Competition: Look at market saturation, strengths, and weaknesses in
the market.
4.Additional Information: Distribution model, price points, buying trends…
5.Analyze data: Results of the market research you conducted.
The market analysis section of your business plan is basically centered around understanding
your customer base. It is advantageous to identify how your business can be competitive in the
industry by being aware of the different types of people that might be interested in your service.
Typically, the market analysis section should include information about the industry, your target
market, your competition, and how you intend to make a space for your own service.
Note: Comprehensive data (only the most important statistics) for this section should be added to the end of the business plan as appendices.
The market analysis section should include the following:
1.Industry Description: Statistics on industry size, growth rate, trends, and outlook.
2.Target Market: Who is your ideal audience (demographics including age, gender, income
level, and lifestyle preferences), and how do you intend to reach that market?
3.Understand your Competition: Look at market saturation, strengths, and weaknesses in
the market.
4.Additional Information: Distribution model, price points, buying trends…
5.Analyze data: Results of the market research you conducted.
4. Organizational Structure
Now that you have made the leap to kickstart your business into high-gear (congrats, btw!), it's
time to start thinking about how you want to structure your business. This is particularly
important if there are multiple business owners, and if you are working with others (for example if
your online course has two main coaches that share their expertise).
The organizational structure of a business can include things like whether your business will be a
sole proprietor, limited liability corporation, or corporation, who will run your business, each
person’s responsibility, and how your business will expand if needed… lot’s of fun things to
contemplate!
There are a ton of benefits to having a detailed assessment of your business structure.
First, examining the structure of the business will help for tax purposes. The second benefit is
understanding how each owner will contribute to the company. In other words, if there is more
than one owner, what are their responsibilities, and how they should be carried out. A final benefit
is having an outlined job responsibility segment, which helps everyone better understand how you
divide up management responsibilities.
You'll want to outline job titles and responsibilities, resumes from owners and partners, previous
expertise in the industry, and any past accomplishments that relate to the industry.
Now that you have made the leap to kickstart your business into high-gear (congrats, btw!), it's
time to start thinking about how you want to structure your business. This is particularly
important if there are multiple business owners, and if you are working with others (for example if
your online course has two main coaches that share their expertise).
The organizational structure of a business can include things like whether your business will be a
sole proprietor, limited liability corporation, or corporation, who will run your business, each
person’s responsibility, and how your business will expand if needed… lot’s of fun things to
contemplate!
There are a ton of benefits to having a detailed assessment of your business structure.
First, examining the structure of the business will help for tax purposes. The second benefit is
understanding how each owner will contribute to the company. In other words, if there is more
than one owner, what are their responsibilities, and how they should be carried out. A final benefit
is having an outlined job responsibility segment, which helps everyone better understand how you
divide up management responsibilities.
You'll want to outline job titles and responsibilities, resumes from owners and partners, previous
expertise in the industry, and any past accomplishments that relate to the industry.
5. Products and Services
The products and services section is
more than just a list of what your
business is going to provide.
This part of your business plan should
outline details about how you'll price
services, how you'll deliver your service,
and exactly how you plan to market your
service or product.
Here your business plan outlines your
product or service, why it's needed by
your market (especially if there is no
current market for it), and how it will
compete with other businesses selling
the same or similar products and
services.
The products and services section should
also convey the expertise and experience
you have to succeed.
Now onto the main course of the business plan - the
centerpiece, if you will! The products and services section is
the essence of your business and the point around which
every other part of your business plan is built.
The products and services section is
more than just a list of what your
business is going to provide.
This part of your business plan should
outline details about how you'll price
services, how you'll deliver your service,
and exactly how you plan to market your
service or product.
Here your business plan outlines your
product or service, why it's needed by
your market (especially if there is no
current market for it), and how it will
compete with other businesses selling
the same or similar products and
services.
The products and services section should
also convey the expertise and experience
you have to succeed.
Now onto the main course of the business plan - the
centerpiece, if you will! The products and services section is
the essence of your business and the point around which
every other part of your business plan is built.
6. Marketing and Sales Strategy
You could have thought of the best business idea in the world, or offer a
one-of-a-kind outstanding service, or have created the perfect product known to
mankind… however if you have no marketing and sales strategy, it may as well not
even exist!
A marketing and sales strategy is an essential part of a business plan.
The basis of the marketing and sales section has to do with knowing your market
and competition, finding marketing strategies to maximize sales, and knowing
what strategies are working vs. those that aren't.
The five P’s of marketing are product, price, place, promotion, and people. They
change and evolve with market needs. They will help you to understand the target
market for your business to maximize profit and sales.
You could have thought of the best business idea in the world, or offer a
one-of-a-kind outstanding service, or have created the perfect product known to
mankind… however if you have no marketing and sales strategy, it may as well not
even exist!
A marketing and sales strategy is an essential part of a business plan.
The basis of the marketing and sales section has to do with knowing your market
and competition, finding marketing strategies to maximize sales, and knowing
what strategies are working vs. those that aren't.
The five P’s of marketing are product, price, place, promotion, and people. They
change and evolve with market needs. They will help you to understand the target
market for your business to maximize profit and sales.
6. Marketing and Sales Strategy
The five P’s of marketing:
1.Product
○Explain the unique features of your products and services and how they specifically
benefit your market.
2.Price
○What you charge for your product or service needs to fit with what the market is
willing to pay, and compare to what your competitors are charging.
3.Place
○How are your products and services distributed? How will you get them to your
customers and clients?
4.Promotion
○Understand your market to know what methods to use to let potential customers know
about your products and services.
5.People
○Who is helping you in your business? The people and services that you use in your
business can impact your success… note that satisfied customers will become repeat
customers and will refer new clients.
The five P’s of marketing:
1.Product
○Explain the unique features of your products and services and how they specifically
benefit your market.
2.Price
○What you charge for your product or service needs to fit with what the market is
willing to pay, and compare to what your competitors are charging.
3.Place
○How are your products and services distributed? How will you get them to your
customers and clients?
4.Promotion
○Understand your market to know what methods to use to let potential customers know
about your products and services.
5.People
○Who is helping you in your business? The people and services that you use in your
business can impact your success… note that satisfied customers will become repeat
customers and will refer new clients.
7. Financial Projections
Creating financial projections as a startup can sometimes be tricky to navigate. It can be difficult to
predict your financial outcomes a couple of years down the road, especially if you are still in the
start-up phase and raising money. Regardless, short- and medium-term financial projections are an
essential part of your business plan if you want to attract any attention from investors.
Lucky for you, we have simplified things for what to include in the financial section of your business
plan. If financial reporting is new territory for you, it can be useful to have an accountant double check
your projections.
Sales forecast
➔It can be hard to predict your sales without any previous years to go off of, but it’s not impossible. Sales
forecasts based on a solid understanding of industry and market trends will show potential investors that you’re
not here to play around.
◆For the first year, your forecast should be broken down by monthly sales with entries showing what is
being sold, their price points, and how many you expect to sell. For the second year of your business plan
and beyond, it's okay to reduce the forecast to quarterly sales.
Expenses budget
➔Create a list of all of your expenses that have gone into your business creations.
➔It might be useful to break down your expenses by fixed costs and variable costs.
◆For example, certain expenses will pretty much have a fixed rate every month (rent, insurance, etc.) and
others will be variable (if you have a guest speaker for your online course, advertising costs).
Creating financial projections as a startup can sometimes be tricky to navigate. It can be difficult to
predict your financial outcomes a couple of years down the road, especially if you are still in the
start-up phase and raising money. Regardless, short- and medium-term financial projections are an
essential part of your business plan if you want to attract any attention from investors.
Lucky for you, we have simplified things for what to include in the financial section of your business
plan. If financial reporting is new territory for you, it can be useful to have an accountant double check
your projections.
Sales forecast
➔It can be hard to predict your sales without any previous years to go off of, but it’s not impossible. Sales
forecasts based on a solid understanding of industry and market trends will show potential investors that you’re
not here to play around.
