Crossing Thresholds

By Rhonda G Hess

Entrepreneurial coaches experience many "firsts", especially if this is their first self-employed business venture. I call these "thresholds". They are moments in time where we cross a gap between unknown and known experience.

Passing through a threshold may require staring down doubt, arming our selves with information, or passing some other kind of self-initiation before moving through.

Some coaches approach these passages with trepidation, some with ceremonious preparation, while others seem to skip their way through successive thresholds with ease, moving onto the next thing without pause. While this last way may sound freeing, significant personal growth is possible whenever obstacles are surmounted. There is no right way except to honor your pace and the opportunities you are ready to face.

50 Noteworthy Thresholds

1. Choosing a coach training program and enrolling.

2. Practicing coaching skills on any willing "client".

3. Telling everyone you know that you have a new coaching business.

4. Offering a sample session to someone you know.

5. Offering a sample session to someone you don't know.

6. Setting up your home office.

7. Telling a prospect your full fees without flinching.

8. Inviting a prospect to hire you.

9. Committing to market to one distinctive target market.

10. Developing an ideal client and business profile.

11. Choosing a business name and registering a domain.

12. Having a professional logo or logo type created.

13. Registering your business, choosing your corporate structure and getting a tax ID.

14. Setting up a business checking account and credit card.

15. Creating a business plan and marketing program.

16. Creating professional intake materials.

17. Setting up filing and bookkeeping systems that are efficient.

18. Hiring your own Mentor Coach.

19. Having someone hire you for your full fee.

20. Having someone hire you from another region or state.

21. Having someone hire you from another country.

22. Creating the content for your own company website.

23. Designing your own talk, workshop or teleclass from your own intellectual property.

24. Delivering your first public event.

25. Launching your website and ezine.

26. Completing your coaching training program.

27. Establishing satisfying collegial relationships with other coaches.

28. Having your first profitable year.

29. Certifying with a training program or the International Coach Federation.

30. Getting your first referral client.

31. Letting go of a client to honor your integrity.

32. Referring a prospect to another coach or a client to a therapist.

33. Shifting from scarcity to prosperity thinking. Manifesting your clients and opportunities.

34. Realizing that you have your first truly ideal client.

35. Realizing that you have developed expertise in your niche.

36. Raising your fees.

37. Having a publication call you for an interview.

38. Hiring a virtual assistant and other professionals to make more time for what you do best.

39. Giving your first group coaching program.

40. Designing a product/service funnel for your target market.

41. Launching your first fee-based product.

42. Making your first passive revenues.

43. Creating a blog for your target market.

44. Having your blog syndicated.

45. Developing your first key-note speaking topic.

46. Being invited to give your key-note for fees.

47. Having your first television or radio appearance.

48. Being invited to an expert panel for your target market.

49. Having half your clients take a break for holidays or finish about the same time and it doesn't faze you.

50. Earning a six figure income in your coaching business, putting significant savings into your own 401K and easily paying your bills/taxes.

This list is not exhaustive of course. While crossing all these thresholds in this order is not necessary, progressing through most of them provides healthy development for a coach and will likely create both financial success and great enjoyment of your coaching career.

Wherever you are on this list, stop to celebrate what you've accomplished and look down the road to what could be next for you.

Rhonda Hess is a business success mentor coach for professional coaches and other entrepreneurs. Her new business, Prosperous CoachTM -- a professional development resource for coaches -- launches early 2007. To learn more and receive special offers, subscribe to Coaching from Center ezine www.bubblingwell.com

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