How to start a group coaching program: an 8-step guide
By Lukas Wiklund, Co-founder of Forento
One-on-one coaching works, but your income stops where your calendar ends. A group coaching program lets you help 10 people in the time it used to take to help one, and clients often get more out of it because they learn from each other.
Here's how to start a group coaching program in eight steps.
1. Make sure your clients share one goal
Group coaching works best when everyone wants the same result. "Launch your first online course" works as a group. "General business help" doesn't, because every member pulls the call in a different direction.
Look at your one-on-one clients. Which problem do you solve again and again? That's your group program.
2. Pick a format
| Format | How it works | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Cohort | Fixed start and end date, everyone starts together | Programs with a clear outcome, like 8 weeks to a finished project |
| Rolling | People join anytime, ongoing calls | Long-term support, accountability, skill practice |
| Hybrid | Self-paced course plus live group calls | Teaching a method while still giving personal feedback |
If you're unsure, start with a cohort. A fixed start date creates urgency and makes your first launch easier.
3. Choose a group size
- 4–8 people: everyone gets hot-seat time on every call. Feels close to one-on-one.
- 10–20 people: a good balance of attention and income.
- 20+ people: works for teaching-heavy programs, but you'll need breakout groups or a community to keep it personal.
4. Set your price
Group coaching is usually priced at 30–50% of your one-on-one rate for the same length of time. For example:
- One-on-one, 3 months: $2,000
- Group, 3 months: $800 per person × 12 people = $9,600
You earn more per hour, and clients pay less. Everyone wins.
5. Structure every session the same way
A predictable session makes calls easy to run and easy to attend. A simple 60–90 minute structure:
- Wins (10 min): members share progress. This builds momentum.
- Teaching (15–20 min): one focused topic.
- Hot seats (30–45 min): coach 2–4 members on their specific challenges. Everyone else learns from watching.
- Commitments (5 min): each member writes one action for the next week.
Record every call so members who miss one can catch up.
6. Move the teaching into a course
If you spend half of every call explaining the basics, record them instead. Put your core lessons in a short course members watch before calls. Live time then goes to questions, feedback and coaching, which is what people pay a coach for. See how to create an online course.
7. Give the group a place to talk between calls
The connections between members are a big part of what makes group coaching work. A community space lets them share wins, ask questions and keep each other accountable between sessions. Ask a question each week to keep it active. Our guide on adding gamification to your community has more ideas.
8. Fill your first group
- Invite past and current one-on-one clients first. They already trust you.
- Run a free workshop on the program topic and invite attendees at the end.
- Offer a founding price for the first group in exchange for feedback and testimonials.
- Set a clear enrollment deadline.
New to selling coaching? Start with how to sell coaching online.
How to run it all in one place
Members shouldn't need five different logins. In Forento you can:
- Schedule recurring calendar events for your group calls.
- Add a course with recorded lessons and replays.
- Open a community with separate channels per group or topic.
- Sell the program with a one-time price or a recurring membership.
- Welcome new members with a personal video.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a group coaching program be?
Most cohort programs run 6–12 weeks. That's long enough to see results and short enough to stay focused. Ongoing groups usually run as monthly memberships.
How often should group coaching calls happen?
Weekly calls work best for most programs. Every two weeks can work if members have course material and a community to keep them busy in between.
What if members are at different levels?
Use hot seats to tailor coaching to each person, and split larger groups into smaller pods by level. Clear entry requirements on your sales page also help.
Launch your group program
Forento gives you events, courses, community and payments in one branded academy. Start for free, or try a paid plan for 30 days with no credit card.