◆For the first year, your forecast should be broken down by monthly sales with entries showing what is
being sold, their price points, and how many you expect to sell. For the second year of your business plan
and beyond, it's okay to reduce the forecast to quarterly sales.
Expenses budget
➔Create a list of all of your expenses that have gone into your business creations.
➔It might be useful to break down your expenses by fixed costs and variable costs.
◆For example, certain expenses will pretty much have a fixed rate every month (rent, insurance, etc.) and
others will be variable (if you have a guest speaker for your online course, advertising costs).
7. Financial Projections
Cash flow statement
➔This statement, in short, breaks down how much cash is coming into your business on a monthly basis vs. how
much is going out.
◆By using your sales forecasts and your expenses budget, you can estimate your cash flow accurately.
Profit and loss statement
➔This takes the information from your sales forecast, expenses budget, and cash flow statement to predict how
much you expect in profits or losses over the upcoming years.
◆You should have a figure for each individual year as well as a figure for the full three-year period (or
however many years you are mapping out).
Balance sheet
➔Provide a breakdown of all of your assets and liabilities in the balances sheet. Many of these assets and
liabilities are items that go beyond monthly sales and expenses.
◆For example: property and equipment.
➔The balance is the difference between the value of everything you own vs. the value of everything you owe.
Break-even projection
➔If you've done a good job predicting your sales and expenses and inputting the numbers into a spreadsheet, you
should be able to determine an approximate date that your business becomes profitable (or breaks even).
◆This will let you know when you can expect more money coming in than going out.
Cash flow statement
➔This statement, in short, breaks down how much cash is coming into your business on a monthly basis vs. how
much is going out.
◆By using your sales forecasts and your expenses budget, you can estimate your cash flow accurately.
Profit and loss statement
➔This takes the information from your sales forecast, expenses budget, and cash flow statement to predict how
much you expect in profits or losses over the upcoming years.
◆You should have a figure for each individual year as well as a figure for the full three-year period (or
however many years you are mapping out).
Balance sheet
➔Provide a breakdown of all of your assets and liabilities in the balances sheet. Many of these assets and
liabilities are items that go beyond monthly sales and expenses.
◆For example: property and equipment.
➔The balance is the difference between the value of everything you own vs. the value of everything you owe.
Break-even projection
➔If you've done a good job predicting your sales and expenses and inputting the numbers into a spreadsheet, you
should be able to determine an approximate date that your business becomes profitable (or breaks even).
◆This will let you know when you can expect more money coming in than going out.
Business Model Canvas
Template
Template
Looking at your business model for opportunities to scale
Not all online course businesses are the same. There are a wide
range of topics that people offer their expertise in, ranging from
motivation, health, beauty, business… the list goes on! On top of
that, there is way more than one type of engagement style that you
can share your knowledge through. Modules, books, conferences,
and 1:1 coaching are just a few to name.
We acknowledge that a one-size-fits-all business course model doesn’t exist.
Each coaching business will offer their own authentic features. Which is why
your business model should reflect your value proposition (what you bring to the
table), the way you make money, and how you deliver your course services.
While each business concept is unique, this doesn’t mean you have to come up
with an entirely new business model from scratch to succeed. The purpose of a
business plan has four main features that can be used interchangeably:
1.Tests the feasibility and model of your business idea
2.Attracts investors
3.Sets a plan for growth
4.Identifies capital needs
Our Online Course Business Model Template applies the basics of a business
plan, and tailors it to align to your business idea with a proven framework. This
will help you lay the groundwork and set you up for success.
One of our favorite ways to quickly
understand your situation (and
opportunities) and build the right
entrepreneurial foundation for your
practice is to create a custom
course Business Model Canvas.
Not all online course businesses are the same. There are a wide
range of topics that people offer their expertise in, ranging from
motivation, health, beauty, business… the list goes on! On top of
that, there is way more than one type of engagement style that you
can share your knowledge through. Modules, books, conferences,
and 1:1 coaching are just a few to name.
We acknowledge that a one-size-fits-all business course model doesn’t exist.
Each coaching business will offer their own authentic features. Which is why
your business model should reflect your value proposition (what you bring to the
table), the way you make money, and how you deliver your course services.
While each business concept is unique, this doesn’t mean you have to come up
with an entirely new business model from scratch to succeed. The purpose of a
business plan has four main features that can be used interchangeably:
1.Tests the feasibility and model of your business idea
2.Attracts investors
3.Sets a plan for growth
4.Identifies capital needs
Our Online Course Business Model Template applies the basics of a business
plan, and tailors it to align to your business idea with a proven framework. This
will help you lay the groundwork and set you up for success.
One of our favorite ways to quickly
understand your situation (and
opportunities) and build the right
entrepreneurial foundation for your
practice is to create a custom
course Business Model Canvas.
What is a Business Model Canvas?
The Business Model Canvas is a popular framework based on a simple template that outlines all the key
aspects of a business. It allows us to easily define and communicate a business idea or concept.
It helps coaching entrepreneurs see their business from a high-level perspective and spot opportunities and areas for
improvement early on, in the planning stage.
The Business Model Canvas also allows you to get an understanding of your business and to go through the process of
making connections between what your idea is and how to make it into a profitable business.
The concept of the Business Model Canvas was developed in 2005 by Alexander Osterwalder (and a team of 470
co-creators). He described the framework at length in his book Business Model Generation:
A business model describes the rationale of how an organization creates,
delivers and captures value.“
”
Alexander Osterwalder
Business Model Generation
The Business Model Canvas is a popular framework based on a simple template that outlines all the key
aspects of a business. It allows us to easily define and communicate a business idea or concept.
It helps coaching entrepreneurs see their business from a high-level perspective and spot opportunities and areas for
improvement early on, in the planning stage.
The Business Model Canvas also allows you to get an understanding of your business and to go through the process of
making connections between what your idea is and how to make it into a profitable business.
The concept of the Business Model Canvas was developed in 2005 by Alexander Osterwalder (and a team of 470
co-creators). He described the framework at length in his book Business Model Generation:
A business model describes the rationale of how an organization creates,
delivers and captures value.“
”
Alexander Osterwalder
Business Model Generation
Osterwalder’s framework includes nine building blocks grouped
into four sections:
Infrastructure (key activities, key resources, key partners)
Offering (value proposition)
Customers (customer segments, channels, customer
relationships)
Finances (cost structure, revenue streams)
1
2
3
4
into four sections:
Infrastructure (key activities, key resources, key partners)
Offering (value proposition)
Customers (customer segments, channels, customer
relationships)
Finances (cost structure, revenue streams)
1
2
3
4
Key Value Propositions
User friendly
Quality
Convenience
Design
Key services
Group course
Self-serve products
What your company has to do to deliver on its
value propositions in the most optimal way
possible. This block should lay out processes
and automation, and organize your work.
Client relationships
Personal coaching
Self-taught
Weekly courses
Key Audiences /
Segments
Demographic search on
what kinds of people are
main audience
Location
Key partnerships
Affiliates to promote your
packages
Software developers
Partnerships with experts or
influencers
Brands
Key Marketing channels
Organic search
Referral program
Influencer campaigns
Key resources
The elements needed to
create customer value.
These are your assets:
your experience, revenue,
know-how, technology,
gear, etc.
Key tools
Email automation
Digital products platform (ie Thinkific)
Key systems
-Online Course Software
-Email Marketing Software
-Edit/ Design Software
Costs
Freelancers and staff
Software
Subscription fees
Revenue streams
Affiliate partnerships
Number of courses sold
Subscription fees
User friendly
Quality
Convenience
Design
Key services
Group course
Self-serve products
What your company has to do to deliver on its
value propositions in the most optimal way
possible. This block should lay out processes
and automation, and organize your work.
Client relationships
Personal coaching
Self-taught
Weekly courses
Key Audiences /
Segments
Demographic search on
what kinds of people are
main audience
Location
Key partnerships
Affiliates to promote your
packages
Software developers
Partnerships with experts or
influencers
Brands
Key Marketing channels
Organic search
Referral program
Influencer campaigns
Key resources
The elements needed to
create customer value.
