Where to do your coaching, is a troubling question for many starting business and life coaches. There are many options available: 1) an office of your own, 2) your own home, 3) your clients office, 4) your clients home, 5) somewhere in public with other people around (a coaching lunch for instance), 6) in a rented temporary office, 7) coaching over the phone (this is a topic in itself and therefore will be covered at another time.)

Where to do your coaching depends on how you want to direct your business, and your target market. A stay at home mom, may not be able to leave the house, or it would be perfect to do a coaching session when the kids are down for their nap or at school. A business executive may not be able to leave his/her office, or you are to meet them at a power lunch or on their way somewhere.

Where to do your coaching is something to consider.

You want to be aware off:

- Coming across a professional

- Privacy

- Comfort

- External distractions (noise, other people, secretaries whom don’t hold all calls)

- Internal distractions (your client looking at a pile of paperwork, or other things that need to be done.)

- Where can you best coach and guide them. What environment are you able to do the best work yourself?

- Anchors, there may be some powerful anchors in any environment owned by your client. Either remembering them of work, kids, or past memories. It is beneficial that a client ends up anchored to a coaching environment. The place they become anchored to as being coached. In addition we put on different hats as we move to different locations, we behave at the office differently, as we do at home. These could be considered as distractions, that move your client away from the coaching session.

We definitely recommend against doing coaching in public or in a place with a lot of distractions. In the ideal situation your client comes to your office, that is specifically designed to look professional and aid the coaching. With comfortable chairs, nothing distracting other then perhaps a few objects that are inspirational, your diploma’s on the wall, a place that says “this is a professional coaching office.” etc. And we can deny it, but looks do matter! We suggest to deliberately choose each and every object in your coaching office to have a specific function or usefulness (this is another post.)

We also advise against coaching in the place where you live. Mixing business with pleasure is simply not a good idea, and also not professional. Unless of course you have your coaching practice in a seperate room in your house (provided this still comes across as professional.) Keep in mind, most professionals do not receive clients in their own home. Why? Because it’s not professional. We however do know several professional life coaches who’s niche market are people who find a sense of comfort to be invited in to their coaches home. Also people whom come from areas, where there are simply no offices near by.

If coaching at the place of work of your client can not be avoided, do not do it at their desk. Pick another place in the building preferably, or another place then their desk with piles of work within their office space.

As with any starting business it is important to consider your location in terms of being near your niche market, and your name on the door is visible to a lot of people. Good locations to consider are offices which a lot of people pass. If you pass an office every day to work with a sign that says “Business Coach”, the moment you or someone you know starts looking for a coach, that’s the sign that you’ll remember.

It is wise to choose a location your client can safely and comfortably get to. And where they are able to park their car (for free.)

As starting coach you may not have many options. If you can’t present an office that looks professional, you are still better off meeting your client at theirs!

Where to do your coaching, depends on so many factors to consider, which go way beyond the basics mentioned in this article. You’d be surprised how many starting coaches fail, because of the choice of location. You want to stop and think, before you choose your place of work.

We offer business and life coach training:

NLP Practitioner and business coach certification
NLP Master Practitioner, Life coaching and weight loss coaching certification

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