A baseball hitting coach business helps little league players, junior varsity players, and varsity level players learn how to properly swing baseball bats. Even some adults sign up for baseball hitting lessons to improve performance in softball leagues, minor leagues, or to pass the knowledge down to their kids.
Ready to turn your business idea into a reality? Tailor Brands is our top recommendation because it guides you through every step of the formation process with hands-on support — from paperwork and compliance to devising a detailed plan to help you achieve your business goals.
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Start a baseball hitting coach business by following these 10 steps:
- Plan your Baseball Hitting Coach Business
- Form your Baseball Hitting Coach Business into a Legal Entity
- Register your Baseball Hitting Coach Business for Taxes
- Open a Business Bank Account & Credit Card
- Set up Accounting for your Baseball Hitting Coach Business
- Get the Necessary Permits & Licenses for your Baseball Hitting Coach Business
- Get Baseball Hitting Coach Business Insurance
- Define your Baseball Hitting Coach Business Brand
- Create your Baseball Hitting Coach Business Website
- Set up your Business Phone System
We have put together this simple guide to starting your baseball hitting coach business. These steps will ensure that your new business is well planned out, registered properly and legally compliant.
Exploring your options? Check out other small business ideas.
STEP 1: Plan your business
A clear plan is essential for success as an entrepreneur. It will help you map out the specifics of your business and discover some unknowns. A few important topics to consider are:
- What will you name your business?
- What are the startup and ongoing costs?
- Who is your target market?
- How much can you charge customers?
Luckily we have done a lot of this research for you.
What will you name your business?
Choosing the right name is important and challenging. If you don’t already have a name in mind, visit our How to Name a Business guide or get help brainstorming a name with our Baseball Hitting Coach Business Name Generator
If you operate a sole proprietorship, you might want to operate under a business name other than your own name. Visit our DBA guide to learn more.
When registering a business name, we recommend researching your business name by checking:
- Your state’s business records
- Federal and state trademark records
- Social media platforms
- Web domain availability
It’s very important to secure your domain name before someone else does.
What are the costs involved in opening a baseball hitting coach business?
The business needs equipment including baseball bats, baseballs, pitching machines, helmets, baseball mitts, batting gloves, and possibly batting cages. An office with a high-speed internet connection is also necessary. The business requires insurance, marketing, and possibly a couple of instructors if the owner is incapable of providing baseball hitting instruction for all clients on his own.
What are the ongoing expenses for a baseball hitting coach business?
The business requires an office, equipment, utilities, high-speed internet, insurance, marketing, and labor. Budget in a couple hundred dollars per month for marketing. Utilities including high-speed internet will run another couple hundred dollars per month. Your office rent will likely be in the range of $500 to $1,000 per month unless you run the business out of your home. Budget at least $500 to $1,000 per year for equipment upgrades. In terms of labor, baseball hitting instructors will likely command between $20 and $50 an hour our more. A marketing professional and accountant will demand a yearly salary of $30,000 to $50,000. A receptionist/scheduler will earn an hourly range between $8 and $12.
Who is the target market?
The ideal customer type is either a parent with several kids who play little league baseball or an entire team of players. In some instances, it is possible to provide lessons to minor league baseball players or those attempting to launch a baseball career. These individuals are typically willing to pay a considerable amount of money for baseball hitting lessons.
How does a baseball hitting coach business make money?
This style of business makes money by charging for hitting lessons. Parents of youngsters typically pay for the lessons. However, baseball and softball players sometimes pay for the lessons out of their own pocket.
How much can you charge customers?
The amount charged for baseball hitting lessons varies by factors like locality, competitors’ price levels, the demand for your services, and your experience level. In general, each hour of baseball hitting lessons should cost between $20 and $100. If you secure clients who are high-level college prospects or on the local minor league baseball team, you can charge even more per hour. Alternatively, if your clients are primarily little league baseball players and there is plenty of competition in your area, you should charge $50 or less per hour.
How much profit can a baseball hitting coach business make?
A baseball hitting coach business can make upwards of $20,000 to $50,000 or more in the first couple of years of operation. The level of profit depends on the health of the local economy, the number of prospective clients in the area, the number of local competitors, and other factors. Continue to grow the business and profits can approach the six figure level after three to five years of operations. Expand across the region or the country, build the business into an all-encompassing baseball training institution and profits will approach the million dollar mark.
How can you make your business more profitable?
Offer additional services beyond hitting. Teach clients the nuances of baseball fielding techniques, pitching techniques, base running techniques, and other subtleties of the game. Sell old equipment like baseball bats, baseballs, mitts, batting gloves, and batting cages to local little leagues and schools. It is also possible to rent out your pitching machines and batting cages to little leagues, schools and other baseball organizations.
Want a more guided approach? Access TRUiC’s free Small Business Startup Guide – a step-by-step course for turning your business idea into reality. Get started today!
STEP 2: Form a legal entity
One crucial aspect that cannot be overlooked when starting your baseball hitting coach business is the importance of establishing a solid business foundation. While sole proprietorships and partnerships are the most common entity types for small businesses, they’re a far less stable and advantageous option than LLCs.
