In the 90s, it was cool to have a therapist. Now, it’s cool to have a coach.

While coaching has been around for a long time, it wasn’t until this decade that personal coaching became a bona fide profession. Now, it’s recognized as a “must have” service for motivated individuals who are serious about making positive changes in their lives.

Today, there’s a coach for just about everything. And specialized coaching practices, such as retreat and getaway coaching, are on the rise.

Why is coaching so popular now?

1. It’s considered an asset.

2. It’s focused on the now, in the present.

3. It’s not therapy – no nasty digging around in the past.

4. It supports people in the direction they want to go.

5. In our current economic situation people are re-evaluating options.

As a retreat coach facing a sluggish economy, hiring freezes, and a forecast of more job losses, you will be in demand. Never before has there been such a need for coaches and, never before has there been such an opportunity for retreat and getaway coaches to provide much needed services.

Why? People are looking for reasons to get excited in this economy. They want to understand and normalize what’s happened to them and what’s happening around them. Most importantly, they are looking for ways to come out of “this” (whatever this may be to them) intact.

Who Will Be Utilizing Retreat Coaches this Year?

- People facing changes and challenges

- Tweens, teens, and graduates all fit this category. So do people facing divorce, a serious illness, women who have lost a spouse in the line of duty, parents who have lost a son or daughter in service to their country, and empty nesters, to name a few.

- Moms, dads, and couples who need to get away, clarify, and renew.

- Men and women who would like to retreat while intentionally working to improve specific areas of their lives.

- Businessmen and women who need to get away, take time for themselves, and recharge their batteries.

- Health care professionals and caregivers who recognizes the importance of getting away for their own personal health, mental sanity, and emotional well-being.

Four Hot Wave Retreat Ideas

1. New job and skill retreats.

While there are many non-profit vocational training and job placement centers in the U.S, most are offered in a building. It’s time to take these out of the classroom and into nature, where people can connect with nature while exploring options and learning new skills.

2. Turn your current skills into a freelance business retreats.

People with a lifetime of skills and training need help converting their assets into a viable freelance business. Retreat coaches who specialize in helping people make the transition from worker to freelancer will be in demand this year. Consider partnering with a business coach to provide weeklong retreats that combine niche clarity with rest and relaxation.

3. Be ready to relocate retreats.

Many U.S. corporate jobs are moving overseas. Think about the ways that you, as a retreat coach, could be of value and service to individuals and families who will be relocating overseas. The list is endless.

4. At home retreats.

How many times have you heard people say “I’m too busy to get away for a retreat!” No problem. Bring the retreat to them. Design one-day retreats for busy executives, moms, or business owners in their own home. You provide the structure, exercises, and support coaching throughout the day. They spend the day reflecting and visioning their life, direction, or business within a nurturing, self-care experience that allows them to slow down, relax, and unveil their inner knowing.

Personal coaching is on the rise. Everyone, from Oprah to Investors Weekly is raving about the value of having a personal coach. This year, as people are reinventing themselves and getting creative about how they are paying their bills and taking care of their families, having a coach is a “must.” Utilize these four hot wave retreat ideas to make your retreat coaching business big in 2009.

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1. Is my idea good enough?
2. How do I obtain the money to start up?
3. Can I run a successful business and still have a life?
4. Do I have the necessary education and experience to do this?
5. What if I fail?

IS MY IDEA GOOD ENOUGH?

By the time you have reached the place where you are thinking of starting up a business, you have likely accumulated a lot of life experience. You’ve acquired general information and developed expertise in one or more areas that is unique and specific to you. While you may share similar strengths and traits with others, in the final analysis, there is only one you. You have a viewpoint that is distinctly yours. The world wants to see what you have to offer and hear what you have to say!

It’s impossible to know completely at the start of the journey whether your initial idea is good enough. You simply must go down the road, allow your idea to be tested, and see what comes out at the end. It’s the only way to discover your niche and to know what your unique positioning in the world will be.

HOW DO I OBTAIN THE MONEY TO START UP?

Most people believe the only way to fund a start-up is through angel investors or venture capitalists. That was never true in the past, and it isn’t true today. Yes, some opportunities require too much capital for self-funding, but certainly not all.

When considering the difference between funding your start-up yourself or funding it with other people’s money, consider this: An outsider who makes a large investment in your business will usually want a say in how their money is going to be used. The same is true for family and friends who invest in your business. This is why I encourage my clients to get creative and find a way to fund their start-ups themselves. That way, they are in complete control of their success, are inspired to become profitable sooner, and won’t be spending a lot of time answering to other people’s expectations.

CAN I RUN A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS AND STILL HAVE A LIFE?

You bet! The key is to realize that being a small business owner is only one piece of your total life pie. It’s not the whole pie.

Just as your business is one piece of the pie, your family is another. Your friends, another. Other pieces include your physical and emotional well-being, your wealth and financial health, and your service to your community. You don’t need to juggle anything. It can all flow beautifully together, one piece dovetailing nicely into another. This is called “having a life.”

Many people think they have to give up having a life to start a business. Sure, starting up a business takes time. It requires focus, dedication, and energy, but not at the expense of everything else you value and enjoy.

DO I HAVE THE NECESSARY EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE TO DO THIS?

As part of the start-up journey, one of the first things I address with my clients is the belief that they might not have the education or experience to start up a business. Most of the time my clients come in with a great deal of experience and education, but they don’t realize it’s applicable to their business idea. By focusing on what they have done in the past, we can quickly make a short list of what skills they might need to develop. They can work on acquiring these skills while they are starting up. Just because you don’t have a business degree doesn’t mean you won’t be successful at running a business. Accounting can be outsourced. Teleseminars can be taken. Books can be read. Questions can be asked. Experience can be gained. You don’t have to do it all! Whatever you don’t have right now, you can learn.

WHAT IF I FAIL?

What if you don’t? What if you don’t fail? What then? It is better to have tried and lost than never to have tried at all – to embellish upon an oft-repeated phrase by Alfred Lord Tennyson.

Letting the thought of failure come into your mind whenever you are embarking upon a new journey seems only natural. After all, none of us knows if we will fail or succeed at something new. We can, however, set the tone for success. And setting the tone makes all the difference. Let yourself consider failure for as short a period as possible. Then move on.

GET ON WITH THE ADVENTURE

Don’t let those nagging questions stop you from starting up your business. Instead, address each question straightforwardly and with an open mind. Once you answer them, you can start enjoying the creative, exciting adventure that starting up a business was meant to be.

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