These are your assets:
your experience, revenue,
know-how, technology,
gear, etc.
Key tools
Email automation
Digital products platform (ie Thinkific)
Key systems
-Online Course Software
-Email Marketing Software
-Edit/ Design Software
Costs
Freelancers and staff
Software
Subscription fees
Revenue streams
Affiliate partnerships
Number of courses sold
Subscription fees
Key Value Propositions
Key services
Client relationships Key Audiences / Segments
Key partnerships
Key Marketing channels
Key resources Key tools
Key systems
Costs
Revenue streams
Key services
Client relationships Key Audiences / Segments
Key partnerships
Key Marketing channels
Key resources Key tools
Key systems
Costs
Revenue streams
Here we have outlined the key components of the
Business Model Canvas, and how to tailor it to your own
business for your online course.
Key services: This is what your course has to do to deliver on its
value propositions, the content and knowledge, in the most efficient
way possible. In this section you should lay out how you organize your
content, and the processes in which you deliver your course to your
students.
Key partnerships: Who will help you do your work? Because not all of
it has to be done alone! Editing, designing, hosting, marketing, and
planning events for your online course will require some assistance in
various ways. You will want to gather people in your corner to help
promote your business, supply your resources, and even offer
additional expertise.
Key Value Propositions: Your value proposition is the fundamental
exchange of value between your business offerings and how they
relate to your students’ needs. This element involves your niche, and
should set you apart from your competition. As a course creator, you
have knowledge about a subject that is valuable to others. You can
discern between quantitative (e.g. money) and qualitative (e.g.
feeling) value propositions.
Key audiences/segments: This is where you identify your target
audience, and scout what kinds of people you feel your content will
connect and reach with. This is valuable to find out, as then you can
figure out how to market to that group. You can also have more than
one target audience (documented as brand personas), with varying
needs and other characteristics.
Key resources: These elements needed to create value for your
students. These are your assets: your experience, knowledge,
technology, equipment, etc.
Key Marketing Channels: This is how you intend to reach your
potential students with your value proposition. It can be through
networking, word of mouth, social media advertising, affiliate
promoting packages, influencers, referrals, or a combination of
different channels.
Client relationships: How you’ll get new students, how you’ll retain
them, and how you’ll increase their value over time and have them
recommend you to others as well.
Costs: What your business has to spend money on to deliver its
value propositions. This block should include fixed costs like rent
or wages as well as variable costs like credit card processing
payments and software subscription fees. As your business grows
over time, costs per unit of value produced could go down (e.g.
through scaling and optimizing your processes) or up (e.g. by
branching out into a more complex set of services).
Revenue streams: How your business makes money. Your
one-to-one course sessions are obviously a revenue stream. But
as we’ll explore in this guide, as a coach, you can also sell products
(online courses, subscriptions, eBooks, etc.).
Since revenue streams are so central to any business and are the
first thing people think about when talking about business plans,
let’s go into more detail about how you can scale your online
course to generate new potential revenue streams.
Business Model Canvas, and how to tailor it to your own
business for your online course.
Key services: This is what your course has to do to deliver on its
value propositions, the content and knowledge, in the most efficient
way possible. In this section you should lay out how you organize your
content, and the processes in which you deliver your course to your
students.
Key partnerships: Who will help you do your work? Because not all of
it has to be done alone! Editing, designing, hosting, marketing, and
planning events for your online course will require some assistance in
various ways. You will want to gather people in your corner to help
promote your business, supply your resources, and even offer
additional expertise.
Key Value Propositions: Your value proposition is the fundamental
exchange of value between your business offerings and how they
relate to your students’ needs. This element involves your niche, and
should set you apart from your competition. As a course creator, you
have knowledge about a subject that is valuable to others. You can
discern between quantitative (e.g. money) and qualitative (e.g.
feeling) value propositions.
Key audiences/segments: This is where you identify your target
audience, and scout what kinds of people you feel your content will
connect and reach with. This is valuable to find out, as then you can
figure out how to market to that group. You can also have more than
one target audience (documented as brand personas), with varying
needs and other characteristics.
Key resources: These elements needed to create value for your
students. These are your assets: your experience, knowledge,
technology, equipment, etc.
Key Marketing Channels: This is how you intend to reach your
potential students with your value proposition. It can be through
networking, word of mouth, social media advertising, affiliate
promoting packages, influencers, referrals, or a combination of
different channels.
Client relationships: How you’ll get new students, how you’ll retain
them, and how you’ll increase their value over time and have them
recommend you to others as well.
Costs: What your business has to spend money on to deliver its
value propositions. This block should include fixed costs like rent
or wages as well as variable costs like credit card processing
payments and software subscription fees. As your business grows
over time, costs per unit of value produced could go down (e.g.
through scaling and optimizing your processes) or up (e.g. by
branching out into a more complex set of services).
Revenue streams: How your business makes money. Your
one-to-one course sessions are obviously a revenue stream. But
as we’ll explore in this guide, as a coach, you can also sell products
(online courses, subscriptions, eBooks, etc.).
Since revenue streams are so central to any business and are the
first thing people think about when talking about business plans,
let’s go into more detail about how you can scale your online
course to generate new potential revenue streams.
Scaling Analysis Templates
Scaling with Products and Services
Perhaps the most powerful way to scale your
coaching business is to tweak the product or
service you sell. The key is to make your
service less dependent on your time or
create a new product that won’t require your
active involvement over time.
Here are some product/service-centric
ways to scale your business:
Get speaking engagements. Presenting at conferences or
seminars is not only a great way to occasionally supplement
your coaching income, but it also elevates your profile as a
coach and helps get more potential students into your
practice.
Start a blog, email newsletter, or podcast.
Blogs, email newsletters, and podcasts are great for coaches
who want to build passive income outside social media. These
content formats let you build direct connections and
communities with various prospects, and they’re great ways to
find potential students and expand your reach for your online
course.
Blogs, newsletters, and podcasts are also publications that
you can monetize passive income. When you’re starting one,
your focus should be on creating useful, engaging content
first. You don’t want to seem like pure advertising - just
subtle, tolerable hints of self-promotion. Even just starting
out with one of these is a great way to scale your business.
Write a book. As you grow your coaching practice, make sure to
keep detailed notes, with observations, advice, and examples.
Soon enough, you’ll have enough valuable material to create
content, like an eBook or book.
Here are five ideas to help you get started:
Ask a client if you can record a coaching session (in
exchange for a discount), and publish it as a podcast.
Blog about your own journey as a coach—and share how you
broke into the industry.
Break down some highlights from your coaching sessions in
a weekly email newsletter.
Blog about common mindset challenges you see in your
coaching clients—and how you help them break through.
Interview other coaches about their career paths
for your podcast.
Perhaps the most powerful way to scale your
coaching business is to tweak the product or
service you sell. The key is to make your
service less dependent on your time or
create a new product that won’t require your
active involvement over time.
Here are some product/service-centric
ways to scale your business:
Get speaking engagements. Presenting at conferences or
seminars is not only a great way to occasionally supplement
your coaching income, but it also elevates your profile as a
coach and helps get more potential students into your
practice.
Start a blog, email newsletter, or podcast.
Blogs, email newsletters, and podcasts are great for coaches
who want to build passive income outside social media. These
content formats let you build direct connections and
communities with various prospects, and they’re great ways to
find potential students and expand your reach for your online
course.
Blogs, newsletters, and podcasts are also publications that
you can monetize passive income. When you’re starting one,
your focus should be on creating useful, engaging content
first. You don’t want to seem like pure advertising - just
subtle, tolerable hints of self-promotion. Even just starting
out with one of these is a great way to scale your business.
Write a book. As you grow your coaching practice, make sure to
keep detailed notes, with observations, advice, and examples.
Soon enough, you’ll have enough valuable material to create
content, like an eBook or book.