This is because unincorporated business structures (i.e., sole proprietorships and partnerships) expose you as an owner to personal liability for your business’s debts and legal actions, while LLCs protect you by keeping your personal assets separate from your business’s liabilities.
In practice, this means that if your baseball hitting coach business were to face a lawsuit or incur any debts, your savings, home, and other personal assets could not be used to cover these costs. On top of this, forming your business as an LLC also helps it to appear more legitimate and trustworthy.
Ready to Turn Your Business Idea Into a Reality?
Tailor Brands is our top recommendation because it guides you through every step of the formation process with hands-on support — from paperwork and compliance to devising a detailed plan to help you achieve your business goals.
Note: If you’re interested in more information before getting started, we recommend having a look at our state-specific How to Start an LLC guide (DIY) or our in-depth Best LLC Services review (for those opting for a professional service).
STEP 3: Register for taxes
You will need to register for a variety of state and federal taxes before you can open for business.
In order to register for taxes you will need to apply for an EIN. It’s really easy and free!
You can acquire your EIN through the IRS website. If you would like to learn more about EINs, read our article, What is an EIN?
There are specific state taxes that might apply to your business. Learn more about state sales tax and franchise taxes in our state sales tax guides.
STEP 4: Open a business bank account & credit card
Using dedicated business banking and credit accounts is essential for personal asset protection.
When your personal and business accounts are mixed, your personal assets (your home, car, and other valuables) are at risk in the event your business is sued. In business law, this is referred to as piercing your corporate veil.
Open a business bank account
Besides being a requirement when applying for business loans, opening a business bank account:
- Separates your personal assets from your company’s assets, which is necessary for personal asset protection.
- Makes accounting and tax filing easier.
Recommended: Read our Best Banks for Small Business review to find the best national bank or credit union.
Get a business credit card
Getting a business credit card helps you:
- Separate personal and business expenses by putting your business’ expenses all in one place.
- Build your company’s credit history, which can be useful to raise money later on.
Recommended: Apply for an easy approval business credit card from BILL and build your business credit quickly.
STEP 5: Set up business accounting
Recording your various expenses and sources of income is critical to understanding the financial performance of your business. Keeping accurate and detailed accounts also greatly simplifies your annual tax filing.
Make LLC accounting easy with our LLC Expenses Cheat Sheet.
STEP 6: Obtain necessary permits and licenses
Failure to acquire necessary permits and licenses can result in hefty fines, or even cause your business to be shut down.
State & Local Business Licensing Requirements
In most states, it is necessary to obtain a coaching license. Certain state permits and licenses may be needed to operate a hitting coach business. Learn more about licensing requirements in your state by visiting SBA’s reference to state licenses and permits.
Most businesses are required to collect sales tax on the goods or services they provide. To learn more about how sales tax will affect your business, read our article, Sales Tax for Small Businesses.
Liability Waivers
To avoid liability and potential lawsuits, hitting coach businesses should have their clients sign waivers. Here is an example of one such form.
Recommended: Rocket Lawyer makes it easy to create a professional release of liability form for your hitting coach business when you sign up for their premium membership. For $39.95 per month, members receive access to hundreds of legal agreements and on call attorneys to get complimentary legal advice.
STEP 7: Get business insurance
Just as with licenses and permits, your business needs insurance in order to operate safely and lawfully. Business Insurance protects your company’s financial wellbeing in the event of a covered loss.
There are several types of insurance policies created for different types of businesses with different risks. If you’re unsure of the types of risks that your business may face, begin with General Liability Insurance. This is the most common coverage that small businesses need, so it’s a great place to start for your business.
Another notable insurance policy that many businesses need is Workers’ Compensation Insurance. If your business will have employees, it’s a good chance that your state will require you to carry Workers’ Compensation Coverage.
Find out what types of insurance your Baseball Hitting Coach Business needs and how much it will cost you by reading our guide Business Insurance for Baseball Hitting Coach Business.
STEP 8: Define your brand
Your brand is what your company stands for, as well as how your business is perceived by the public. A strong brand will help your business stand out from competitors.
If you already have a logo, you can also add it to a QR code with our Free QR Code Generator. Choose from 13 QR code types to create a code for your business cards and publications, or to help spread awareness for your new website.
How to promote & market a baseball hitting coach business
The best way to promote the business is to establish relationships with organizations and groups that require baseball hitting instruction. Press the flesh with administrators, coaches and parents involved with local little league baseball organizations, athletic groups and athletic programs at schools and universities. Promote the business with everything from flyers to ads in the local paper, radio ads, billboards, yard signs and little league baseball team sponsorships. The key is to improve your company’s visibility to plant the seed in the minds of those who might benefit from your services.
