No, you don’t have to do it all yourself—and in fact, ActionCOACH encourages you not to. While many new franchise partners begin as solo operators, the ultimate vision is to build a leveraged business that works without you. That means recruiting and developing a team: support staff, marketing help, and eventually other coaches who can deliver value at scale. The beauty of the ActionCOACH model is that it’s flexible—start where you are, then build toward a business that gives you freedom, impact, and legacy.
In this article, we’ll explore how most coaches begin, what it looks like to build a team, and how that decision can accelerate your income and influence.
When someone asks, “Will I do it all myself or should I recruit a team?”, they’re really trying to understand what they’re stepping into. They want to know whether they’re building a self-employed practice or a scalable business, whether it’s realistic to start alone, and what happens when capacity is maxed out.
The good news is you don’t have to choose all at once. Many coaches start to lean and scale strategically, using support from ActionCOACH’s systems and community along the way. The model is designed to grow with you, allowing you to make decisions based on your evolving goals, client load, and lifestyle preferences.
In the beginning, many franchise partners operate as solo coaches. This phase is important—it allows you to learn the systems, build confidence, and gain early wins without taking on too much overhead. You’ll deliver coaching, host workshops, and market your services while managing admin and sales. It’s a hands-on phase that provides valuable insight into all aspects of the business.
Though you may wear multiple hats, you’re far from unsupported. ActionCOACH offers templates, CRM tools, scripts, and weekly learning calls that keep you connected and on track. You’ll also tap into a vibrant network of coaches willing to share insights, encouragement, and proven strategies. Many solo coaches lean heavily on this peer community in the early stages, gaining wisdom from others who have walked the same path.
Eventually, your calendar will fill, your impact will be limited by your available hours, and the natural next step is to build a team.
Scaling your coaching business is about multiplying your value, not your workload. The first hire for many coaches is usually an administrative or virtual assistant. This person can take on tasks like scheduling, invoicing, client communication, and CRM management. Even a few hours a week can free up your time for more coaching or lead generation.
Some coaches begin by outsourcing small projects to freelancers or part-time contractors. Others opt to bring in team members as their business revenue stabilizes. A marketing or sales specialist may be next, helping to run digital campaigns, organize events, or increase conversion rates. These hires allow you to focus on what you do best: coaching and building relationships.
Eventually, some coaches expand their business by recruiting associate coaches. This can dramatically increase your capacity and revenue without requiring you to deliver all the coaching yourself. You might mentor your team, oversee quality control, and shape the vision for your firm while others deliver results to clients.
By building a coaching firm, you create a brand that can grow far beyond your own availability. It becomes a more robust and attractive business asset—and one that can potentially be sold in the future.
Growing a team means more than just extra help. It gives you the chance to work strategically, serve more clients, and build something greater than yourself. When you have a team, you’re no longer limited by your own calendar. You can delegate non-core tasks, focus on your strengths, and make space for strategic growth. Your clients benefit from quicker service and expanded offerings. You benefit from freedom, fulfillment, and potentially, long-term wealth through business equity.
With the right team in place, you also create succession opportunities, allowing the business to continue delivering value even if you step back from day-to-day operations. This opens the door for lifestyle flexibility, ownership transition, or even an eventual exit if desired.
Having a team also strengthens client perception. Your business appears more established, and clients often feel reassured knowing there’s infrastructure in place to support them.
You’re not expected to figure this out alone. ActionCOACH provides frameworks, training, and mentorship to help you grow with confidence. From onboarding your first assistant to launching a multi-coach firm, the path is well documented.
You’ll access hiring templates, onboarding guides, KPI tracking tools, and insights from other franchise partners who have scaled successfully. There’s even a full “Firm Model” roadmap with clear milestones and community support built in. These resources help ensure that each hire is strategic, each process is efficient, and each client experience remains consistent.
You’ll also be invited to connect with franchise partners who have already built teams and can share lessons learned. Peer mentorship is a big part of the ActionCOACH culture, and it makes the growth journey more collaborative and less overwhelming.
Only you can answer that, but a few reflection points can help. If you want to grow beyond a personal income cap, create a business that runs without you, or multiply your reach and results, then building a team is likely a smart path. If you prefer deep, personal work with a limited number of clients, solo might be the right fit for now.
It also depends on how you define success. If your goal is lifestyle freedom, a team allows you to remove yourself from day-to-day delivery. If you want to create regional impact or influence more businesses at scale, a firm model makes that possible.
The key is aligning your business structure with your goals, lifestyle, and definition of success. The ActionCOACH model supports both options and gives you the tools to evolve as your vision does.
Even if you start solo, it’s wise to think ahead. Document your systems, track your processes, and build with the assumption that others will eventually take over parts of your business. This mindset not only makes scaling easier when the time comes but also increases the value of your business as an asset.
Creating SOPs (standard operating procedures), organizing client records, and using your CRM consistently will all pay off later, whether you hire, delegate, or even sell the business down the line.
At ActionCOACH, you’re not limited by your time or resources—you’re empowered to build something scalable, sustainable, and deeply rewarding. You can start solo, but you don’t have to stay there. Whether it’s hiring an assistant or developing a full team of coaches, the path to growth is supported every step of the way.
Ready to explore what your ideal coaching business could look like? Request a discovery call today and start building a business that works for you—and eventually, without you.