Is Hiring a Business Coach Worth It? How to Do the Math

Is hiring a business coach worth it? If you're asking that, you're probably weighing the price against the money you're trying to save. I get it. I used to think the same way. In this post I'll show you how to actually do the math, including the cost most people never count, so you can decide if investing in a coach makes sense for where you are right now.

What got you here won't get you to the next level

Start with this. The skills, tools, and habits you have right now got you to where you are. That's great. But the next level needs different ones.

Walk through building a house with me. In the beginning you're putting the frame together, and you need a drill. Great. Then you're working with nails, and now you need a hammer. Then you get to drywall, and you need plaster and paint. Every stage needs new tools.

Your business works the same way. If you're a great fitness coach, or you help people with their relationships, you're great at that. But getting clients, running ads, and selling take different tools. And so the question is, are you going to stumble around trying to find them, or go get them from someone who already has them?

Want to go even deeper? Watch the full video.

Would you build a house yourself?

Let me ask you a simple question. If you needed to build a house, would you try to figure it out yourself, make mistakes, and maybe have something fall down? Or would you hire someone who has built a lot of houses?

If you've ever built a house, you're like, "That's a dumb question, Chris. Of course I'd hire someone."

So why think any different when it comes to building your coaching business? Or learning Facebook ads? Or learning content?

Don't get me wrong. You could learn to build a house yourself. If you put in the time, the money, and the mistakes, you'd get there. But where a contractor might take six months, it might take you three years, or six. A mentor who has walked the path can say, "Here are the steps." That gets you there faster, with a lot less headache.

To be clear, I do have programs that help coaches. I'm not saying this so you'll buy from me. Whether you work with me or someone else, it doesn't matter. I just want you to see the belief that has served me most.

Free costs more than you think

This is the part most people never do the math on. You look at what a coach costs up front. But you don't look at what it costs to not have the skill. That's called opportunity cost.

Walk through the numbers

This is just an example, not a promise. Let's say your coaching business brings in $20,000 a year right now. And let's say once things are dialed in, it could bring in $100,000 a year.

• Every year you don't have that skill, you're leaving about $80,000 on the table.
• Split that by 12 months and it's around $6,500 a month.
• Now say figuring it out alone takes you three years, and with help it takes one. That's two years faster.
• Two years at $80,000 is $160,000 you didn't get.

Compare that to paying $3,000, $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000 for a coach. That's the real choice you're making.

Your numbers will be different. The point is to run them. If you want help seeing what a coaching business can really look like, I wrote about how profitable a coaching business is.

Doing it yourself costs money too

A guy met with me about four months before he joined us. He'd been watching my YouTube and doing it all himself. I gave him some tips, and he said, "I'm going to go try this myself."

Four months later he came back. In that time he'd spent a couple thousand more on ads trying to figure it out, plus all the time. That was about what it would have cost to work together anyway. If he'd started four months earlier, he would have skipped that.

The reason why is that a business is a lot of moving parts. You can have most of them right, and one small piece being wrong can stop the whole thing from working.

I also talked to someone who's been at it for 10 years and is still struggling, still driving for a rideshare to pay the bills. He was close to getting help, then decided to keep doing it alone. I hope he makes it. But if nothing changes, why would the result change?

My own story with investing in myself

I started small. A $97 thing. Then $200. Then $500, and I remember thinking, wow, this is a lot of money. Then $2,500. Then $5,000.

When I bought that $5,000 program, I told the people around me, and they put so much doubt in my head. "You're going to get scammed online. Do you even know this guy?" They weren't being mean. They love me. They were just trying to protect me based on what they knew.

That $5,000 program was a sales coaching program. It's what got me into the coaching space, and it's what finally got me making money. All the attempts before that, some people would call them failures. I see them as lessons. They got me ready for that moment.

And after that, I understood it. Investing in myself has been one of the best returns I've gotten. I've looked at crypto, stocks, options, real estate. I do invest in other things. But I started investing in myself first, and I keep doing it, because nobody can take away what you've learned.

How to tell if a coach is worth it for you

A few things I would recommend before you invest:

• Make sure they're legit. There are people out there who don't care about your results. Check their proof and talk to people they've helped.
• Run your own opportunity cost math. What's one year faster worth to you?
• Look at your own clients. Would the version of you from years ago have paid to skip the mistakes you made? You probably would have.
• Ask yourself one hard question. If you're not willing to invest in yourself, how can you ask your clients to invest in you?

And if money is tight, I understand. But if something is truly important to you, you usually find a way.

When you're ready to choose, here's my guide on how to pick the right coach for your coaching business.

FAQ

How much does a business coach cost?

It ranges a lot. Some programs are under $100. High level coaching can be $3,000, $5,000, $10,000, $15,000, or more. What matters is what it costs you to keep going without it.

Is it better to learn on my own from free YouTube videos?

Free content can teach you a lot, and you should use it. But it usually takes longer, and the time and money you lose while figuring it out can cost more than a coach would.

How do I know a coach isn't a scam?

Look for real proof, talk to past clients, and make sure they've done what you want to do. If they can't show it, keep looking.

If you want help putting this in place, apply here: apply to work with TD Coach.