Best Appointment Scheduling Software for Small Coaching Businesses

Think about the last time you had a mix-up with a booking or when you spent more time organizing your calendar than you did actually coaching. Frustrating, right? This is where an appointment software for small business coaching comes into play. It’s a tool that acts like your virtual assistant, working 24/7 to ensure your schedule is as organized and efficient as your coaching sessions.

Incorporating scheduling software into your daily business operations means saying goodbye to double bookings, missed appointments, and the endless back-and-forth of scheduling and rescheduling. 

What’s more, the benefits continue. Using a scheduling appointment software for small coaching businesses can also:

• Enhance your professional image
• Offer valuable insights into your booking trends
• Allow you to scale your operations more effectively

Want to find out which are the best tools from the crowd of many scheduling platforms, each claiming to be as good as the other?

If so, you’ve hit a goldmine of answers – this guide will walk you through the 6 best options of appointment scheduling software for your small coaching business and much more.

Let’s get you started!

Why Do Small Coaching Businesses Need Appointment Scheduling Software?

Let’s talk about your clients. They’re busy people, just like you. They’re juggling work, life, family, and now, their personal development journey with you. The last thing they need is a complicated booking process.

An appointment scheduling software puts the power in their hands, allowing them to book sessions with you at their convenience, be it during a lunch break or in the quiet hours of the early morning.

Here are the many ways in which an appointment software can help you:

• By reducing no-shows with automated reminders to clients — A day packed with sessions and then a no-show means revenue loss for you. This is where automated reminders come into play. A simple nudge from your scheduling software can significantly reduce the chances of no-shows
• By streamlining payment processes with Integrated Payment Solutions: With an appointment scheduling software for small coaching businesses, your clients can pay for their sessions at the time of booking, making the process seamless and straightforward
• By efficient management of staff schedules: When you have a team of coaches working with you, managing everyone’s schedules can feel like a puzzle. Appointment scheduling software becomes even more of a necessity here, allowing you to view and manage all schedules in one place

Platforms such as Simply.Coach excel in sending out these automated reminders, ensuring your clients are always informed and engaged.

Top 6 Appointment Softwares for Small Coaching Businesses in 2024

Having an appointment software to manage your small coaching business will clearly give you the power to provide a superior service to your clients while making your life easy.

Start your journey with these 6 platforms, so you have more time and energy to focus on what truly matters — guiding your clients towards their goals.

1. Simply.Coach

Simply.Coach is a classic example of an all-rounder appointment scheduling software specifically designed for coaches. It’s developed with the understanding that coaching goes beyond mere appointments; it’s about building relationships, tracking progress, and bringing about meaningful change.

Understanding the sensitive nature of coaching conversations, Simply.Coach prioritizes client privacy and data security. The platform is fully SOC2, HIPAA and GDPR-compliant – meaning, certified high-end data security for your operations. 

Moreover, you can facilitate scheduling, invoicing, payment processing, client profiles, session notes, progress tracking and many more in one place with Simply.Coach.

Key Features and Tools

1. Client Management: Offers robust client management features, allowing you to keep detailed records, notes, and progress for each client. Some of the client management features include:

• Streamlined session scheduling: Link your Google and Microsoft calendars simultaneously, utilize various video conferencing platforms like Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, or Cisco Webex directly within Simply.Coach, and seamlessly convert notes into actionable items with its integrated note-taking feature.
• Goal and Development Planning: Supports accountability and visibility into the coaching journey by allowing you to manage each client’s goals and progress in one place, enhancing the value delivered to clients.
• Action Plans: Keep your clients on track, where both you and the clients record and monitor tasks—called Actions—toward your goals, ensuring progress between sessions with a clear view of upcoming and overdue Actions on the Dashboard for easy monitoring and reminders.

2. Business Management: Offers secure and automatic processes for you to run your coaching business efficiently. Some of the business management features of Simply.Coach are:

• Journey Builder: You can map any coaching methodology into reusable program templates, through which, you can plan and multiply a framework of your usual program, to be able to provide your service at scale.
• Showcase Page: Craft an attractive and informative profile to attract and build trust by creating a landing page highlighting your specialties, experience, certifications, and client testimonials, allowing you to brand your page uniquely and effectively pull in business.
• Invoicing and Payments: Create, track, and manage invoices, automate unique invoice numbers, send invoices directly to clients, set up automated payment reminders, and collect payments securely worldwide with Stripe integration, accepting various payment methods across 135 currencies and 35 countries.

Pricing Info: Offers a 14-day trial for you to get started!

• Here are the prices for solopreneurs 
• Here are the prices for businesses

If you are already overwhelmed by your packed schedules, finding the right tool might feel daunting. Simply.Coach was designed with exactly this challenge in mind, making it a user-friendly and secure option worth exploring.

