A golf coach is hired by individuals to help them become better golfers. Besides swing mechanics, golf teachers discuss additional exercise methods, course conditions and maintenance, and equipment selection.
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DIY: How to Start an LLC
Start a golf coach by following these 10 steps:
- Plan your Golf Coach
- Form your Golf Coach into a Legal Entity
- Register your Golf Coach for Taxes
- Open a Business Bank Account & Credit Card
- Set up Accounting for your Golf Coach
- Get the Necessary Permits & Licenses for your Golf Coach
- Get Golf Coach Insurance
- Define your Golf Coach Brand
- Create your Golf Coach Website
- Set up your Business Phone System
We have put together this simple guide to starting your golf coach. 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 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 golf coach?
Fortunately, the overhead for starting a golf coach business is relatively low. Fees for US Golf Association (USGA) membership, buying golf balls, and possibly some golf clubs for teaching beginners may be included in initial expenses. Additionally, you may need to work out a cost for using course facilities, such as the driving range. Overall, though, much of the costs will be absorbed by the fees collected from your students.
What are the ongoing expenses for a golf coach?
Most expenses will pertain to managing the business of coaching, such as registering an LLC, paying taxes and business insurance, maintaining a modest marketing and advertising budget, and some equipment costs — mostly for golf balls.
Who is the target market?
Golf coaches have a wide range of age groups they might work with, from young, beginners, to older players looking to shave some strokes off their handicap. Overall, the target market is golfers looking to become better.
How does a golf coach make money?
Golf coaches make their money through the fees they charge their clients.
How much can you charge customers?
The average golf coach hourly rate is between
$30 and $80 an hour, although these rates can fluctuate, depending on your clientele and other coaches’ prices, in your area.
How much profit can a golf coach make?
A successful golf pro can make anywhere from $40,000 to six-figure earnings for highly sought-after coaches.
How can you make your business more profitable?
Consider offering a membership fee and online instructions or videos, which customers can access anywhere and anytime.
Your membership offer could also include a rebate on lessons and specials for certain times of the year when courses aren’t available.
You can also offer reviews of clubland equipment through your website and videos.
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 golf coach 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 golf coach 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.
More than 84% of our readers opt to collaborate with a professional LLC formation service to kickstart their venture. We’ve negotiated a tailored discount for our readers, bringing the total down to just $29.
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
Certain state permits and licenses may be needed to operate a golf coach business. Learn more about licensing requirements in your state by visiting SBA’s reference to state licenses and permits.
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.
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 golf coach
As we discussed above, one of the biggest marketing and advertising promotions you can perform is being seen and heard around the golf course. Knowing the staff and players at your local course(s) will greatly help spread the word about your teaching. Additionally, you should:
- Create a website and take advantage of social media by sharing pictures and positive results.
- Make print advertisements and business cards to distribute, when possible.
How to keep customers coming back
For a business like this, many of your customers will come from recommendations from current or previous clients. It’s crucial, then, to develop a strong rapport with your students and ask that they help spread the good word.
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?
Golfers with above-average abilities and patience and knowledge to help others improve their game are the perfect fits. Experience teaching people and designing progressive teaching lessons is also beneficial.
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 golf coach?
Golf coaches are regularly meeting students for one-on-one or group teaching sessions. Most coaches will use a golf course’s driving range or other facilities. Scheduling and conducting client sessions and interacting with potential clients in and around the clubhouse will take up a substantial portion of a golf coach’s day. If possible, some coaches will travel to a player’s location for coaching sessions, often at the course the client regularly plays.
What are some skills and experiences that will help you build a successful golf coach?
Most successful golf coaches have played golf extensively, often in amateur and professional competitions. Understanding the game of golf, as well as the swing mechanics, are both critical in teaching the sport to others. Having experience in teaching, coaching, or instructing in some capacity will also benefit your overall success. Experience in small business finances and advertising can also help you initially, and further down the road.
What is the growth potential for a golf coach?
Golf seems to be an ever-popular and lifelong sport for many. Golf challenges the individual, so the desire to become better is intrinsic. Golf coaches will always be in demand, but be careful to assess your services before quitting your day job.
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 golf coach?
Golf coaches need developing golf players. Involving yourself with your local and regional golf courses and associations should be your first step. You’ll have to build your reputation, so finding customers and interacting with staff and players in and around the courses and pro shops will be essential for marketing and making connections.
While around the pro shops and courses, ask to put up flyers and business cards. Pro shops often have community boards for just these items.
Take advantage of the internet and social media, as well. WE’ll talk more about advertising and marketing shortly.
Finally, ask your clients to spread the word for you. In a one-on-one teaching scenario, a positive review can be compelling for attracting more students.
How and when to build a team
For the most part, you won’t need a team or partners for this type of business. If you become very successful and have more clients than you can service, you may want to bring on another experienced golfer to share the teaching duties.