Here are five ideas to help you get started:
Ask a client if you can record a coaching session (in
exchange for a discount), and publish it as a podcast.
Blog about your own journey as a coach—and share how you
broke into the industry.
Break down some highlights from your coaching sessions in
a weekly email newsletter.
Blog about common mindset challenges you see in your
coaching clients—and how you help them break through.
Interview other coaches about their career paths
for your podcast.
Scaling with Market analysis
A market analysis can help you identify how to better position your business to be competitive
with selling your online course to new prospects and gain traction in the industry.
Basically, a market analysis is a thorough assessment of a market within a specific industry.
Conducting a market analysis will help with reducing risk for your business and better informing your
business decisions.
Understanding your customer base is one of the first key steps to success in a business. Without
knowing who your customers are, what they want, and how they want to get it from you, your
business could struggle to come up with an effective marketing strategy. This is where a market
analysis comes in.
A thorough marketing analysis should answer the following questions:
●Who are my potential customers?
●What are my customers’ buying habits?
●How large is my target market?
●How much are customers willing to pay for my product?
●Who are my main competitors?
●What are my competitors’ strengths and weaknesses?
Some resources to identity this
(see the next few slides for
these guides):
Size & Demand Template
Competition Template
A market analysis can help you identify how to better position your business to be competitive
with selling your online course to new prospects and gain traction in the industry.
Basically, a market analysis is a thorough assessment of a market within a specific industry.
Conducting a market analysis will help with reducing risk for your business and better informing your
business decisions.
Understanding your customer base is one of the first key steps to success in a business. Without
knowing who your customers are, what they want, and how they want to get it from you, your
business could struggle to come up with an effective marketing strategy. This is where a market
analysis comes in.
A thorough marketing analysis should answer the following questions:
●Who are my potential customers?
●What are my customers’ buying habits?
●How large is my target market?
●How much are customers willing to pay for my product?
●Who are my main competitors?
●What are my competitors’ strengths and weaknesses?
Some resources to identity this
(see the next few slides for
these guides):
Size & Demand Template
Competition Template
Market analysis: Size & Demand
As a course creator, you are in an industry that
has infinite potential and growth opportunities…
it’s all about how you market yourself and analyze the
demand for your products and services!
It depends on what niche area you specialize in, but
there will be certain demographics and groups of
people who you can expect to target.
With knowing who is likely to purchase your products
and services, you can source industry reports that
measure the market size and revenue of your
industry.
For example, a simple google search on the “fitness
coaching industry size” yielded four different
industry reports:
Personal Trainers in the US - Market Size | IBISWorld
Fitness Industry Statistics for 2021 | Policy Advice
Home Fitness Market Size Will Attain USD 17.3 Billion by 2030
growing at 4.9% CAGR - Exclusive Report by Acumen Research and
Consulting
Ask yourself these questions:
●How much demand is there for your courses?
●How many people are searching for the courses
●you’re offering?
●How competitive is the topic?
There are many free resources you can use to your advantage when
building industry reports.
Market research tools:
Statista is a great tool that provides insights and facts across 170
industries and more than 150 countries.
Search Volume:
Use this free tool to quickly check the search volume for your course
topic.
If your course topic is not listed, you can use the following tools to
check for search popularity;
-Google’s Keyword Planner - free and comprehensive, shows
competitiveness
-Ubersuggest - free tool for basic needs
-SEMRush or Ahrefs - more powerful paid tools
-Google Trends - relative popularity between topics,
-but does not estimate search volume
As a course creator, you are in an industry that
has infinite potential and growth opportunities…
it’s all about how you market yourself and analyze the
demand for your products and services!
It depends on what niche area you specialize in, but
there will be certain demographics and groups of
people who you can expect to target.
With knowing who is likely to purchase your products
and services, you can source industry reports that
measure the market size and revenue of your
industry.
For example, a simple google search on the “fitness
coaching industry size” yielded four different
industry reports:
Personal Trainers in the US - Market Size | IBISWorld
Fitness Industry Statistics for 2021 | Policy Advice
Home Fitness Market Size Will Attain USD 17.3 Billion by 2030
growing at 4.9% CAGR - Exclusive Report by Acumen Research and
Consulting
Ask yourself these questions:
●How much demand is there for your courses?
●How many people are searching for the courses
●you’re offering?
●How competitive is the topic?
There are many free resources you can use to your advantage when
building industry reports.
Market research tools:
Statista is a great tool that provides insights and facts across 170
industries and more than 150 countries.
Search Volume:
Use this free tool to quickly check the search volume for your course
topic.
If your course topic is not listed, you can use the following tools to
check for search popularity;
-Google’s Keyword Planner - free and comprehensive, shows
competitiveness
-Ubersuggest - free tool for basic needs
-SEMRush or Ahrefs - more powerful paid tools
-Google Trends - relative popularity between topics,
-but does not estimate search volume
Market analysis: Size & Demand TEMPLATE
Factor Stat Comments
Market Size $12.3 bn US Market Size in 2022
Market Growth 0.2% US Market Size Growth in 2022.
The market size of the Personal Trainers industry in the US has grown 1.9% per
year on average between 2017 and 2022.
Example for Personal Trainers in US. Delete the data, and replace it with your own!
Keyword Monthly Search
Volume
3 Month
Change
YoY Growth
(Year over Year)
Competitiveness
online fitness classes 3600 -17% -45% Medium
online zumba classes 6600 -18% -33% Medium
online workout classes 1300 0% -19% Medium
online fitness courses 1000 -12% -12% Medium
Factor Stat Comments
Market Size $12.3 bn US Market Size in 2022
Market Growth 0.2% US Market Size Growth in 2022.
The market size of the Personal Trainers industry in the US has grown 1.9% per
year on average between 2017 and 2022.
Example for Personal Trainers in US. Delete the data, and replace it with your own!
Keyword Monthly Search
Volume
3 Month
Change
YoY Growth
(Year over Year)
Competitiveness
online fitness classes 3600 -17% -45% Medium
online zumba classes 6600 -18% -33% Medium
online workout classes 1300 0% -19% Medium
online fitness courses 1000 -12% -12% Medium
Market analysis: Competition
Understand your competition.
To be successful, you need to have a good
understanding of your competitors,
including their market saturation, what they
do differently than you, and their strengths,
weaknesses, and advantages in the market.
Start by listing all your main competitors, then go
through that list and conduct a SWOT (strengths,
weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis
of each competitor.
-What does that business have that you don’t?
-What would lead a customer to choose that business
over yours?
The key is to put yourself in the customer’s shoes -
this will help you see your own business
subjectively as well, and what you can do to
improve it so you stay competitive.
When conducting marketing analyses, information is your
friend – you can never have too much data. It is important that
the data you use is credible and factual, so be cautious of
where you get your numbers.
These are some reputable business data resources:
●Search through publications using the U.S. Bureau of
Labor Statistics
●With the U.S. Census Bureau you will be able to search
through tables of raw data, maps, profiles, and more
●Statistics Canada offers demographic and economic
data
●The Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) offers
market research and consulting with industry experts
●The Canada Business Network provides business
information to entrepreneurs by province/territory,
including market research data
●Utilize state/provincial and local commerce sites
●Trade journals
●Your own SWOT analysis
●Market surveys or questionnaires
Use our Competition Template to map out a market
analysis of your top competitors.
Understand your competition.
To be successful, you need to have a good
understanding of your competitors,
including their market saturation, what they
do differently than you, and their strengths,
weaknesses, and advantages in the market.
Start by listing all your main competitors, then go
through that list and conduct a SWOT (strengths,
weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis
of each competitor.
-What does that business have that you don’t?
-What would lead a customer to choose that business
over yours?
The key is to put yourself in the customer’s shoes -
this will help you see your own business
subjectively as well, and what you can do to
improve it so you stay competitive.
When conducting marketing analyses, information is your
friend – you can never have too much data. It is important that
the data you use is credible and factual, so be cautious of
where you get your numbers.
