Welcome to the Gentle Coach Academy!

This includes your bio with a photo (your “About” section). Check out other GSC sites for examples: www.sleeplady.com/coaches.

You will want to make sure you are insured – click here to learn more details about business liability insurance.

Make a checklist and filing timeline for any registration and business filing requirements you have.

Get WiseStamp (free) for your email signature.

It only takes a moment and makes your emails look professional.

If you are only going to pick one to focus on then start with Facebook.

• Facebook Business Page (How to guide)
• Facebook Ads Manager (How to guide)
• Instagram (How to guide)
• Pinterest
• Twitter
• LinkedIn

You don’t need to sign up for everything. Focus on a few and be consistent with posting and engaging.

Also, sign up for a social media content planning tool to make your life easier. We recommend HootSuite.com or Buffer.com.

You can use the GSC logo until you get one. Don’t let this hold you up. You can find a freelance graphic designer through UpWork.com, ask your network if they know any graphic design students you could work with, or look at a stock art and photography site like iStockPhoto.com.

You may be overwhelmed at the thought of building a website but have no fear…it isn’t as scary as it sounds! Take a look at Squarespace or WordPress.com both popular and easy to use, drag & drop website builders. While there are many out there to choose from, these are highly recommended due to their ease of use and simplicity. Everything is in one place – e-commerce, hosting, domain, etc.

You can find even more about this on the Business Marketing Checklist.

Decide on your business name if you haven’t already. Be sure to check the coach directory to make sure that the name you are thinking of (or something very similar) isn’t already being used by another Gentle Sleep Coach. You may also want to check other resources to be sure the name is not taken.

This page (click here) on the GSC website goes over all of the information you will need to begin your pro bono consults. You pro bono evaluations from your clients are due 6 months from today.

As you set up your business you will need to make sure you comply with federal, state and local tax requirements. Unless you are a sole proprietor with no employees, you will need to apply for an EIN number (IRS Form SS-4). You will also need to pay estimated taxes to the IRS, and possibly your state and local governments as well. (If you are near a state border and will have clients in more than one state, be sure to check requirements in BOTH states, even if you are only working in one of them.

Look for meetup groups for moms to offer a free seminar, talk or leave more information. Such as…

• Local Coffee Shops
• Fitness Groups
• Mom and Tot classes
• Schools/PTA
• MeetUp.comFacebook community groups
• Search Instagram hashtags for local mom groups in your area
• Birthing centers or hospital birthing/newborn classes
• Contact your local library and offer to host a free talk

List the problems your potential clients may be experiencing and the benefits they will receive from working with you. You may consider taking a look at the Coaches Directory (www.sleeplady.com/coaches) to check out the sites of some of your fellow GSCs for examples.

3. Write your website “About” page

• Here’s a fun blog post about, “About” pages
• Include the GSC Program summary and a link back to the directory (verifying your certification) on the www.sleeplady.com site which will increase SEO.

Be sure to keep your resource list (mentioned in Week 5) handy as you will be asked to share it at the end of the course.

While you may not have decided what business structure is right for you, identifying the various forms you will need to file will help ensure that you know what information you need to collect in order to officially set up your business, secure a business license (if needed), obtain a certificate of occupancy or any other registration requirements you may have. Check the state, county, and city (or municipal) websites to identify steps for setting up and registering your business and downloading the forms you may need to file.

Here is the one that I use on my website:

Print out (or save a copy) of the Training Release form and Client History (in training) form to share with clients. These forms can be found on the Pro Bono page of the website.

Research your local safe sleeping guidelines (usually by country) and make sure you are familiar with them.

Many state, county and municipal governments have business registration and licensing requirements. It is a good idea to identify the agencies and departments that regulate business in your community. You can start with a basic internet search on your local state, county and city government websites. Many governments have information on their websites to give guidance to businesses for set up and filing requirements.

An editorial calendar can help you organized and plan your communication to your clients (blogging, videos, newsletters, etc.). This blog post (Content Marketing Institute) offers two worksheets, which can be very helpful in implementing a personal editorial calendar for planning communication with your clients. 

Keep in mind some important dates and topics relevant to parents:

• Time changes (how to adjust ahead of time)
• Holiday travel (late bedtimes when family comes)
• Summer vacation (getting back to a routine)
  
• Back to school
• Mother’s day (what’s the greatest gift)
• Holidays
• You get the idea!

This is a great article from Digital Marketer, to help you generate blog post ideas and content to share with your clients.