Three Steps to Establish Your Sleep Coaching Business

If you are a parent or have helped parents in any capacity before, you know how brutal it can be when a child isn’t sleeping properly. Caring for anyone, especially a baby, is incredibly challenging when you aren’t at your best. This is precisely why the profession of sleep coaching can be so rewarding. You can help parents deal with their children’s sleep problems while earning money, from your couch if you prefer.

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What is Sleep Coaching?

A sleep coach can also be called a sleep practitioner, trainer, therapist, or consultant. Like a personal trainer, you provide advice, education, and support to help improve children’s sleep. You will need communication skills, empathy, and flexibility. You should have a passion for helping families and children.

If you’re interested in starting your own sleep coaching business, you should possess a growth mindset and an entrepreneurial spirit. Here are the steps to get your business started:

1. Become a Certified Sleep Coach

Sleep coaching is yet to be a licensed profession, so be cautious of certification courses. Research your potential classes before enrolling. Find sleep consultant training that aligns with your approach and philosophies. For example, if you aren’t comfortable with offering coaching on the Cry-It-Out method, then a course that focuses on variations of that method wouldn’t be for you.

Courses with bonus or add-on modules also called continuing education are helpful for further specialization or fine-tuning your skill set. Many now offer classes to jump-start your business and marketing plan.

Internationally recognized courses are preferable to have worldwide credibility. That way your client list won’t be limited by domestic borders. The International Institute for Complementary Therapists and the Association of Professional Sleep Consultants have lists of approved programs you can review.

2. Establish Your Business

First, you need a business plan. You may have developed one as part of your certification course. It should include an executive summary, business description, product and services, marketing strategies, and your design and development plan at a minimum.

You should research the types of insurance your business will need. You may need a specialized plan for accidental damage and injury if you work in people’s homes. You will want to have the necessary identity checks like background and fingerprinting to reassure your clients their children are safe in your hands.

Once you have your certification, business plan, and know your insurance costs, you can establish your pricing. It’s highly variable due to several factors: the expertise of your certificates, your experience, the region you are servicing, and the level of service you are offering. The amount of time or work needed significantly affects your pricing, so ensure your pricing reflects that.

Lastly, you want to generate your contracts and liability forms. These are crucial to protect your business and yourself through written contracts. These should eliminate confusion about what your service entails and what it does and doesn’t guarantee.

3. Make Connections and Launch Your Marketing Strategy

You have completed the hard start-up work, and now this is the fun and exciting part of starting your business. Setting up a professional website is ideal as your social media pages can link directly to it, but you can also utilize a Facebook Business page if you’re not ready for a complete website. At a minimum, you should have Facebook, Instagram, and Linkedin accounts devoted to your business.

Make sure you have a clear and concise vision for your brand. Keep your social media pages, professional email, and logo brand-focused. Your alignment will keep everything on track when you’re just starting up.

Word of mouth with your friends and family is an excellent way to get the word out about your business. Another kick-off point is a promotion or free giveaway in exchange for a testimonial. Most social media platforms have low-cost advertising services if you can spare the funds.

Utilize social media groups for parents or sleep consultants in your region for support and referral potentials. You can also create a group to share tips and advice, focusing your daily engagement on your target market.

Consider joining a professional organization, like the International Association of Child Sleep Consultants, because they will feature you as a member for searching parents, keep you up to date on advances in standards of practice, and offer member-specific groups for advice and support.

A Never Ending Supply of Clients

Once your business is up and running, it practically markets itself. Thousands of babies are born daily, so there is a never-ending stream of sleep-deprived parents. We all need sleep to function, so you will never run out of client opportunities if you continue to market and build your business. Make sure your clients are getting the best services you can offer, and they will advertise on your behalf through word of mouth.

Sleep coaching is advantageous and fulfilling. You will have the opportunity to meet and help wonderful people, setting their children up for success. You will support a family’s mental, emotional, and physical well-being in one of the most challenging times in their life. Now that’s empowering.