32 Business Coach Success Stories

Are you thinking of starting a career as a business coach?

Becoming a business coach can be a great way to help aspiring entrepreneurs while earning a healthy income. You may want to consider becoming a coach if you have skills in specialized business fields such as marketing, e-commerce, stress management, or leadership.

Many small-business owners are finding it hard to get started, grow, and succeed. As a business coach, your job will be to help entrepreneurs identify new opportunities and take advantage of the ones they already have.

Here are some real life success stories of starting a business coach:

1. E-commerce Mentoring ($1.2M/year)

Kamil Sattar, an entrepreneur with a passion for high-quality fashion, started his drop shipping business after realizing he needed a way to accumulate funds to afford the clothes he loved. He discovered Shopify and drop shipping in 2017 and used his knowledge and techniques to create successful six and seven-figure stores. Now, he specializes in helping others create their own drop ship companies.

How much they make: $1.2M/year
Where they're located: Telford, England, United Kingdom
How much did it cost to start: $1K
Current team size: 6

2. eBiz Facts ($50.4K/year)

Niall Doherty started eBiz Facts after being inspired by a friend who built his own affiliate website to $40,000 per month. Niall saw the opportunity to provide honest and transparent information in the "make money online" niche and decided to create a website dedicated to helping people make money online, focusing on in-depth reviews and helpful content. His dedication to his readers' best interests has led to steady growth in his business and trust from his audience.

How much they make: $50.4K/year
Where they're located: Waterford, Ireland
Current team size: 0

So... can you actually make money with a business coach?

Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.

But how?

1. Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
2. Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
3. Take action, because now you have the roadmap.

Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:

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3. The Mindset Society ($186K/year)

Claire Osborne, founder of The Mindset Society, came up with the idea for her business during the UK coronavirus lockdown when she realized that many employers were struggling to help their employees with stress and anxiety. She saw an opportunity to provide coaching to startups and scale-ups, helping founders make decisive actions and supporting teams to navigate the challenges of the pandemic. Since launching, the company has averaged over $15k in revenue per month.

How much they make: $186K/year
Where they're located: London, UK
How much did it cost to start: $1K
Current team size: 0

4. Thrivette ($120K/year)

Stacey Haynes, the founder of Thrivette, came up with the idea for her business after realizing that many people settle for an unfulfilling Monday-Friday work week and put off their dreams due to a lack of motivation and money. She and her husband, Jason, used their skills in design and customer experience to start small businesses and fund their bigger dreams, eventually earning over $165,000 through Kickstarter. Thrivette now offers consulting and free resources to help others achieve their goals and make their dreams a reality.

How much they make: $120K/year
Where they're located: Dallas, Texas, USA
How much did it cost to start: $10K
Current team size: 2

So... can you actually make money with a business coach?

Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.

But how?

1. Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
2. Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
3. Take action, because now you have the roadmap.

Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:

Start Now

5. The Uncaged Life ($816K/year)

Rebecca Tracey started The Uncaged Life in 2011 after simplifying her initial business ideas and niching down to helping new coaches. With just a small team of 3 part-time contractors, she is on track to hit $1M in revenue this year and has helped hundreds of people start their own businesses.

How much they make: $816K/year
Where they're located: Squamish, BC, Canada
How much did it cost to start: $250
Current team size: 1

6. Rockstar Mind ($936K/year)

Steve Mastroianni, a professional musician, started Rockstar Mind Inc. as a way to make money while caring for his father, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Colon Cancer. What began as a guitar coaching website has grown into a six-figure business, offering private coaching and interactive workshops for musicians. Mastroianni has also expanded his business to include business coaching and has plans to grow it into a seven-figure business in the coming years.

How much they make: $936K/year
Where they're located: Toronto, ON, Canada
How much did it cost to start: $600
Current team size: 3

So... can you actually make money with a business coach?

Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.

But how?

1. Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
2. Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
3. Take action, because now you have the roadmap.

Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:

Start Now

7. Freelance Cake ($240K/year)

In 2009, Austin L. Church started his freelance writing business after getting laid off. Over the years, he developed various creative services and eventually launched an online course called Freelance Cake, which aims to help freelancers and consultants make more money. The course launched in December and Austin plans to scale up sales from $1,000 to $3,000 per month.

How much they make: $240K/year
Where they're located: Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
Current team size: 1

8. Catalyst Growth Advisors ($240K/year)

Bill Flynn, a serial entrepreneur and former VP and GM of a division of a $100MM IT services company, came up with the idea for his business coaching venture after successfully leading a turnaround during the 2008 financial crisis. He realized his passion for teaching and guiding others to achieve growth and impact, leading him to start Catalyst Growth Advisors. With his revenue doubling every year and a book published, Flynn has positioned himself as an expert in helping business owners predict and plan for the future.

How much they make: $240K/year
Where they're located: Concord, MA, USA
How much did it cost to start: $0
Current team size: 1

9. Cain Consulting, Inc. ($180K/year)

Dave, the founder of Cain Consulting, Inc., came up with the idea for his leadership coaching business after realizing the lack of formal training and education in leadership. With over 30 years of leadership experience in various industries, he saw the impact that coaching had on his own development and wanted to help others become effective leaders. Since starting in 2010, the business has been profitable and Dave is adapting to the changing landscape by offering virtual coaching through platforms like Zoom and MS Teams.

