Beyond The Couch: Expanding Your Coaching or Counseling Business with Corporate Consulting
It infuriates me that in this day and age, most coaches and counselors STILL struggle to cross the 6 figure mark.
Walking with clients through their darkest moments, helping them achieve all their goals and dreams and then we come home worried about how to make the enormous student loan payment or if we’ll make enough to cover all the essentials.
When I speak about this in professional circles, I often get lots of head nods and agreement, but I also get people who are genuinely curious about how we’ve been able to consistently bring in multiple six figures as a practice.
The short answer is because that was always the plan.
The naysayers are correct it is challenging to bring in 6 figures or more as a soloprenuer in any industry and doing it as a coach or clinician is incredibly difficult if you focus on one-to-one clients, but if you expand your idea of what is possible, you’ll see the options are endless.
In recent years, corporate wellness and employee development demands have surged, creating an excellent opportunity for counselors and coaches to add consulting services to their business models. Consulting with organizations allows you to leverage your expertise in counseling or coaching while broadening your impact, stabilizing revenue, and creating additional avenues for growth. I’ve seen this work in my own business and in others that I work with to the tune of 5-6 figures in one contract alone. Here’s a look at why this expansion can be valuable, how your skills uniquely position you for corporate work, and a few strategies for making service delivery easy.
Higher-Paying Contracts
Corporate clients tend to have larger budgets than individual clients. While individuals often have limited disposable income, organizations usually allocate funds specifically for employee development, wellness, and leadership training. According to data from the Association of Talent Development (ATD), companies spend an average of $1,300 per employee annually on training and development. As a consultant, even a small contract with an organization can quickly add up to substantial revenue, far exceeding that of even a half dozen new client sessions each week.
Recurring and Stable Income
Corporate consulting often involves ongoing work rather than one-off sessions. Many organizations schedule regular wellness or development programs, creating potential for long-term contracts. This recurring income can create a more stable cash flow than relying solely on one-time client fees. A client that I work with is contracted with an organization that works with our state. That contract alone is worth over $100,000 each year and is currently renewable for 3 years!
Scalable Impact
Corporate consulting allows you to help large groups of people simultaneously, multiplying your impact WITHOUT burning you out. When you work with one company, your influence extends to their entire team, making it possible to bring value to dozens or even hundreds of employees in a single engagement. This broad reach means your work impacts not only individuals but also organizational culture, morale, and productivity.
Your skills and knowledge make you a perfect match even if you’ve never worked in corporate America.
Once you’ve secured a corporate client, service delivery doesn’t have to be complex. Here are a few practical tips:
Structure Your Offerings Clearly
Create packages that outline the frequency and type of services you provide. For example, offer packages that include an initial assessment, followed by a series of workshops or monthly check-ins. This makes it easier for clients to understand what they’re buying and what results they can expect. Don’t overcomplicate this process. Less can truly be more. If you need to hire or contract with other providers to keep the workload reasonable, do it. Just make sure you calculate that into the price that you offer. Remember, you do not have to do all the work, they are paying for your expertise and how you deliver is on you. I created a podcast for one client of mine, I do not own a recording studio nor do I know how to edit. Both are outsourced and I still net 80-90% of the contract fee.
Develop Template Materials
Having templates for presentations, workbooks, assessment tools, and feedback surveys saves you time and provides a consistent experience for clients. You can easily customize these materials to match specific organizational needs while maintaining a streamlined process.
Consider Group Coaching or Training Formats
Group formats allow you to reach more people in less time, increasing your value to the company while minimizing the time you invest. Webinars, online training modules, and group coaching sessions are all excellent ways to efficiently deliver high-impact services.
Use Tools for Feedback and Evaluation
Gathering data is crucial in a corporate setting where return on investment (ROI) is a priority. Use feedback forms, surveys, or digital assessment tools to collect measurable outcomes. Not only does this help justify the investment to your client, but it also provides you with testimonials and data to attract future corporate clients.
10 Topics Corporations Need Help with RIGHT NOW
If you’re ready to dive into corporate consulting, here are ten common topics companies frequently seek consultants for:
Mental Health and Stress Management: Strategies for reducing stress and addressing mental health challenges.
Leadership Development: Training new and existing leaders in communication, decision-making, and team management.
Work-Life Balance and Burnout Prevention: Helping employees find a healthy balance and prevent burnout.
Communication and Conflict Resolution: Developing effective communication skills and resolving conflicts in the workplace.
Time Management and Productivity: Teaching employees how to prioritize tasks, manage time, and boost productivity.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI): Fostering inclusive work environments and understanding unconscious biases.
Resilience Training: Building resilience to adapt to changes, overcome obstacles, and maintain motivation.
Change Management: Guiding organizations through transitions, mergers, and restructuring processes.
Emotional Intelligence: Increasing awareness and management of emotions to improve relationships and decision-making.
Employee Wellness Programs: Implementing holistic wellness strategies that address physical and mental health.
Each of these topics is relevant across various industries and can be adapted to fit the specific culture and needs of different organizations.
Final Thoughts
Adding corporate consulting services to your counseling or coaching business can be a strategic way to diversify income, impact more people, and utilize your skills in new and rewarding ways. By offering services that align with corporate needs and structuring your delivery for efficiency, you can create a scalable, sustainable consulting branch. Not only can this path boost your revenue, but it also lets you expand your influence, helping to shape healthier, more productive workplaces. Want more guidance? Check out the Beyond the Couch Workshop where you can see how a coach and a counselor teamed up to add nearly 6-figures to the bottom line with corporate consulting.