2. Calendly

Calendly stands out in the world of appointment scheduling software for small businesses because it’s a simple and elegant tool, designed to take the hassle out of arranging meetings, sessions, and calls.

• Calendly’s interface is clean and straightforward. You simply link your calendar, set your availability preferences, and voilà, you’re ready to share your personalized booking link with your clients
• They pick a time, and the event automatically syncs to both parties’ calendars

Key Features and Tools

• Automatic time zone detection for international clients: Automatic time zone detection ensures that when your clients book a session, the time shown is correctly adjusted to their local time zone
• Automated reminders: Sends automatic email and SMS reminders to reduce no-shows and ensure clients are prepared for their sessions
• Payment integration: Integrated with payment platforms like PayPal and Stripe, Calendly handles session payments directly

Pricing info. There’s a free plan. The paid plans start from $12/user/month.

3. Acuity Scheduling

Acuity Scheduling is a great platform that offers comprehensive booking features and seamless payment integration. It’s a powerful tool designed to enhance the efficiency of your booking process while ensuring your business stands out in your clients’ minds.

Key Features and Tools

Here’s how this appointment software for small businesses can make your life easy.

• Comprehensive booking features for in-person and online services: The platform is designed for different booking types, from one-on-one coaching sessions to group workshops
• Integration with payment gateways: It’s integrated with major payment gateways like PayPal, Stripe, and Square
• Flexible scheduling options: Allows for the customization of scheduling parameters for each service, including duration, pricing, and availability
• Integrated video conferencing: Integrates with popular video conferencing tools, ensuring that meetings can be easily scheduled and accessed

Pricing Info: The paid plan starts from $16/user/month.

Also Read: Best Business Coaching Tools: 2024 Guide 

4. Setmore

Setmore is a dynamic appointment software for small businesses. The platform provides a customizable online booking page where you can list your services in detail. This page acts as a digital storefront, allowing clients to browse your offerings and book their preferred service directly.

Key Features and Tools

• Sends automatic reminders to both coaches and clients
• Stands out for its integration with social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram
• Integrated with Stripe, PayPal, Lawpay, and Square
• Connects with your CRM

Pricing Info: The paid plan starts from $9/user/month.

5. Zoho Bookings

Zoho Bookings is next on our list of simple appointment scheduling software for small businesses. The platform is designed to streamline scheduling for businesses that focus on sales and team management.

Key Features and Tools

• Managing sales teams and their schedules: Offers tools that facilitate easy scheduling of client meetings, sales calls, and team sessions
• Robust integration capabilities: Integrated with CRM, email marketing, and more
• Customizable booking widgets for website integration: Offers customizable booking widgets that can be easily integrated into your website, enabling your clients to schedule appointments directly from your site

Pricing Info: The paid plan starts from ₹360/staff/month.

6. Picktime

Picktime steps up as an intuitive appointment scheduling software for small businesses that cater to the many needs of life coaches operating across multiple locations. Its flexibility, ease of use, and comprehensive analytics make it a popular choice.

Key Features and Tools

• Scheduling for multiple locations and resources: Allows for easy management of appointments across multiple sites, ensuring clients can book sessions at the most convenient location
• Free booking widget for easy online appointment setting: Offers a free booking widget that can be seamlessly integrated into your website. This not only streamlines the booking process for your clients but also keeps them engaged with your content longer
• Comprehensive reporting tools for business insights: Provides valuable insights into your business operations through its comprehensive reporting tools. These tools allow you to track appointment trends, client preferences, and overall business performance

If reading through these options seems overwhelming, why not start by checking out Simply.Coach? It could be the perfect starting point for elevating your coaching business.

Also Read: 10 Effective Business Coaching Strategies to Create Successful Engagements

Conclusion

Selecting the right appointment scheduling software is absolutely critical for your coaching business. It’s not just about having a digital calendar; it’s about integrating a system that can tackle the whole and soul of your daily operations.

Remember to look into the following factors when choosing an appointment scheduling software for your small coaching business:

• Seamless synchronization with your current calendar to prevent double bookings
• Flexibility to set different types of appointments (one-on-one sessions, group workshops, etc.), durations, and special instructions
• Customizable reminder messages that go out automatically before appointments, reducing no-shows
• Options for follow-up messages post-session, enhancing client retention and feedback collection
• Transparent pricing structures with no hidden fees, ensuring you can budget effectively

Want the administrative side of your business to run smoothly so you have more time and energy to focus on guiding your clients towards their goals? Schedule a demo call with Simply.Coach today, and let our experts simplify your work for you!