Best Mobile App for Business Coaches

Conducting business is no longer solely a face-to-face personal interaction anymore. The days of arranging meeting dates via email and linking up in person are soon coming to an end. It will now be replaced by direct messaging (DMs) and video calls (Skype, Zoom, etc.). The ease that apps have provided us for communication has helped us move forward as a society in great measure especially on the business side. 

Businesses have thrived throughout this transition with thousands of new businesses sprouting now that social media eliminates the need for physical storefronts. Apps like Instagram are now set up to be able to service businesses better. With all these businesses popping up there is a newer and more substantial need for business coaches. Just like with the businesses themselves, business coaches have a need to find the perfect app to extend their services to the public. 

Help Yourself, Help Others

The unfortunate but fortunate aspect of business these days is it has to be online in some capacity. For those that may be older, it may be tough to get a handle on the ever-changing and growing atmosphere that is social media and the Internet overall. However one must realize that it is a necessary tool for the growth of their coaching business. 

Beyond getting online, it is also helpful to get in tune with apps that can help you do your job better. In utilizing an app to help yourself you can become more familiar with the ins and outs of the whole Internet atmosphere. The following is a layout of different highly-rated apps that can assist you in performing your job as a business coach.

Persona 

Leading the pack is Persona, with solid five-star ratings on both the App Store and the Play Store.

Persona is set up to be your business operating system. It helps you take care of everything that’s not directly providing your service. For example, its banking component rivals any business checking account with the added bonus of not having to experience any hidden fees or upfront fees to handle your funds. Partnered with companies like Stripe and Goldman Sachs you can rest assured that professionals are heavily involved in this process. The features Persona has that really benefit the business coaching community is:

• Payment Collection: Sell services, collect payments, send reminders and track package usage all from within the app.
• Easy Scheduling: No need for lengthy back-and-forths with your clients. They can book pre-approved timeslots by themselves.
• Online Store: Share the link with your clients, and they can purchase any of your services without having to go through you. No downloads needed.
• Tax Automation and Optimization: They’ll automatically generate your Schedule C/1040 to make sure you have one less thing to worry about.

Use more tax deductibles: They can save you hundreds of dollars by allowing you to easily track deductible expenses come tax season.

The absolute best part that is not mentioned with the features of the app is that it is 100% free forever for the user. It is also the only free app on this list.

Vagaro

Based on the website Capterra.com, Vagaro has been rated 4.7/5 stars based on ease of use and customer service. With a rating this high it is important to note all the features that come with this app that makes it what it is:

• Automated Live Streaming: Easily create virtual classes and one-on-one sessions to motivate, teach and train global audiences. 
• Calendar: Manage one or multiple calendars on the same screen. Reschedule with a simple drag and drop.
• Marketing: Vagaro’s powerful marketing features help you find new clients and retain existing ones. Get featured on the Vagaro Marketplace and the Vagaro Pro App. Launch promotions and Daily Deals. 
• Online Booking: Convenient 24/7 Booking. Clients can book you on the Vagaro.com Marketplace, on their Vagaro Client App and even via social media thanks to our integration with Facebook, Instagram and Yelp.
• Payment Processing: Process payments on any device. Streamline credit card payment processing with Vagaro Merchant Services. Protect yourself from no-shows & cancellations with online deposits. 
• Memberships and Packaging: Create tailored memberships, packages, coaching sessions, and workshops with Vagaro’s powerful coaching practice management software. Set up autopay options to secure your cash flow.
• Digital Forms & Waivers: Go paperless with digital waivers. Create and send tailored forms to monitor goal setting, behavior and lifestyle changes, personal growth, and more. 
• HIPAA Compliance: Vagaro provides a fully HIPAA-compliant software system to your business.
• Dashboard & Reports: Track business performance.
• Branded Check-In App: Check coaching clients in quickly. Clients can easily check themselves in by scanning their phone, smart watch, or membership card.