These are some reputable business data resources:
●Search through publications using the U.S. Bureau of
Labor Statistics
●With the U.S. Census Bureau you will be able to search
through tables of raw data, maps, profiles, and more
●Statistics Canada offers demographic and economic
data
●The Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) offers
market research and consulting with industry experts
●The Canada Business Network provides business
information to entrepreneurs by province/territory,
including market research data
●Utilize state/provincial and local commerce sites
●Trade journals
●Your own SWOT analysis
●Market surveys or questionnaires
Use our Competition Template to map out a market
analysis of your top competitors.
Market analysis: Competition TEMPLATE
Input your own data, or grab our detailed Competitor Review & Benchmarking Templates here
You Competitor 1 Competitor 2 Competitor 3
Basics Website URL
Unique Value Proposition
Years in business
Product# Courses Offered
Price Range
Does Cohort Based Classes
Does live classes
Offers free classes or trials
Offers learning community
Monthly membership
Prom Advertises
Listed on course
marketplaces?
Social Followers
Input your own data, or grab our detailed Competitor Review & Benchmarking Templates here
You Competitor 1 Competitor 2 Competitor 3
Basics Website URL
Unique Value Proposition
Years in business
Product# Courses Offered
Price Range
Does Cohort Based Classes
Does live classes
Offers free classes or trials
Offers learning community
Monthly membership
Prom Advertises
Listed on course
marketplaces?
Social Followers
Strategy and Implementation
Now that you have all the tools you need to
conduct a market analysis for your business, it’s
time to strategize and implement this plan into
action!
After you collect all the information you can and
verify that it is accurate, you need to analyze the
data to make it useful to you. Organize your
research into sections that make sense to you, but
try to include ones for your purpose, target market
and competition.
These are the main elements your research
should include:
●An overview of your industry’s size and
growth rate
●An industry outlook (this is where you gather
competitor’s data)
●Customer buying trends
●Your forecasted growth
●How much customers are willing to pay for
your product or service
Once you’ve created a market analysis, it’s time
to actually make it work for you.
Internally, look for where you can use your
research and findings to improve your
business. Have you seen other businesses
doing things that you’d like to implement in
your own company? Are there ways to make
your marketing strategies more effective?
It’s useful to organize your research and data
into an easily readable and digestible
document to make it easier to share with
others.
Remember to retain all of your information and
research for your next analysis, and consider
making a calendar reminder each year so that
you stay on top of your market.
Now that you have all the tools you need to
conduct a market analysis for your business, it’s
time to strategize and implement this plan into
action!
After you collect all the information you can and
verify that it is accurate, you need to analyze the
data to make it useful to you. Organize your
research into sections that make sense to you, but
try to include ones for your purpose, target market
and competition.
These are the main elements your research
should include:
●An overview of your industry’s size and
growth rate
●An industry outlook (this is where you gather
competitor’s data)
●Customer buying trends
●Your forecasted growth
●How much customers are willing to pay for
your product or service
Once you’ve created a market analysis, it’s time
to actually make it work for you.
Internally, look for where you can use your
research and findings to improve your
business. Have you seen other businesses
doing things that you’d like to implement in
your own company? Are there ways to make
your marketing strategies more effective?
It’s useful to organize your research and data
into an easily readable and digestible
document to make it easier to share with
others.
Remember to retain all of your information and
research for your next analysis, and consider
making a calendar reminder each year so that
you stay on top of your market.
Financial plan and projections
Taking the time to create and analyze your financial plan and
projections will help you identify financing needs, optimize your pricing,
plan production, time major expenditures, and monitor your cash flow.
Your projections can also help you analyze the impacts of different
strategies for your new business. What if you charged a different price?
Or switched to more efficient equipment? Testing out these various
potential changes shows how such decisions would affect your
finances.
Here we have included some revenue indicator spreadsheets that can
help you map out your predicted earnings for selling your online course.
This gives you an idea of the profits you can expect, allowing you to
adjust your business plan and budget accordingly.
Use the eLearning Business Financial Tools Course Package +
Membership calculator spreadsheet to determine revenue for your
financial plan and projections.
Sample Pro Forma
Month 1 Month 2 Month 3 etc…
Revenue
Costs
Net
As you develop your business plan, list the key costs of running
a course business and your subsequent costs to operate. For
example: Thinkific, Canva, video editing software, camera setup,
marketing and advertising, etc. This list is unique, and will be
different depending on the kind of online course you are
selling, and the materials/connections you have already
acquired.
In your financial plan, include recurring expenses in an excel
spreadsheet, such as the percentage of home office space that
is dedicated for you to work in factored by your rent, utilities,
and internet services. Other things can include salaries,
insurance, marketing, raw materials, and maintenance. You can
include another section for one-time purchases, such as
equipment and website design.
Taking the time to create and analyze your financial plan and
projections will help you identify financing needs, optimize your pricing,
plan production, time major expenditures, and monitor your cash flow.
Your projections can also help you analyze the impacts of different
strategies for your new business. What if you charged a different price?
Or switched to more efficient equipment? Testing out these various
potential changes shows how such decisions would affect your
finances.
Here we have included some revenue indicator spreadsheets that can
help you map out your predicted earnings for selling your online course.
This gives you an idea of the profits you can expect, allowing you to
adjust your business plan and budget accordingly.
Use the eLearning Business Financial Tools Course Package +
Membership calculator spreadsheet to determine revenue for your
financial plan and projections.
Sample Pro Forma
Month 1 Month 2 Month 3 etc…
Revenue
Costs
Net
As you develop your business plan, list the key costs of running
a course business and your subsequent costs to operate. For
example: Thinkific, Canva, video editing software, camera setup,
marketing and advertising, etc. This list is unique, and will be
different depending on the kind of online course you are
selling, and the materials/connections you have already
acquired.
In your financial plan, include recurring expenses in an excel
spreadsheet, such as the percentage of home office space that
is dedicated for you to work in factored by your rent, utilities,
and internet services. Other things can include salaries,
insurance, marketing, raw materials, and maintenance. You can
include another section for one-time purchases, such as
equipment and website design.
APPENDIX
More approaches to scaling
More approaches to scaling
Why are course businesses so hard to scale?
The good news? You’re unique — one of a kind. That’s part
of what makes you a great coach.
The bad news? You’re unique — there’s only one of you. ;-)
When you’re a coach, you are the product.
You’re limited by the number of hours in a day, especially if
you want to work sustainably and rest on the weekends.
You may be able to sell 50 hours of course a week, but you
won’t be able to deliver all those sessions effectively
without burning out.
When you’re at the beginning of your course journey, you
might find yourself spending most of your time looking for
clients — and not that much time actually course. Once
your lead generation efforts start paying off, your
reputation grows, and you get more clients, you’ll gradually
spend less time looking for new business.
Then, as some of your clients churn (and they will: even
the best coaches lose clients), your business growth may
slow down again. Because of this, supply and demand in
course is a tricky balance.
Increase demand too much, and you end up with too many
clients to coach effectively without your quality — and
reputation — taking a dive. On the other end of the
spectrum, there’s the unfortunate scenario of not enough
demand. If you don’t have enough paying clients to coach,
you can start losing money.
Now that you know the dynamic that can hold your course
businesses back, the next step is to look for ways to build
scale into your business model.
The good news? You’re unique — one of a kind. That’s part
of what makes you a great coach.
The bad news? You’re unique — there’s only one of you. ;-)
When you’re a coach, you are the product.
You’re limited by the number of hours in a day, especially if
you want to work sustainably and rest on the weekends.
You may be able to sell 50 hours of course a week, but you
won’t be able to deliver all those sessions effectively
without burning out.
When you’re at the beginning of your course journey, you
might find yourself spending most of your time looking for
clients — and not that much time actually course. Once
your lead generation efforts start paying off, your
reputation grows, and you get more clients, you’ll gradually
spend less time looking for new business.
