In today’s post-pandemic business world, there is certainly no shortage of challenges, and as a result, business leaders are increasingly desperate for support. This is why The Growth Coach, a 65-unit small-business coaching franchise, is emerging as one of the most in-demand and lucrative franchise opportunities in 2022. Over the last six months, the brand has signed has seen 20% of franchisees break sales records across the system.

“We really revamped our business model at the end of last year, taking a hard look at the coaching industry and looking for ways to create the strongest business coaching franchise opportunity possible,” said Strategic Franchising Systems President Chris Seman. “We reworked the business model to appeal to more middle-class entrepreneurs looking to take the next step of their career, and as a result, we’ve seen a significant increase in new locations in 2022. We opened more territories this year than the last two years combined.” 

But the brand isn’t just breaking franchise sales records — existing The Growth Coach owners are also breaking their own sales records at a unit level. In fact, as of last month, one franchisee, Jeff Roberts of Kansas City, officially completed The Winner’s Circle, an incentive program that refunds a franchisee’s initial franchise fee ($27,900) upon completion of certain key benchmarks.

“We’ve had really good momentum, and it is so exciting to see franchisees break records and earn their franchise fee back, especially despite the ongoing challenges of the pandemic,” said The Growth Coach Director of Marketing Joshua Johns. “That kind of excitement also really motivates other franchisees, and it is a good testament that what we are doing is working.”

On the consumer side, Seman says coaching demand is continuing to grow due to economic uncertainty, low unemployment and high inflation. “A lot of small and medium businesses are looking for guidance and help,” he said. “That has given our coaches in the field great headwinds, and many new franchise owners are launching with clients right out of the gate.”

The Growth Coach team has also continued to launch new products and services to keep up with that demand and stay ahead of the competition. “We rolled out virtual products during COVID, and those have really taken off in the first six months of this year,” Seman said. “Once clients go through The Growth Coach program, they have access to our business development tools and all the products we’ve launched over the past few years.” 

For example, one of the more recently launched products is the brand’s Succession Planning platform, which helps business owners plan for the future. Another big project is the brand’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion program, which offers workshops to help businesses continually prioritize diversity on their teams.

“As we continue to revamp our business model and roll out new products, we remain one of the most flexible and affordable coaching franchise models out there,” said Seman. “We also have an unbelievable infrastructure of support for our franchisees. Not only do you get corporate support, but you are also coached directly by Growth Coaches in the field and groups of fellow franchise owners. That kind of support is hard to find. What gets people to invest is our uniquely favorable franchise offering, which provides a wealth of support and, in most cases, a very quick return on investment.”

That rapid return on investment is aided by several factors, including a low initial investment — ranging from $42,000 – $63,900, one of the lowest in the executive coaching segment — and a streamlined opening process that brings new franchisees to market quickly after signing on.

Looking ahead to the rest of the year, The Growth Coach is gearing up for widespread expansion, seeking passionate coaches and consultants in markets across the country to join its network of franchise owners. Target markets the brand is currently eying for development include California, Texas and Colorado.

“We hope to double franchise development in the second half of the year and are also in the process of signing two international franchisees,” said Seman. “Our main focus is to continue to perfect our business model and our products and introduce them to move people across the country. We’ve had a lot of momentum over the past few years, and the first half of 2022 suggests that this trajectory won’t slow down anytime soon.”