Empty nester entrepreneurs are signing up for online marketing courses because their computer skills are weak, they want to have someone to discuss ideas with, and have someone explain the variety of resources. A business coach can certainly guide empty nester entrepreneurs through the online maze of information.
Working with a home based business coach can help you move forward in your business. There are many different coaching/mentoring courses available and they all have their own ideas of what works and what doesn’t.
The frustrating part is that you often don’t know exactly what you’re getting until after you pay. Then you find out it’s not what you thought and you quit.
Online business courses are offered in several different formats. If you are aware of these various methods before signing up then you will be happier with your decision.
Method 1: A sales person will offer you a mentoring/coaching course where you will receive one-on-one coaching. There will be a onetime fee and then you can have access to their system. The fee will likely have a high end price tag.
Once you become a member you will then have tutorials you can go through and a chat line or phone number to call for assistance. Now you will receive one-on-one coaching, but it is a different person every time. You are contacting a pool of coaches. There is no personal relationship and you will have to explain what you are doing every time you talk to someone.
Method 2: There are business mentoring/coaching courses that offer training tutorials and webinars. These monthly fees may range from $50.00 to $200.00 per month. You can learn a lot and they can be very helpful. The advantage over method #1 is that you can quit at any time and then your payments end. You don’t have to put out a lot of money upfront.
The disadvantage is there is no real live coach to communicate with. You can end up doing a lot of work that is not very effective.
Method 3: You download a series of videos for a onetime fee. These tutorials will lead you through several steps. The advantage is that the cost may be fairly low. The disadvantage is that the videos may be too technical, you may have difficulty figuring out how to make them applicable to your business and you will end up getting lost and losing interest.
Method 4: An online course that combines tutorials,a course in miracles weekly classes in the form of webinars, and personal consulting. You will have help building content and someone checking your work. When you need help with technical challenges you will get it and you will have weekly assignments that will keep you moving forward, plus a community of like-minded baby boomers/empty nesters to talk to and ask questions. The tuition is usually paid monthly.
These are online marketing courses that I have experienced. I recommend asking questions before you pay and find out exactly how the course is going to be delivered and then choose the method that will be best for you.