Business Coaching Agreement Template: Example and Tips

A business coaching agreement template is the contract you sign with an owner or leadership client before the first session. It sets who the client is, who pays, what the coaching covers (and what it does not, such as consulting or doing the work), how long the engagement runs, fees, confidentiality for financial and staff information, and how either side can end it. Below you will find the seven decisions to make first, the full copyable template, a filled example and the common mistakes.

We make Coachful, so here is how we use this document in our own product: in Coachful you send the agreement for e-signature before the first call, the client signs it electronically, and the signed copy stays on the client record next to their intake answers, sessions, invoices and goals. You can just as easily paste the template into Word or Google Docs. The wording below works whichever way you choose.

One thing before you start: this is a working template, not legal advice. Contract rules vary by state and country, so have a lawyer where you practise review your final version.

What makes a business coaching agreement different from a general coaching contract?

A business coaching agreement has to deal with money, staff and company information that a life coaching contract rarely touches. Your client is often an owner who pays through their company, shares a profit and loss statement in session two, and expects you to talk about named employees.

Four things make this document its own kind:

• The payer and the client are often different. An owner may be coached while the limited company pays the invoice. A general manager may be coached while the founder pays and wants progress updates. The agreement has to say who gets what information.
• The line between coaching and consulting blurs. Business clients will ask you to "just write the sales script" or "sit in on the hiring interview". If your agreement does not say whether that is in scope, every request becomes a negotiation.
• Results talk is risky. Revenue, margin and headcount are measurable, so clients assume you are promising them. The agreement should say plainly that outcomes depend on the client's decisions and the market.
• You will see sensitive commercial data. Pricing, payroll, supplier terms and staff performance issues need a confidentiality clause written for a business, not a generic "everything you say stays here" line.

If you want the general clause-by-clause view first, our coaching agreement template with 12 clauses covers the wider set. For coaching inside larger organisations with an HR sponsor, the executive coaching agreement template fits better. This article is for coaches who work with owners of small and mid-sized businesses and their teams.

Which seven decisions should you make before filling in the template?

Settle these seven points before you open the template, because each one changes several clauses at once. A coach who decides them up front writes a shorter, clearer contract.

Two of these trip up business coaches most. The first is decision 3. If you sometimes review a pitch deck or a pricing sheet, say so and cap it, for example "up to two hours of document review per month". The second is decision 1. Where a founder pays for a manager's coaching, agree in writing that the founder gets attendance and broad themes only, never session content, unless the coachee agrees. The ICF Code of Ethics expects coaches to make clear agreements with clients and sponsors about roles, confidentiality and fees, and that is a useful standard to hold yourself to even if you are not a member (ICF Code of Ethics).

Payment structure deserves its own thinking. Our guide to payment plans and late fees in coaching agreements walks through deposit, retainer and instalment wording, and the coaching retainer agreement article covers rolling monthly engagements in detail.

The business coaching agreement template (copy and adapt)

Copy everything from the heading below down to the signature block. Replace each [bracketed] field, delete any optional clause you do not use, and keep the numbering so your references stay correct.

BUSINESS COACHING AGREEMENT

This Business Coaching Agreement ("Agreement") is made on [date] between [Coach legal name or company name], of [coach business address] ("Coach"), and [Client company legal name], [company registration number, if any], of [client business address] ("Company"), for the coaching of [name and role of the person being coached] ("Coachee"). Where the Coachee is a sole trader paying personally, "Company" and "Coachee" mean the same person.

