Stress management training can increase a business’ profitability by giving employees the tools they need to manage difficult emotions or particularly taxing situations. Hiring a counselor who can impart the wisdom employees need to keep their cool and maintain their quality can be a huge boost to their bottom line and it can even increase employee loyalty.
Ready to turn your business idea into a reality? We recommend forming an LLC as it is the most affordable way to protect your personal assets. You can do this yourself or with our trusted partner for a small fee.
Northwest ($29 + State Fees)
DIY: How to Start an LLC
Start a stress management training business by following these 10 steps:
- Plan your Stress Management Training Business
- Form your Stress Management Training Business into a Legal Entity
- Register your Stress Management Training Business for Taxes
- Open a Business Bank Account & Credit Card
- Set up Accounting for your Stress Management Training Business
- Get the Necessary Permits & Licenses for your Stress Management Training Business
- Get Stress Management Training Business Insurance
- Define your Stress Management Training Business Brand
- Create your Stress Management Training Business Website
- Set up your Business Phone System
We have put together this simple guide to starting your stress management training 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 Stress Management Training 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 stress management training business?
Overhead costs may be somewhat low to start, especially if you already have the advanced education. You don’t necessarily need an official office space, or formal equipment. Most of your clients should be able to provide the audio/visual devices you need to illustrate your points.
What are the ongoing expenses for a stress management training business?
Ongoing expenses can be minimal, especially if you do the majority of your training as one-on-one or in intimate settings. Depending on the nature of the business, you may have the following expenses:
- Computer
- Presentation software
- Handouts/booklets for employees
- Ongoing stress-management education for you and employees
- Employee salaries
- Refreshments (tea, coffee, etc.)
- Website maintenance
Who is the target market?
Small, tight-knit companies typically won’t need these services. Stress management training is normally reserved for large companies with a variety of departments who may or may not all get along.
How does a stress management training business make money?
Owners make money by charging a set fee for their services to clients. This fee should cover all materials and time spent to provide training.
How much can you charge customers?
Stress management counselors can charge a lot for their services, and major corporations will not necessarily cringe at the fees — especially if they think they’re getting more worker productivity in return. It’s not unreasonable for established companies to charge up to $2,000 a day to counsel a group of around 20 people.
How much profit can a stress management training business make?
There are plenty of ways that a training business can keep their overhead down to increase their profit. Potentially, you’re looking at 80 to 90% pure profit, depending on the resources you use. If you work five days a week at $2,000 a day, then you can conceivably make around $8,000 a week.
How can you make your business more profitable?
Counselors who understand employee behavior can branch out into time-management counseling as well (which will follow a similar format as stress management training.) There are also positive psychology workshops you can offer to increase worker outlook on their jobs and their lives.
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 stress management training 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 stress management training 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.
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 stress management training 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.
Services Contract
Stress management training businesses should require clients to sign a services agreement before starting a new project. This agreement should clarify client expectations and minimize risk of legal disputes by setting out payment terms and conditions, service level expectations, and intellectual property ownership. Here is an example of a consulting agreement similar to one that a stress management service might draw up.
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 Stress Management Training Business needs and how much it will cost you by reading our guide Business Insurance for Stress Management Training 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 stress management training business
There are many concrete examples you can give of how stress can cost a company money to sway decision makers into signing up for a seminar or even to conduct ongoing sessions over several months. Owners should have a variety of plans available for businesses of different sizes and needs.
Remind employers what can happen if stress isn’t addressed and handled in a healthy way. When employees are stressed, they may make major mistakes that are difficult for the business to recover from.
You will get most of your business from networking and referrals. You will need a professional website where people can learn more about what you do and request an appointment. Market the company as flexible enough to handle any request, from a one-time solution to ongoing treatment.
How to keep customers coming back
A stress management training company will need to show rather than tell when it comes to attraction and retention. Companies will need to see their quality scores going up when it comes to employee satisfaction, customer satisfaction, and overall productivity. The more you can show that what you do has the ability to turn disgruntled workers into happy, healthy employees, the more your services will be valued.
You may want to offer a short seminar for free to the CEO or the president of a company to give them an idea of what you can really do.
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?
Those who have a deep understanding of human behavior will do well in this business. It’s recommended that you have some type of advanced degree in psychology before striking out. While you don’t need a graduate degree, you cannot practice as a licensed counselor without it.
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 stress management training business?
Owners may need to complete the following tasks on any given day.
- Market to clients who need your services
- Conduct training seminars to employees
- Prepare contracts for clients
- Hire employees to assist with conducting seminars
- Prepare reports about employee stress levels
- Prepare employee hand-outs or instructional booklets about stress management
- Provide detailed recommendations to clients to ensure successes
What are some skills and experiences that will help you build a successful stress management training business?
Those giving the training need to inspire while providing concrete advice about stress. An owner needs to be detail-oriented to understand the needs of each business, and they’ll also need a certain amount of intuition when handling large groups of employees who likely just want to go back to their regularly scheduled working day.
An owner will also need to have some type of sales skills in order to succeed, as new clients may be initially hesitant to compromise their budget on this type of non-essential service.
What is the growth potential for a stress management training business?
Growth will be dependent upon the need for these services in any given area. However, companies that increase their client base may be able to expand to other parts of the state or even country. As a stress management training company grows, owners will need to hire a team while continuing to ensure quality in the seminars and lessons the company provides.
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 stress management training business?
Your business will be dependent on how well you can help other businesses, but this can be difficult to do. It’s not easy to change the mindset of employees after just one day (even if it’s an incredibly good seminar).
Thankfully, the numbers are on your side. More than half of employees suffer from moderate to severe stress, and 66% of employees have a difficult time concentrating when they feel stressed. The total impact on productivity costs hundreds of thousand and potentially millions of dollars to companies who need alert and clearheaded employees to do their jobs.
How and when to build a team
It may be difficult to find employees who can do this type of job well, as it’s a very specialized set of skills. While it may seem as easy as just reading from a PowerPoint presentation, counselors must do far more than that. They will need to adapt to a variety of office settings.
For example, a tech company will have very different stressors than a retail company. Owners of a stress management training company may want to start off alone, and then add employees as the client base grows. This also gives an owner the chance to further narrow down exactly what they need from an employee for success.
Useful Links
Industry Opportunities
- International Stress Management Association
- American Institute of Health Care Professionals
- American Psychological Association
Real World Examples
- Joe Robinson Optimal Performance Strategies
- Work Life Balance
- Resilient Living
- The Stress Management Institute