Coaching vs Online Courses: What to get started with?

04 Apr, 2021

Coaching vs Online courses… Should you be a coach before you can get into online courses? Does one have any convenience over the other? Here will be the comparison of coaching vs online courses: what to get started with?

Recently a member of Course Creator Hub asked me if she should, first, offer 1:1 coaching or is it okay to get started with online course creation?

And the truth is – it depends on your goals and ideal business model more than anything else.

There isn’t one right way to go and each one of us might find one path more convenient than the other. But here will be some things to keep in mind!

Coaching vs Online Courses: What to get started with?

1:1 Coaching vs online courses: What to get started with?

Before we get to a more in-depth comparison that will help you to decide whether to get started with coaching or online courses, I want to draw your attention to something important.

Either of these options will take your time and energy. So my very first suggestion is to choose what you LOVE the most at the moment. You can make it work either way.

Coaching

1:1 coaching seems like a starting point for many as it comes more naturally. It’s easier to guide a person through their specific hurdles, especially, if you don’t have a solid base program built out just yet.

This type of coaching is a good fit for some coaches but, for example, I never really enjoyed it only until 5 years into my business.

I started out with courses myself, both evergreen, as well as group-setting with online coaching.

At the same time, these days there is an increased need for 1:1 coaching and more and more people not only get more comfortable signing up for it but also more and more coaches find it their real calling.

The benefits of coaching:

Coaching can build some clientele and be a great way to earn bigger income faster. Online course creation and growing an audience will take a bit longer time than, for example, creating a coaching offer today and selling it tomorrow!
1:1 Coaching can give you a great insight into the exact needs of your potential students. Often we THINK we know what our audience wants to learn more about when, in reality, they have completely different struggles.
Coaching generally is a high-ticket offer so, on average, you might need to sell fewer coaching packages to earn bigger revenue, compared to online courses.
1:1 work with clients can give you more clear idea about who is your perfect audience and how to speak with them which is very important when it comes to marketing.

Online courses

Generally, online courses are seen as a more passive way to earn income and it truly can be so. However, it’s important to recognize that there are various different courses available, including ones with group setting and Live coaching.

I personally feel like online courses can be created at any time: in addition to your freelance business, while you’re being an active 1:1 coach or if you’re trying to leave your 9-to-5 business.

As long as you have a clear to-do list on how to make your course happen, you can move along with it in your own pace!

The key to creating an effective course is to have a solid step-by-step plan or program in place that you can actually help others with.

The benefits of online courses:

Evergreen online courses can provide more passive online income than 1:1 coaching.
A course can be created at any convenient time, combining it with any other source of income. Either you’re still at your 9-to-5 or maybe you’re doing freelance client work.
Online course creation will help you to serve a way bigger audience than 1:1 work.

Coaching vs online courses: Should you start coaching before creating an online course?

Ideally, I’d suggest doing, first of all, what you feel the most passionate about at this moment.

You can start with coaching – if that feels like a good fit – and build the course meanwhile in the background. Or do a course now and later expand to coaching or, possibly, even offer coaching as a part of your digital course!

If you’re not sure about the ideal course topic, coaching can also come in handy as you’ll understand your audience’s pain points better and will be able to come up with more niche ideas easier!