How to keep customers coming back
Word of mouth referrals will prove critically important in the quest to attract new clients. Do your best with the first couple clients, encourage them to spread the word about your services and their referrals just might lead to additional clients. Consider shaping your business in a manner that distinguishes it from the pack. As an example, providing access to covered batting cages will ensure you can provide baseball hitting lessons even when it is rainy or windy. It might help to offer a free initial lesson or an initial lesson at half the price of a normal lesson. Such a discount has the potential to encourage prospective clients to sign up for a full lessons package.
STEP 9: Create your business website
After defining your brand and creating your logo the next step is to create a website for your business.
While creating a website is an essential step, some may fear that it’s out of their reach because they don’t have any website-building experience. While this may have been a reasonable fear back in 2015, web technology has seen huge advancements in the past few years that makes the lives of small business owners much simpler.
Here are the main reasons why you shouldn’t delay building your website:
- All legitimate businesses have websites – full stop. The size or industry of your business does not matter when it comes to getting your business online.
- Social media accounts like Facebook pages or LinkedIn business profiles are not a replacement for a business website that you own.
- Website builder tools like the GoDaddy Website Builder have made creating a basic website extremely simple. You don’t need to hire a web developer or designer to create a website that you can be proud of.
Recommended: Get started today using our recommended website builder or check out our review of the Best Website Builders.
Other popular website builders are: WordPress, WIX, Weebly, Squarespace, and Shopify.
STEP 10: Set up your business phone system
Getting a phone set up for your business is one of the best ways to help keep your personal life and business life separate and private. That’s not the only benefit; it also helps you make your business more automated, gives your business legitimacy, and makes it easier for potential customers to find and contact you.
There are many services available to entrepreneurs who want to set up a business phone system. We’ve reviewed the top companies and rated them based on price, features, and ease of use. Check out our review of the Best Business Phone Systems 2024 to find the best phone service for your small business.
Recommended Business Phone Service: Phone.com
Phone.com is our top choice for small business phone numbers because of all the features it offers for small businesses and it’s fair pricing.
Is this Business Right For You?
If you love baseball, athletics, being outside, and working with young people, this business is right up your alley.
Want to know if you are cut out to be an entrepreneur?
Take our Entrepreneurship Quiz to find out!
What happens during a typical day at a baseball hitting coach business?
The business owner recruits new customers, prepares equipment, shops for equipment, works directly with clients, and prepares a schedule of lessons.
What are some skills and experiences that will help you build a successful baseball hitting coach business?
An in-depth understanding of baseball including the physics of the swinging motion will certainly help the business owner build the enterprise. The instructor(s) should have ample experience playing baseball. The business owner must understand how to properly market the business to connect with those who are interested in improving their baseball swing. He should also be an expert salesman, capable of persuading clients to continue with lessons for an extended period of time.
What is the growth potential for a baseball hitting coach business?
The growth potential of this business hinges on factors such as its location, the level of competition, marketing merit, and the reputation of the instructor(s). It is possible to expand the business to the point that several instructors are hired to provide lessons across the city or even the region. If the business continues to grow, it can develop into a nationwide baseball instruction camp/service.
Take the Next Step
Find a business mentor
One of the greatest resources an entrepreneur can have is quality mentorship. As you start planning your business, connect with a free business resource near you to get the help you need.
Having a support network in place to turn to during tough times is a major factor of success for new business owners.
Learn from other business owners
Want to learn more about starting a business from entrepreneurs themselves? Visit Startup Savant’s startup founder series to gain entrepreneurial insights, lessons, and advice from founders themselves.
Resources to Help Women in Business
There are many resources out there specifically for women entrepreneurs. We’ve gathered necessary and useful information to help you succeed both professionally and personally:
- Funding
- Events
- Guides
- Support
If you’re a woman looking for some guidance in entrepreneurship, check out this great new series Women in Business created by the women of our partner Startup Savant.
What are some insider tips for jump starting a baseball hitting coach business?
Credibility is key. Establish relationships with local athletic groups, little leagues, youth sports associations, and minor league baseball teams. Get your name out there. If you prove your merit as a knowledgeable baseball hitting instructor, people will refer your services to those who are looking to improve their baseball swing. Furthermore, you need to find a way to keep clients in the fold for extended periods of time. Do not try to teach the nuances of the perfect baseball swing in a day or week’s time. Form a detailed lesson plan that teaches all aspects of how to properly swing a bat across a lengthy period of time. This way, clients won’t be inclined to stop taking lessons after a couple of in-depth sessions. Key in on teaching one or a couple components of baseball hitting in each session. Gradually implement new aspects of the proper swing as lessons progress and your clientele will find the lessons to be quite rewarding from beginning to end.
How and when to build a team
You won’t need much of a team right away. It is possible for the entrepreneur to act as the instructor, administrator, receptionist, marketer, and accountant when the business is in its infancy. However, employees must be added as the business grows. You will eventually reach the point where you have multiple clients, a hectic schedule, and a flurry of phone calls. At this point, adding a receptionist/scheduler, marketing professional, and possibly an accountant will be necessary. If you recruit enough clients, it might be necessary to add one or several hitting instructors so you can focus on building the business rather than providing lessons.