There are more than 100,000 health coaches out in the world helping clients lead healthier, happier lives—and a huge percentage of us are choosing to do it from the comfort of our own homes.
If you’re in the work-from-home camp now, or you’re fed up with the commuting/renting office space/waiting for clients to show up routine, read on. There are tons of tools designed to make your workday, and your life, easier—everything from appointment and social media schedulers to payment systems, podcast platforms, and time management apps.
Today, I’ll be sharing 35 of our favorite time-saving tools for holistic health coaches who want to do what they do from home.
Appointment Schedulers
1. Acuity
The last thing you want to do with your clients is spend time emailing back and forth to schedule (and reschedule) their appointments. That’s why the first thing you want to do is set up an online appointment scheduler like Acuity.
2. Calendly
Another smart option for getting clients on your calendar is Calendly. Most appointment schedulers let you choose the days and times you’re available, give you a personalized link to embed on your website, and integrate with other productivity tools, and this one is no exception.
Payment Systems
3. PayPal
As a remote health coach, you’ll need a way to collect payment for your services. Most of your clients have heard of PayPal and know it’s secure. Plus, it’s really easy to set up and the fees are totally reasonable (2.9% + $0.30 per transaction). Payments can be made through a PayPal account or credit card.
4. Square
Just like PayPal, Square only charges you when you make a sale. The fees are similar too (2.6% + $0.10 per transaction). What’s great about this option is that you can collect payments online, and if you happen to be at an in-person event, you can get a reader for your phone that automatically takes payments on the go.
Video Call Platforms
5. Zoom
With so many video call platforms, it’s easy to work with clients located anywhere around the world. Zoom is my platform-of-choice because it offers the most flexibility. You can see clients one-on-one, host group classes, share your screen, and even record your sessions.
6. Skype
You might also like Skype for your video calls. Like most platforms, you can use it on your laptop, tablet, or phone, and take advantage of features like screen share, group calling, and more.
7. FaceTime
If you have an Apple device, FaceTime might be the easiest video platform for you to use, especially if you already have your clients’ information stored in your contacts.
Survey and Form Builders
8. Google Forms
Do a quick search for survey and form builders, and you’ll have more choices than you know what to do with. But for a fast, free, and easy-to-use option, make Google Forms your go-to.
Practice Management Portals
9. Practice Better
Starting and growing your practice can be overwhelming. That’s why tools like this are great to have in your health coaching toolbox. Their free plan comes with storage, scheduling, billing, and tracking capabilities, plus video conferencing features with the upgraded plan.
10. Healthie
Another all-in-one practice management tool is Healthie. You can set appointment types, video chat with groups or one-on-one, share content, process and track payments, and more from $29 a month.
Document Storage
11. Google Drive
If you don’t opt for one of the practice management portals listed above, and you need a secure way to store and send things like intake forms, food lists, notes, and follow-up documents, check out Google Drive.
Design Tools
12. Word Swag
Whether you’re working remotely from home or building an in-person practice, you’ll need a way to make graphics to promote yourself. Word Swag comes with beautifully designed, pre-loaded fonts and layouts, plus you can use their photos or upload your own.
13. Canva
Canva is great for creating freebies, social media ads, posters, you name it. Thanks to its simple drag-and-drop features and more than a million photos, graphics, and fonts, you can easily make professional-level graphics even if you have zero design experience.
Email Marketing Software
14. Mailchimp
By now, you probably know you need email marketing in your life. But do you know how to implement it? Mailchimp is one of the most popular options for creating and automating your email campaigns. It’s super easy to use too, and totally free if you have less than 2,000 subscribers.
15. Constant Contact
If you’re looking for more features and more customization, give Constant Contact a try. The fully loaded plan starts at $45 a month, but it comes with things like subject line A/B testing, dynamic content, and surveys.
16. iContact
Mid-priced iContact is another solid choice for automating your email marketing. Just like our other options, this one lets you build customized campaigns, manage subscriber lists, and more from $12.75 a month.
