In business, it’s important to know when you should be aiming for growth and when you shouldn’t be. Ideally, you want to time everything perfectly; because if you try to scale your business too soon then you risk setting yourself back instead, but if you don’t move towards growth fast enough then your business could go stagnant.

But striking the right balance can be tough, so that’s why today’s article is dedicated to teaching you when you should scale your coaching business. We’ll also cover some ways you can do it, as well as the negative effects of attempting it too early. Let’s jump in by answering the big question first!

When Should You Start Scaling Your Coaching Business?

The answer is going to look a bit different for everyone, as there are a bunch of factors that go into deciding when to scale your business. But there are some common occurrences that typically mean you should at least consider growing your coaching business.

Virality On Social Media –

If your business has suddenly gone viral on a social media platform, then it could mean it’s the perfect time to scale your business. Virality on social media, even though it’s fleeting, will usually result in a lot more followers and interest for a small time period. And if you can get those new eyes to turn into loyal fans of your coaching business, then it’s even better.

But if you’re going to scale your business because of virality, you need to keep a few things in mind…

Since social media users can be so fickle, don’t automatically assume that these people will stick around. Meaning, don’t scale your business in a way that will leave you in a lurch once the virality dies down if most of those people don’t continue to show interest. The type of scaling you want to do in this situation will usually be spending more money on social media marketing, so that you can keep up the momentum.

And the second thing to remember is that because virality can disappear as quickly as it came, you’ll need to act fast with whatever type of scaling you want to do. Don’t waste the moment!

New Employees –

If you’ve made the jump of hiring some employees then, if your finances allow, you now have the time to take on new projects for your business. It doesn’t have to be immediately after you hire the employees, since new workers counts as scaling on its own. But it’s definitely something to keep in mind.

Steady Income –

If you’re already enjoying a steady roster of clients, then you could consider the next step for your business. Maybe think about making some courses, writing some eBooks, etc. Or if you’ve already done those things, and they’re selling them consistently, then maybe you could find another new way to scale your business such as creating some other type of product or building your own website.

These are just broad examples to illustrate one point, a telltale sign that you need to scale your coaching business is if you’re already enjoying a steady income. If you’re doing well and holding strong in one area, it’s a great time to add something new to your brand and increase those profits. Especially since you have more funds to work with at that point.

In fact, this is probably the safest time to scale your business!

What Are The Main Ways To Scale A Coaching Business?

I hinted at some ways to scale in the previous section, but I think it’s worth going more in depth on how to grow your business. Because the truth is, many people find coaching businesses are harder to scale than businesses in other industries because of the nature of the service.

And it may be more difficult, but really all it takes are different types of strategies. So let’s take a look at what many people see as the main ways to scale a coaching business.

New Products and Services –

The first strategy coaching businesses can use to scale is probably the most popular, and it’s to create a new product or service. Which one you choose will depend on where your business is currently, where you interests are as a coach, and where you want your business to go in the long run, among other things.

A new product could be anything from a course to an eBook, or something even more out of the box. And one of the main benefits of this type of scaling is that it opens up a path to passive income. All you have to do is put in work upfront and reap the results later. Secondarily, it’s typically not as expensive as other types of scaling. In fact, depending on what kind of product you create, it could potentially even be free.

But a new service could also be a way to bring in extra income, albeit a bit less passively if the service still requires your constant guidance. An example would be to include adding an extra tier to your coaching service offers; this extra tier could involve something more than the basic services that you offer and you could charge more in return.

Hiring Help –

Remember earlier when I said that hiring employees is a scaling strategy all on its own? This is true for several reasons, partly because it frees up your time to spend on other pursuits and partly because the employees present new opportunities based on their skill set.

If your new hire is good with finance, then they could help you cut down on your overhead costs therefore increasing your profit margins. If the new member of your team has coaching abilities on their own, then you could handle more clients at once since they could take over some of your sessions.

The possibilities are endless! But hiring help is also a very aggressive way to scale your business due to the fact that paying an addition salary, or salaries, takes quite a bit of money. So make sure your business is ready for this step before you take it.

Speaking of which….

What Happens If You Try To Scale Your Business Too Quickly?

It wouldn’t be right to talk about scaling businesses without mentioning the potential downsides if you do so too quickly. Because there can be serious, negative affects if you bite off more than you can chew. Which is why it’s so important that you keep in mind the tips I’ve shared today when deciding if you should scale or not.

Scaling too soon or too aggressively could cause…

• You could lose money in the long run. Additionally, if you lose too much then in the worst scenarios you could even lose your business.
• You to backtrack. Particularly, if you hire employees before you’re ready; you could end up having to turn around and lay them off if you can’t continue to afford it. And nobody wants to do that.
• You to lose credibility. With coaching, credibility is everything. And if you scale too quickly then the quality of your work and products could go down, which could cause a decrease in customer satisfaction.

These were just a few examples of how scaling your business could go wrong if you aren’t ready. But don’t let that scare you away from doing it, just make sure to do it safely and only when you’re ready!