How much they make: $180K/year
Where they're located: Sylvania, Ohio, USA
How much did it cost to start: $2.5K
Current team size: 1

10. Ascend Marketing, Inc ($180K/year)

Jim Ackerman, the founder of Ascend Marketing, came up with the idea for his business after realizing that many small businesses struggled with marketing and advertising. He developed a highly prescriptive coaching program that included weekly one-on-one meetings, specific assignments, and personalized feedback and accountability. The program has been successful, with over 600 businesses completing it and only one refund requested.

How much they make: $180K/year
Where they're located: Grapevine, TX, USA
How much did it cost to start: $5K
Current team size: 2

11. JVI Mobile Marketing ($252K/year)

Jay Vics, the founder of JVI Mobile Marketing, came up with the idea for his business when he attended a business growth workshop and heard someone express the need for someone to teach them how to use their smartphone. Recognizing that small business owners could benefit from learning how to utilize technology to market their businesses, Jay started offering services as a side hustle, eventually expanding into a full-service digital marketing agency. Through networking and word-of-mouth referrals, Jay has been able to attract and retain clients, and he continues to focus on building relationships and providing a good return on investment for his clients. Currently, the business brings in around $7,500 a month in revenue, with the goal of reaching $17,000 a month in the future.

How much they make: $252K/year
Where they're located: Greensboro, NC, USA
Current team size: 2

12. Screw The Cubicle ($120K/year)

Lydia Lee started Screw The Cubicle as a blog to document her own transition from employee to entrepreneur. After receiving a message from a reader asking about coaching services, she decided to explore coaching as a way to help others navigate career transitions. Through beta testing and refining her coaching process, Lydia was able to create self-guided courses and build a successful business, generating approximately $10,000 per month in revenue.

How much they make: $120K/year
Where they're located: Bali
How much did it cost to start: $1K
Current team size: 1

13. A Lit Up Life ($996K/year)

How much they make: $996K/year
Where they're located: Tampa, Florida, USA
Current team size:

14. M. Shannon Hernandez ($120K/year)

How much they make: $120K/year
Where they're located: Guttenberg, NJ, USA
Current team size:

15. Luisa Zhou ($1M/year)

How much they make: $1M/year
Where they're located: New York, NY, USA
Current team size:

16. Simply Hudson ($84K/year)

based on Simply Hudson's core values and vision. By offering strategic advising and process design services, along with additional public speaking packages and online business development courses, Simply Hudson attracts and retains customers by providing tangible and effective solutions for their businesses. The company's focus on simplicity, effectiveness, sustainability, integrity, and trust resonates with clients, leading to meaningful and impactful results.

How much they make: $84K/year
Where they're located: Chicago
How much did it cost to start: $16K
Current team size: 0

17. Ya Girl Steph Perez ($1.2M/year)

How much they make: $1.2M/year
Where they're located: Florida City, FL, USA
Current team size:

18. Flea Market Flipper ($99.6K/year)

How much they make: $99.6K/year
Where they're located: Orlando, Florida, USA
Current team size:

19. BrainSpace Optimized ($240K/year)

How much they make: $240K/year
Where they're located: Normal, Illinois
Current team size: 3

20. Coach Carson ($498K/year)

How much they make: $498K/year
Where they're located: Clemson, SC, USA
Current team size:

21. Public Lab ($42K/year)

Kevon Cheung, the founder of Public Lab, came up with the idea for his business after leaving his CEO role at a funded SaaS company and feeling lost about his next step. He wanted to build a presence and voice online to create a sustainable business while also having more time and flexibility for his family. He started documenting his journey and sharing his learnings on Twitter and stumbled upon the concept of "Building in Public," which resonated with him. Realizing there weren't many resources to help entrepreneurs who wanted to build in public, he decided to fill that gap and began writing a guide in public, eventually launching the Building in Public Guide to great success.

How much they make: $42K/year
Where they're located: Hong Kong
How much did it cost to start: $200
Current team size: 0

22. Jennifer Dawn Coaching ($1.2M/year)

Jennifer Dawn, the founder of Jennifer Dawn Coaching, came up with the idea for her business after being burned by marketing companies in her own business and seeing it happen to her clients as well. She decided to vet out quality and reliable marketing professionals who know what they are doing and do the work. This led her to start her own coaching practice, digital marketing agency, and create the Best Planner Ever to support business owners in their growth journey.

How much they make: $1.2M/year
Where they're located: Rhinebeck, NY, USA
How much did it cost to start: $10K
Current team size: 2

23. Peak Prosper ($312K/year)

How much they make: $312K/year
Where they're located: Hood River, Oregon, USA
Current team size:

24. Calendly ($25.7M/year)

How much they make: $25.7M/year
Where they're located: Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Current team size:

25. Graham Cochrane ($1.92M/year)

How much they make: $1.92M/year
Where they're located: Tampa, FL, USA
Current team size:

26. 2X ($420K/year)

How much they make: $420K/year
Where they're located: Los Angeles, California, USA
Current team size: 15

27. Master Passive Income ($5.16M/year)

How much they make: $5.16M/year
Where they're located: Phoenix, Arizona, USA
Current team size: 26

28. The Birth of a Brand ($111M/year)

How much they make: $111M/year
Where they're located: Encinitas, CA, USA
Current team size: 1

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