Then, as some of your clients churn (and they will: even
the best coaches lose clients), your business growth may
slow down again. Because of this, supply and demand in
course is a tricky balance.
Increase demand too much, and you end up with too many
clients to coach effectively without your quality — and
reputation — taking a dive. On the other end of the
spectrum, there’s the unfortunate scenario of not enough
demand. If you don’t have enough paying clients to coach,
you can start losing money.
Now that you know the dynamic that can hold your course
businesses back, the next step is to look for ways to build
scale into your business model.
3 pillars to scaling a course business
There are three primary ways to scale your course
business:
Operations: Becoming a more efficient operator and
minimizing admin work is key to managing costs and
growing the most profitable parts of the business.
Overall, what you’re trying to do is create leverage that
boosts your outcome without draining your time.
Delivery: You can fine-tune the way you connect with
your target audience and deliver your value. For
example, you can coach groups of people or hire more
coaches to work with you.
Product: You can develop new products or services
that allow you to generate more money (including
passive income) without having to spend more time
course. The bonus? These products can actually help
you sell more of your prime course session at an even
higher hourly fee.
Let’s discuss each approach in more detail and look at
a few examples.
There are three primary ways to scale your course
business:
Operations: Becoming a more efficient operator and
minimizing admin work is key to managing costs and
growing the most profitable parts of the business.
Overall, what you’re trying to do is create leverage that
boosts your outcome without draining your time.
Delivery: You can fine-tune the way you connect with
your target audience and deliver your value. For
example, you can coach groups of people or hire more
coaches to work with you.
Product: You can develop new products or services
that allow you to generate more money (including
passive income) without having to spend more time
course. The bonus? These products can actually help
you sell more of your prime course session at an even
higher hourly fee.
Let’s discuss each approach in more detail and look at
a few examples.
An operational approach to scaling your course business
There’s an adage that says you should work on your
business and not in your business if you want to be a
successful entrepreneur.
In fact, if you’re always course, you won’t have the time for
strategic planning and figuring out how to scale your
course business.
One way to avoid that is to automate your operations by
using a template.
Of course, each client will come to you with different
needs and expectations. But this doesn’t mean that you
have to develop a new course strategy from scratch for
each and every one of your clients.
Using a course program template is a much more efficient
way to deliver a great personalized experience every time.
A program template can help you scale your course
business while improving the quality of your services.
Download our fully customizable template that you can
use to design your signature course program.
Why do you need a course program template?
First things first — do you even need a course program
template? You might be thinking that, for best results, you
should structure a new program for each client. And that’s
not exactly wrong — you should customize your approach
to address each client’s needs. But you can save a lot of
time by developing a basic program structure, and
tweaking it accordingly on a case-by-case basis.
Consider some of the most important benefits of using a
course program template.
Organize your process
When building your template, map out all of the
non-negotiable elements of your course strategy, from
initial client assessment, all the way to collecting
post-course feedback. This will help you stay organized
when planning course sessions with new clients.
Create a signature experience
Your course program is your secret sauce. Make sure it
reflects your unique value proposition (a.k.a. how your
course services are better than your competitors’).
Following a well-structured process with each client will
help you consistently deliver a high-quality service that is
uniquely and recognizably yours.
There’s an adage that says you should work on your
business and not in your business if you want to be a
successful entrepreneur.
In fact, if you’re always course, you won’t have the time for
strategic planning and figuring out how to scale your
course business.
One way to avoid that is to automate your operations by
using a template.
Of course, each client will come to you with different
needs and expectations. But this doesn’t mean that you
have to develop a new course strategy from scratch for
each and every one of your clients.
Using a course program template is a much more efficient
way to deliver a great personalized experience every time.
A program template can help you scale your course
business while improving the quality of your services.
Download our fully customizable template that you can
use to design your signature course program.
Why do you need a course program template?
First things first — do you even need a course program
template? You might be thinking that, for best results, you
should structure a new program for each client. And that’s
not exactly wrong — you should customize your approach
to address each client’s needs. But you can save a lot of
time by developing a basic program structure, and
tweaking it accordingly on a case-by-case basis.
Consider some of the most important benefits of using a
course program template.
Organize your process
When building your template, map out all of the
non-negotiable elements of your course strategy, from
initial client assessment, all the way to collecting
post-course feedback. This will help you stay organized
when planning course sessions with new clients.
Create a signature experience
Your course program is your secret sauce. Make sure it
reflects your unique value proposition (a.k.a. how your
course services are better than your competitors’).
Following a well-structured process with each client will
help you consistently deliver a high-quality service that is
uniquely and recognizably yours.
Save time (and money)
Depending on your location, specialization, and an array of
other factors, you can be charging your customers
anywhere from $80 to upwards of $500 per hour of
course. These numbers speak for themselves — your time
is better spent on course than on admin tasks. A good
program template will help you keep prep time to a
minimum and open your calendar to new clients.
Scale your business
Perhaps the key benefit of having an easy-to-replicate
process is that it will help your business to grow. A good
course template will make onboarding new clients a
breeze. It can also help you branch out into group course
and online course courses, effectively unlocking new
revenue streams for your business.
You can also use templates to plan individual course
sessions. A good course session template goes a long way
— it can help both beginners and seasoned coaches follow
best practices, consistently deliver high-quality services,
and develop signature course styles.
If you’re not sure how to build one, read on.
Why does the structure of your course sessions matter?
Every course session is unique, so spending time on
building a rigid session structure might seem
unnecessary. But setting up a basic framework will help
you stay organized and deliver quality course during each
of your sessions.
Here are other reasons why sticking to a defined course
session structure is a good idea:
It will help your clients feel comfortable. Every session,
they will know what to expect, and it will take them less
time to open up to meaningful, out-of-the-comfort-zone
conversations.
You’ll never skip an important question. We’re all human.
Without an action plan to follow, you might get caught up
in client conversations and forget to ask important
questions that could take the session down an engaging
and productive avenue.
It makes for a signature experience. Following a
well-structured process during every session will help you
come across as a professional and consistently deliver a
high-quality service that is uniquely and recognizably
yours.
Remember, you’re only mapping out the most important,
non-negotiable elements of your course sessions. You will
still be able to tweak your course session template on a
case-by-case basis and deliver great course that will help
all your clients achieve their unique goals.
Depending on your location, specialization, and an array of
other factors, you can be charging your customers
anywhere from $80 to upwards of $500 per hour of
course. These numbers speak for themselves — your time
is better spent on course than on admin tasks. A good
program template will help you keep prep time to a
minimum and open your calendar to new clients.
Scale your business
Perhaps the key benefit of having an easy-to-replicate
process is that it will help your business to grow. A good
course template will make onboarding new clients a
breeze. It can also help you branch out into group course
and online course courses, effectively unlocking new
revenue streams for your business.
You can also use templates to plan individual course
sessions. A good course session template goes a long way
— it can help both beginners and seasoned coaches follow
best practices, consistently deliver high-quality services,
and develop signature course styles.
If you’re not sure how to build one, read on.
Why does the structure of your course sessions matter?
Every course session is unique, so spending time on
building a rigid session structure might seem
unnecessary. But setting up a basic framework will help
you stay organized and deliver quality course during each
of your sessions.
Here are other reasons why sticking to a defined course
session structure is a good idea:
It will help your clients feel comfortable. Every session,
they will know what to expect, and it will take them less
time to open up to meaningful, out-of-the-comfort-zone
conversations.
You’ll never skip an important question. We’re all human.
Without an action plan to follow, you might get caught up
in client conversations and forget to ask important
questions that could take the session down an engaging
and productive avenue.
It makes for a signature experience. Following a
well-structured process during every session will help you
come across as a professional and consistently deliver a
high-quality service that is uniquely and recognizably
yours.
Remember, you’re only mapping out the most important,
non-negotiable elements of your course sessions. You will
still be able to tweak your course session template on a
case-by-case basis and deliver great course that will help
all your clients achieve their unique goals.
The power of automation
Along with templates, another great way to streamline the
operations of your course business is through automation.
