Does it sound like a dream to set your own schedule and work with clients you love? You can accomplish this when you become a service provider.
Starting a service-based business is one of the easiest ways to launch into entrepreneurship. With low startup costs and easy setup, service providers can refocus their efforts on what matters: landing new clients.
When you’re selling services, you need to build relationships with your audience, establish your niche, and market your services well. However, it’s hard to do this if you haven’t built your signature offer yet.
Your earning potential is based on how well you can package and sell your offer. So, let’s start by understanding the three most popular services you may want to add to your business.
Irresistible offers to add to your service-based business
If you’re interested in becoming a high-income-generating service provider, one of the first things you’ll need to do is determine what you want to offer. By building an offer people want to buy, you’ll make it easier to convert passive visitors into loyal clients.
Service providers typically begin by offering these three services:
Keep reading to discover which service is right for you and get inspired by examples from creative entrepreneurs generating a full-time income from their services.
Freelance services
Most business owners start as freelancers, which is even more true today. It’s estimated that there are more than 1.2 billion freelancers worldwide, which is nearly one-third of the total workforce.
It’s relatively easy and cost-effective to start a freelance business. Some freelancers even land clients before they begin actively marketing their business solely based on past connections.
You may want to consider offering freelance services if:
- You’re looking to build your very first business.
- You want to monetize your time and talents.
- You love the idea of collaborating with clients.
- You want to start earning more income fast.
- You want to charge higher rates for your work.
- You love being in strategy and execution mode.
- You want to grow your skills in a particular field.
The biggest downside of freelancing is that you may hit your earning ceiling early on or realize you only have so much time in the day to serve clients. Some freelancers feel like they’re simply trading their time for dollars.
If you decide to offer freelance services, you could build an agency as you grow or raise your prices to generate more income. You can also explore other services as you continue working with clients, but freelancing will help you make stronger client relationships and get paid to learn.
Why freelance services work
After earning a degree in marketing, designer Natalia Gomez started Green Studio, a marketing agency specializing in brand design and websites.
Natalia’s business was born out of a need to earn more income after moving with her husband to the United States without a work visa. With sheer determination and a heart for serving conscious brands, she launched her own freelance business.
Natalia works with 1:1 clients, helping them assess their marketing needs. She does it all, from website improvements to social media and blog strategies.
By offering multiple freelance services, Natalia can book more long-term clients. This usually translates into higher recurring revenue, which most freelancers are looking to build. In addition to this ongoing retainer work, she can also prioritize one-off projects that give her more variety.
Reflecting on her business journey so far, Natalia shared on the Creator Stories podcast that she’s learned “not be scared of elevating [her] prices when [she] thinks [she] needs to elevate them so [she] attracts the clients [she’s] happy to work with.” This is a great piece of advice for any service provider.
If you’ve thought about creating a freelance business as a service provider, consider what you’re known for and how you can produce your best work. You’ll be well on your way to freelancing like a total pro.
Coaching
If executing projects doesn’t sound like a fit, but you’d still like to work with 1:1 clients, coaching may be a great solution. The main difference between coaches and freelancers is that a coach will encourage and equip you to do the work yourself.
Coaches play an instrumental role in the process of self-growth or business development. They can be found in virtually every industry, including health, finance, wellness, career, business, relationships, and more.
Coaching is a $2.85 billion global industry and continues to grow every year. Since clients report seeing a 221% ROI from coaching, the investment can really pay off.
You may be a great coach if:
- You want to inspire others to grow in their self-awareness.
- You ask insightful questions and are a great listener.
- You love creating a safe, secure environment for clients.
- You like meeting with clients on phone or video calls.
- You are highly empathetic and observant.
- You’ve gone through a certification program or have a lot of experience in your field.
Coaches rely on the active participation of their clients to see the greatest results from their collaborations. Since coaches are like guides, they need clients committed to seeing a transformation.
If you pursue coaching, you’ll be able to privately work with clients and personalize every meeting to the individual. While it may seem like the coaching industry is already saturated, there are certainly ways to differentiate yourself from others.
Why coaching works
Shida, a high-powered lawyer turned career break coach at Shida’s On the Loose, learned so much during her year abroad. Inspired by her travels, she set out to retire early and intentionally build a life that was uniquely her own.
Once she accomplished these goals, she wanted to teach others how to do the same thing. Shida decided to offer 1:1 coaching after hearing so many people ask her why she took a career break and how she redefined her life during a year-long sabbatical.
When interviewed on our Creator Stories podcast, Shida said when people started asking her how she took a year off, “picking [her] brain turned into a more formal coaching session.”
Shida knew coaching would be the right offer because of how many questions she received every day. So, to make the best use of her time, she started to offer coaching slots for those who were serious about wanting to take a career break.
If you’re considering whether coaching is right for you, think about the topics people commonly ask you about and how you may package it into a coaching service.
Group programs
Many entrepreneurs start with 1:1 freelance or coaching services, but at a certain point, you may find that you don’t have enough time to serve all of your clients’ needs. Group programs have become all the rage for online business owners because they often require a smaller time commitment.
Starting a group program can also help you impact more people in your target audience, increasing your word-of-mouth referrals and visibility. You may receive more glowing testimonials and see how your program material can transform multiple lives simultaneously.
A group program might be the right offer for you if:
- You find yourself answering the same questions over and over.
- You want to foster a sense of community with all of your clients.
- You cover the same material for most people you work with.
- You want to maximize your time while maximizing your profit.
- You can see the benefits of learning in a group setting.
- You want to inspire others to do the work rather than doing it for them.
- You would like to be seen as a teacher, mentor, or coach.
You may need to set aside more time to create all of the materials and training you need to create a powerful group program. Marketing your first group program launch will also take priority as you try to fill more seats than a typical 1:1 offer. However, the growth opportunities are endless!
Why group programs work
To see a group program in action, let’s look at copywriter Zafira Rajan’s successful 10-week copywriting program, Intention Infusion. Instead of filling her calendar with multiple client appointments, the group program allows her to teach at scale.
As a well-known copywriter in the marketing space, Zafira can position herself as an expert other business owners want to learn from. Since Zafira uses the same frameworks she uses with clients, program participants will get a similar value for a fraction of the cost.
Creating a group program has helped Zafira increase her annual revenue to $175,000, and her business continues to grow. During her Creator Stories podcast interview, she said, “This is the most aligned I’ve ever felt in my business in terms of who I’m serving and how I’m doing the work, which is really important. I think it leads to better things all around.” We couldn’t agree more.
If you’re thinking about starting a group program, ask yourself if you have a proven process you can walk others through to get a result similar to what you’ve already achieved. If so, you’re already a few steps ahead!
What kind of offer should you build?
As a service provider, you have limitless opportunities to build a signature offer for your business.
If you still aren’t sure whether you should focus on offering freelance services, coaching services, or creating a group program, check out this YouTube video for further guidance.