Analytics
17. Visual Website Optimizer
Unless you have a digital marketing person working at home with you, you might want something that can test lead magnets, headlines, and opt-in placements to get the best engagement with your site’s visitors. That’s where VWO comes in.
18. Google Optimize
Google handles analytics too, with a tool that lets you run A/B tests, customize your website for different audiences, and gain more clients using integrated features like Google Ads.
Online Groups
19. Facebook Groups
Even if you didn’t see the TV spot for Facebook Groups during the Super Bowl, you’ve probably caught one of their other ads. And you probably know that starting your own Facebook Group is a smart way to share your expertise, engage with your niche, and grow your health coaching business.
Blogging Platforms
20. WordPress
Blogging is another great way to reach your niche. If you haven’t already started one, it’s easier than you think to get your first post written and published. Most platforms are free too, including WordPress.
21. Wix
With more than 500 designer-made templates and handy drag-and-drop functionality, you should definitely consider using Wix for your home-based health coaching blog.
Social Media Schedulers
22. Buffer
Make your workday easier by scheduling your social media posts ahead of time. Most schedulers have a free plan, including Buffer, which is great if don’t want to spend a lot up front.
23. Hootsuite
This was one of the first social media tools on the market, and it’s still a top contender thanks to the fact that you can manage multiple profiles and automatically schedule up to 30 posts in advance.
24. Everypost
Here’s another option for scheduling your Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Pinterest posts. Just like the ones above, Everypost has a free plan, plus a free trial so you can check it out first.
Webinars
25. WebinarJam
Think hosting a webinar is time-consuming? Think again. Platforms like WebinarJam give you everything you need to get your first one off the ground. Their customer support team is great too if you need it.
26. Demio
With its user-friendly design and tons of pro-level features, Demio makes it easy to create, play, and replay your webinars. Plus, they send you a training demo that walks you through the process as soon as you sign up.
Creating Online Courses
27. Thinkific
If your work-from-home plans include having an online course, there are lots of great choices for that too. One of our favorites is Thinkific since it lets you create, market, sell, and grow your course all in one place.
28. Teachable
We also really like Teachable because of its drag-and-drop functionality, integration with email marketing software, and, if you’re creating a free course, you don’t get charged to use the platform, ever.
Podcasts
29. Spreaker Studio
Got a podcast on your to-do list? Apps like this one make it easy to record, broadcast, add background music, and interact with your listeners.
Curating Relevant Articles
30. Feedly
Instead of spending hours sifting through articles on intermittent fasting, diabetes prevention, or the latest studies on ketogenic diets, Feedly curates the content you want to read automatically.
31. Google Alerts
Same goes for Google Alerts. Just select the keywords you want to keep track of, and Google sends new and related articles right to your inbox.
Time Management
32. Focus Keeper
Having a handy app like this one can be a lifesaver when it comes to avoiding mental fatigue and burnout. It’s based on the Pomodoro technique, where you stay focused on one activity for 25 minutes at a time, with 3- to 5-minute breaks in between.
33. Timeful
Billed as the intelligent time assistant, this app helps you accomplish more of your to-do list without making your head spin. Plus, it’s a steal at only $0.99.
Shifting Your Perspective
34. Workfrom
Just because you work from home doesn’t mean you always want to work from home. There’s where this app comes in. It’s a curated list of remote working spots in more than 1,250 cities worldwide, so you can see who has free Wi-Fi and the most convenient outlets to charge your devices.
35. Headspace
Meditation can really change your day, especially days when you’re feeling overworked and completely overwhelmed (which can happen to everyone, not just those of us working from home). Headspace has hundreds of sessions on stress, focus, anxiety, and even sleep, plus short guided meditations so you can get back to work quickly.
To Recap…
Not only is working from home a growing trend that helps you save money and countless commuting hours, it gives you a huge audience of potential clients to work with. And thanks to time-saving apps, platforms, and portals that cater to remote health coaches like us, it’s easier than ever to get started.