Pay attention to tasks you’re repeating, for example, such
as sending clients reminders of their sessions,
encouraging prospects to commit to a block of sessions,
or asking for feedback. Then use email marketing tools to
build templates that automatically personalize routine
messages to clients and send them at the optimal time.
For more tools and resources that can help you scale and
automate your course business, check out our Ultimate
Coach Buyer’s Guide.
If you can’t automate something, consider hiring a virtual
assistant or contracting the admin work out to a third
party.
If you personally don’t need to be teaching something, find
another coach who can do it for you. Hiring staff will allow
you to focus on the business, while your staff works in the
business
With products like online courses built with Thinkific,
automation and operational efficiency always remains
high. You practically don’t need to do anything but create a
course once and continue marketing and selling it for a
long time. That’s why online courses can be such a boost
to any course practice.
Along with templates, another great way to streamline the
operations of your course business is through automation.
Pay attention to tasks you’re repeating, for example, such
as sending clients reminders of their sessions,
encouraging prospects to commit to a block of sessions,
or asking for feedback. Then use email marketing tools to
build templates that automatically personalize routine
messages to clients and send them at the optimal time.
For more tools and resources that can help you scale and
automate your course business, check out our Ultimate
Coach Buyer’s Guide.
If you can’t automate something, consider hiring a virtual
assistant or contracting the admin work out to a third
party.
If you personally don’t need to be teaching something, find
another coach who can do it for you. Hiring staff will allow
you to focus on the business, while your staff works in the
business
With products like online courses built with Thinkific,
automation and operational efficiency always remains
high. You practically don’t need to do anything but create a
course once and continue marketing and selling it for a
long time. That’s why online courses can be such a boost
to any course practice.
A delivery approach to scaling your course business
At the beginning of your course career, you’re likely
meeting with clients in person, and it’s you who’s doing all
the work. Diversifying your course offering might result in
a steadier and healthier business.
Consider three different operational scales.
Low-scale: one-to-one. The smallest scale of course
businesses is having to sit down with clients individually.
Even if you charge a lot for your services, you’ll quickly hit
the ceiling once all your available time slots are booked up.
It will be difficult to scale past this point.
Mid-scale: one-to-many. To resolve the low-scale
problem, you might try to hire other coaches to work
one-on-one with your clients. This will, however, create
admin and management work for you. The mid-scale
approach tends to work for businesses where course is
relatively simple and not centered around your persona.
High-scale: One-to-many or many-to-many. A more
scalable course approach is to create as many
opportunities for one-to-many course as you can. This
means introducing group course, workshops, special
presentations, etc. The idea is that you can charge per
person and multiply the amount by the number of people
in attendance.
With time, you can even hire other coaches to do the same
and turn your model into a full many-to-many service.
While some people argue that introducing other people
into your practice will require you to lower your prices
(compared to one-to-one), it could actually be a great
thing.
First, by offering lower prices, you’d naturally increase
demand. Second, you could diversify your pricing model
and charge less for group programs than for individual
sessions.
As this graph illustrates, even if your profit per client
drops as you scale, your total revenue can grow
substantially. By introducing lower-priced options like
group course the pool of people who will pay for these
services can expand.
At the beginning of your course career, you’re likely
meeting with clients in person, and it’s you who’s doing all
the work. Diversifying your course offering might result in
a steadier and healthier business.
Consider three different operational scales.
Low-scale: one-to-one. The smallest scale of course
businesses is having to sit down with clients individually.
Even if you charge a lot for your services, you’ll quickly hit
the ceiling once all your available time slots are booked up.
It will be difficult to scale past this point.
Mid-scale: one-to-many. To resolve the low-scale
problem, you might try to hire other coaches to work
one-on-one with your clients. This will, however, create
admin and management work for you. The mid-scale
approach tends to work for businesses where course is
relatively simple and not centered around your persona.
High-scale: One-to-many or many-to-many. A more
scalable course approach is to create as many
opportunities for one-to-many course as you can. This
means introducing group course, workshops, special
presentations, etc. The idea is that you can charge per
person and multiply the amount by the number of people
in attendance.
With time, you can even hire other coaches to do the same
and turn your model into a full many-to-many service.
While some people argue that introducing other people
into your practice will require you to lower your prices
(compared to one-to-one), it could actually be a great
thing.
First, by offering lower prices, you’d naturally increase
demand. Second, you could diversify your pricing model
and charge less for group programs than for individual
sessions.
As this graph illustrates, even if your profit per client
drops as you scale, your total revenue can grow
substantially. By introducing lower-priced options like
group course the pool of people who will pay for these
services can expand.
A product approach to scaling your course business
Perhaps the most powerful way to scale your course business
is to tweak the product or service you sell. The key is to make
your service less dependent on your time or create a new
product that won’t require your active involvement over time.
Here are some product-centric ways to scale your business:
Get speaking engagements. Presenting at conferences is not
only a great way to occasionally supplement your course
income, but it also elevates your profile as a coach and helps
get more potential clients into your practice.
Start a blog, email newsletter, or podcast
Blogs, email newsletters, and podcasts are great for life
coaches who want to build passive income outside social
media. These content formats let you build direct connections
and community with life course prospects, and they’re great
ways to find buyers for your online course courses.
First and foremost, your blog, newsletter, or podcast should
showcase your course skills and advertise your core business
as a life coach. If you’re getting more consultation requests,
you’re winning.
But that’s not the whole story. Blogs, newsletters and podcasts
are also publications that you can monetize and use to run up
those residual checks.
When you’re starting one, your focus should be on creating
useful, engaging content first. You don’t want your podcast,
newsletter, or blog to seem like pure advertising—you want just
a small, tolerable hint of self-promotion.
And if you’re very busy with your core business, don’t pressure
yourself to do all three—just pick one content format. Here are
five ideas you can steal to get started:
Ask a client if you can record a course session (in
exchange for a discount), and publish it as a podcast.
Blog about your own journey as a life coach—and share
how you broke into the industry.
Break down some highlights from your course sessions
in a weekly email newsletter.
Blog about common mindset challenges you see in your
course clients—and how you help them break through.
Interview other life coaches about their career paths for
your podcast.
1
2
3
4
5
Perhaps the most powerful way to scale your course business
is to tweak the product or service you sell. The key is to make
your service less dependent on your time or create a new
product that won’t require your active involvement over time.
Here are some product-centric ways to scale your business:
Get speaking engagements. Presenting at conferences is not
only a great way to occasionally supplement your course
income, but it also elevates your profile as a coach and helps
get more potential clients into your practice.
Start a blog, email newsletter, or podcast
Blogs, email newsletters, and podcasts are great for life
coaches who want to build passive income outside social
media. These content formats let you build direct connections
and community with life course prospects, and they’re great
ways to find buyers for your online course courses.
First and foremost, your blog, newsletter, or podcast should
showcase your course skills and advertise your core business
as a life coach. If you’re getting more consultation requests,
you’re winning.
But that’s not the whole story. Blogs, newsletters and podcasts
are also publications that you can monetize and use to run up
those residual checks.
When you’re starting one, your focus should be on creating
useful, engaging content first. You don’t want your podcast,
newsletter, or blog to seem like pure advertising—you want just
a small, tolerable hint of self-promotion.
And if you’re very busy with your core business, don’t pressure
yourself to do all three—just pick one content format. Here are
five ideas you can steal to get started:
Ask a client if you can record a course session (in
exchange for a discount), and publish it as a podcast.
Blog about your own journey as a life coach—and share
how you broke into the industry.
Break down some highlights from your course sessions
in a weekly email newsletter.
Blog about common mindset challenges you see in your
course clients—and how you help them break through.
Interview other life coaches about their career paths for
your podcast.
1
2
3
4
5
Ready to get started? Check out our comprehensive guides to
starting successful podcasts, building email lists, and building
up your blogging audience.
Passive income products
Inherently, course is an active, not passive, business.
What is passive income?