Vagaro is not a free app. The pricing starts at $25 per month and goes up to as far as $85 depending on the amount of clientele. However, all features are available for any level of plan you choose to purchase, which is not always the case for a lot of apps.

HoneyBook 

The app, HoneyBook, has a rating from Capterra.com of 4.9/5 stars. According to their website, their goal is to supercharge your productivity. Here is what they have to assist in that:

• Payments: Combine invoices, contracts, and payments into a single document.
• Scheduling: Show clients when you’re available.
• Automations: Give instant responses, even off the clock.
• Payment notifications: Know when invoices and bills are seen – and paid!
• Read receipts: See when clients have opened documents.
• Effortlessly Professional: Customizable templates give an extra level of polish.
• One-and-done command center: Integrations that help you run your business your way.
• Next-level organization: Say goodbye to all your open tabs.

This high-level app is not free for usage. They offer 3 different plans, a starter plan for $9 monthly, and unlimited monthly plan for $39, and an unlimited annual plan for $390 a year. The starter plan does not come with unlimited concierge support or unlimited team members. They do offer a free 7-day trial for first-time users. Currently, HoneyBook is offering a 40% promotion on their site for the month of January with the promo code LEVELUP. 

Simply.Coach

Simply.Coach has a rating of 4.9/5 stars and has a focus on making life easier for coaches so you can focus on interactions, outcomes, and growth. According to the website the app has 1670+ sessions managed, 717+ clients elevated and has been utilized in 34+ countries. The highlighted features are:

•  Automated Contracts & Invoicing
• Automated Session Management
• Sales Toolkit
• Shared Content Repositories
• Progress Tracking
• Action Plans with Individual & Team-level notes 
• Automated reports on ROI & Impact
• Automated Coach Onboarding and Client Assignments
• 24/7 Support team
• Security: A multi-tiered data security model

Besides the highlighted features, the Simply.Coach site is full of reviews from established business coaches that bolster the reputation, usage, and capabilities of the app.

Nudge Coach 

Another high-rated app, Nudge Coach, is given a rating of 4.5/5 stars by Capterra.com. The app boasts itself as “ The easiest way to launch your online coaching program in a customizable mobile app. No coding, just coaching.” The features focus on six major points – tracking, cards, messages, goals, sequences, and groups. Through these features, your clients will begin their journey, track their progress, communicate with you (and with others in their community), record their goals, and truly become part of a group, according to the app website. Features are as followed:

• Tracking: Nudge prides itself on its ability to track so that you can keep your clients accountable with their custom trackers.
• Cards: As stated on the website, “‘Cards’ are kinda like emails but WAY more interactive, and delivered right within your coaching app.”
• Messages: ‘Message’ all your clients, all in your coaching app. Send privately, to groups, or post in Communities.
• Goals: Set daily and weekly targets for anything you want your clients to track.
• Sequences: ‘Sequences’ let you schedule out entire programs in advance and deliver them automatically.
• Groups: Make it easier to segment your growing client list and manage community interactions.

For a more detailed run-through of the app’s features, the website has video explanations of it. As far as pricing they offer the option to pay monthly or yearly with 4 different plans offered at escalating prices depending on the features wanted.

The Best App For You 

While Persona comes out as a clear winner – there are so many apps to choose from as a business coach and after much evaluation, you may even end up in a situation using two apps instead of just one. It definitely can become an overwhelming process for some. However, the important piece is to make sure that you are choosing an app that serves your needs as well as the clients. You must factor in the features, the pricing, the ease of use, and whatever other minute aspects that personally matter to your business. 

A business that operates from an app that is tough to work through is a business that will end up losing its customers and in the end, its existence. Also, it does not present well to potential clientele when its business coach’s business doesn’t run as efficiently as it can or should. 

Choosing an app to assist with your business is beneficial but it is also a make or breaks step for your business, so choose wisely.