Passive income is money that you earn when people use
something valuable and permanent that you’ve created, often
information products like eBooks, membership sites, or online
courses. Once you put this type of resource out there, it
generates income without your active involvement.
For coaches, passive income is separate from hourly rates,
course client rosters, and the number of course sessions that
can be squeezed into a week.
Put another way: Active income depends on what you do, but
passive income depends on what you own and can sell.
You might be making $231/hour—that’s the average salary for
coaches in the United States, according to the Financial Times.
But without additional revenue streams, you can only earn as
much as you can work, because your income is purely active.
On the flipside: if you’re selling an online course course,
racking up digital marketing referrals, or selling an eBook on
executive mindsets, you’re earning passive income.
Books, e-learning courses, and memberships generate passive
income without you having to do anything. Of course, it takes a
lot of work initially to create an info product such as an eBook
or an e-course. However, once ready, they will continue to
generate passive income without you lifting a finger.
Let’s look at some powerful product ideas with real passive
income potential:
Write a book. As you grow your course practice, make sure to
keep detailed notes, with observations, advice, and examples.
Soon enough, you’ll have enough valuable material to create
content, like an eBook or book. While writing a book takes
time, you only have to do it once, and you’ll be able to reap the
benefits for years to come. You can also use the book as
leverage to line up more opportunities, such as speaking gigs.
Writing an eBook may seem intimidating, but remember that
you’re not writing a novel. You’ll have more success writing a
shorter, 20-50 page guide that empowers people trying to learn
a specific skill or make a specific change in their lives. Narrow
in on your expertise, and don’t go too broad. That’s where you’ll
create value worth paying for.
This said: writing an eBook is not for everyone. It’s challenging
and represents a real time investment. You might not have the
time, and that’s totally okay. And if you don’t have an audience
that you can convert into paying readers, we suggest starting
off by launching an online course or starting a blog, podcast, or
newsletter. There’s less start-up risk and a higher potential ROI.
starting successful podcasts, building email lists, and building
up your blogging audience.
Passive income products
Inherently, course is an active, not passive, business.
What is passive income?
Passive income is money that you earn when people use
something valuable and permanent that you’ve created, often
information products like eBooks, membership sites, or online
courses. Once you put this type of resource out there, it
generates income without your active involvement.
For coaches, passive income is separate from hourly rates,
course client rosters, and the number of course sessions that
can be squeezed into a week.
Put another way: Active income depends on what you do, but
passive income depends on what you own and can sell.
You might be making $231/hour—that’s the average salary for
coaches in the United States, according to the Financial Times.
But without additional revenue streams, you can only earn as
much as you can work, because your income is purely active.
On the flipside: if you’re selling an online course course,
racking up digital marketing referrals, or selling an eBook on
executive mindsets, you’re earning passive income.
Books, e-learning courses, and memberships generate passive
income without you having to do anything. Of course, it takes a
lot of work initially to create an info product such as an eBook
or an e-course. However, once ready, they will continue to
generate passive income without you lifting a finger.
Let’s look at some powerful product ideas with real passive
income potential:
Write a book. As you grow your course practice, make sure to
keep detailed notes, with observations, advice, and examples.
Soon enough, you’ll have enough valuable material to create
content, like an eBook or book. While writing a book takes
time, you only have to do it once, and you’ll be able to reap the
benefits for years to come. You can also use the book as
leverage to line up more opportunities, such as speaking gigs.
Writing an eBook may seem intimidating, but remember that
you’re not writing a novel. You’ll have more success writing a
shorter, 20-50 page guide that empowers people trying to learn
a specific skill or make a specific change in their lives. Narrow
in on your expertise, and don’t go too broad. That’s where you’ll
create value worth paying for.
This said: writing an eBook is not for everyone. It’s challenging
and represents a real time investment. You might not have the
time, and that’s totally okay. And if you don’t have an audience
that you can convert into paying readers, we suggest starting
off by launching an online course or starting a blog, podcast, or
newsletter. There’s less start-up risk and a higher potential ROI.
Building and charging for an online community is also a
powerful way to scale your course business. Think about it:
whatever your specialty is as a coach — from fitness to finance
— that will serve as a common interest or passion for all of your
clients and prospects. The community can provide value to
each of its members instead of you having to do all the work.
Both business models provide your customers with exclusive
access while generating a recurring, passive income for you.
Not only can these products be sources of revenue in their own
right, but they’re also great ways of showing prospective
course clients the value of your knowledge and experience.
They can become a part of an automated sales funnel that can
ultimately upsell them to your exclusive, high-margin
one-on-one course sessions at a premium price!
Scaling can help turn your course business into a profit
machine
The best part about all the course program strategies we’ve
covered in this guide is that they’re not mutually exclusive. You
can try to incorporate all the pillars — product, delivery, and
operations — into your practice and efficiently grow your
business in record time.
You can decouple money from time and scale with Thinkific -
for free! Learn more about how Thinkific makes building
courses, membership sites, and online communities quick,
easy — and profitable.
Create and sell an online course. By far the best product that
most coaches can create with the knowledge they already have
is an online course. Online course packages sell for less than
personal course sessions but are more accessible to people
worldwide. They also have a better time-for-money ratio and
yield a high ROI (return on investment).
Most people think creating an online course is difficult and
requires advanced technical skills. That’s not the case if you
use an intuitive course-building platform like Thinkific.
With Thinkific, you can create an online course without any
programming or design skills. You can pick a style from
professionally designed templates and easily customize your
course modules with the intuitive drag-and-drop interface.
When you’re all done, you can sell your course right on Thinkific
as well. Offering your course to the world can help you get more
visibility and potentially add customers to your one-on-one
course pipeline.
Launch your course in time before the next shopping holiday
(e.g. Black Friday or Cyber Monday) to get an even bigger boost
to your sales. Watch this quick tutorial to see how easy it is to
get started.
Build a community or membership site. If you’ve invested the
time in creating valuable information products like ebooks,
courses, templates, etc. you can also move from selling
individual products to selling ongoing access to those products
through a membership site.
powerful way to scale your course business. Think about it:
whatever your specialty is as a coach — from fitness to finance
— that will serve as a common interest or passion for all of your
clients and prospects. The community can provide value to
each of its members instead of you having to do all the work.
Both business models provide your customers with exclusive
access while generating a recurring, passive income for you.
Not only can these products be sources of revenue in their own
right, but they’re also great ways of showing prospective
course clients the value of your knowledge and experience.
They can become a part of an automated sales funnel that can
ultimately upsell them to your exclusive, high-margin
one-on-one course sessions at a premium price!
Scaling can help turn your course business into a profit
machine
The best part about all the course program strategies we’ve
covered in this guide is that they’re not mutually exclusive. You
can try to incorporate all the pillars — product, delivery, and
operations — into your practice and efficiently grow your
business in record time.
You can decouple money from time and scale with Thinkific -
for free! Learn more about how Thinkific makes building
courses, membership sites, and online communities quick,
easy — and profitable.
Create and sell an online course. By far the best product that
most coaches can create with the knowledge they already have
is an online course. Online course packages sell for less than
personal course sessions but are more accessible to people
worldwide. They also have a better time-for-money ratio and
yield a high ROI (return on investment).
Most people think creating an online course is difficult and
requires advanced technical skills. That’s not the case if you
use an intuitive course-building platform like Thinkific.
With Thinkific, you can create an online course without any
programming or design skills. You can pick a style from
professionally designed templates and easily customize your
course modules with the intuitive drag-and-drop interface.
When you’re all done, you can sell your course right on Thinkific
as well. Offering your course to the world can help you get more
visibility and potentially add customers to your one-on-one
course pipeline.
Launch your course in time before the next shopping holiday
(e.g. Black Friday or Cyber Monday) to get an even bigger boost
to your sales. Watch this quick tutorial to see how easy it is to
get started.
Build a community or membership site. If you’ve invested the
time in creating valuable information products like ebooks,
courses, templates, etc. you can also move from selling
individual products to selling ongoing access to those products
through a membership site.
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