1. Purpose of the coaching. The Coach will provide business coaching to help the Coachee clarify priorities, make decisions and build the habits needed to [main aim agreed at intake, for example: move from working in the business to working on it; prepare the business for a second location; build a leadership team that runs day-to-day operations]. Initial focus areas are: [focus area 1], [focus area 2], [focus area 3]. These may change by written agreement, including by email.
2. Nature of coaching. Coaching is a thinking partnership. The Coach asks questions, offers frameworks, gives feedback and holds the Coachee accountable for agreed actions. The Coachee makes all business decisions and is responsible for their results. The Coach does not manage the Company, make decisions on its behalf, or act as an officer, director, employee or agent of the Company.
3. What is included. The engagement includes:
   • [number] one-to-one sessions of [length] minutes each, held [weekly / every two weeks] by [video / phone / in person at address];
   • [optional] one [length]-hour strategy session at the start to set [90-day / 12-month] priorities;
   • [optional] written check-ins between sessions through [platform], answered by the Coach within [number] business days;
   • [optional] up to [number] hours per month of review of documents the Coachee prepares, such as a sales plan, pricing sheet, hiring brief or board update, with written comments;
   • [optional] access to [workbooks, templates, course or group programme name] for the length of the engagement.
4. What is not included. Unless added in writing under clause 4.1, the Coach does not provide: consulting or implementation work (writing plans, scripts, policies or marketing for the Company); bookkeeping, accounting, tax, legal, investment, insurance or HR compliance advice; recruitment or the management of Company staff; mental health treatment or therapy. Where a question falls into these areas, the Coach will say so and suggest the Coachee consult a suitably qualified professional.
   1. Additional work. Any extra service, such as facilitating a team offsite, will be agreed in a separate written scope with its own fee before work starts.
5. Term. This Agreement starts on [start date] and runs for [number] months, ending on [end date] ("Term"). [Choose one: The Agreement ends at the end of the Term unless both parties agree to renew in writing. / After the Term, the Agreement continues month to month until either party gives [number] days' written notice.]
6. Fees. The Company will pay the Coach [total fee or monthly fee] [plus applicable sales tax / VAT / GST] as follows: [choose one: in full before the first session / [number] monthly payments of [amount] due on [day] of each month / a deposit of [amount] on signing and the balance of [amount] by [date]]. Payment is by [card, bank transfer or other method] through [payment provider]. Invoices are issued to [billing contact name and email].
   1. Late payment. If a payment is more than [number] days late, the Coach may pause sessions until it is received [and charge a late fee of [amount or percentage], where permitted by law].
   2. Expenses. [Choose one: There are no additional expenses. / Pre-approved travel for in-person sessions will be invoiced at cost.]
7. Scheduling, rescheduling and missed sessions. Sessions are booked through [booking link or method]. The Coachee may reschedule with at least [24 / 48] hours' notice. Sessions cancelled with less notice, or missed, count as delivered [unless the Coach agrees otherwise for an emergency]. If the Coach needs to reschedule, the session will be moved, not lost. Unused sessions [expire at the end of the Term / may be used within [number] days after the Term].
8. Coachee responsibilities. The Coachee agrees to attend on time, prepare for sessions by [completing the pre-session check-in / bringing the latest weekly numbers], complete agreed actions or tell the Coach why not, and give honest feedback about what is and is not working.
9. No guarantee of results. The Coach will work diligently, but does not promise any specific outcome, including revenue, profit, valuation, funding, hiring or sales targets. Business results depend on the Coachee's decisions, the Company's resources, the market and factors outside the Coach's control. Examples or case studies shared by the Coach are not predictions.
10. Confidentiality. The Coach will keep confidential all non-public information about the Company and the Coachee shared during the engagement, including financial statements, pricing, customer and supplier information, staff matters and business plans, and will not use it for any purpose other than the coaching. This duty continues for [number] years after the Agreement ends.
    1. Exceptions. The Coach may disclose information where required by law or a court order; where there is a serious risk of harm to the Coachee or others; or with the Coachee's written permission.
    2. Sponsor reporting. [Choose one: No reports are given to anyone other than the Coachee. / The Coach will tell [sponsor name and role] only whether sessions took place and, with the Coachee's agreement, the broad themes being worked on. Session content stays confidential.]
    3. Coachee's own information. The Coachee may share anything about their own coaching with anyone they choose.
11. Data and records. The Coach will keep session notes, intake answers, check-ins and payment records in [platform or storage] and will protect them with reasonable security measures. The Coach acts in line with [applicable data protection law, for example the GDPR or the state privacy law that applies]. The Coachee should avoid sharing personal data about employees or customers unless it is needed for the coaching. On request at the end of the engagement, the Coach will return or delete Company documents, except records the Coach must keep for tax or legal reasons.
    1. Recordings. [Choose one: Sessions are not recorded. / Sessions may be recorded only with the Coachee's agreement at the start of each recording, for note-taking, and are deleted after [number] days.]
12. Intellectual property. The Coach keeps ownership of their frameworks, worksheets, templates, course materials and methods ("Coach Materials"). The Coachee may use Coach Materials inside the Company for its own business, but may not resell, publish or train others with them outside the Company. The Company owns plans, documents and other work product the Coachee creates during the engagement.
13. Non-solicitation of staff. [Optional] Neither party will directly hire or engage the other's employees or contractors introduced during the engagement for [number] months after it ends, without written consent.
14. Conflicts of interest. The Coach will tell the Coachee if they are coaching a direct competitor in [region or market] or have a financial interest in a supplier or partner the Coachee is considering. Either party may then end the Agreement under clause 16 without penalty.
15. Limitation of liability. The Coach's total liability under this Agreement is limited to the fees paid in the [number] months before the claim. The Coach is not liable for lost profits, lost business or indirect loss arising from the Coachee's decisions. Nothing in this clause limits liability that cannot be limited by law.
16. Ending the Agreement. Either party may end this Agreement by giving [number] days' written notice. The Coach may end it immediately if fees remain unpaid for more than [number] days or the Coachee acts abusively. On ending:
    • [Choose one: fees for sessions already delivered are not refundable, and prepaid fees for undelivered sessions will be refunded pro rata within [number] days / no refunds are given after [number] days from signing / remaining payment plan instalments [are / are not] still due];
    • clauses 10, 11, 12, 13 and 15 continue to apply.
17. Disputes. If a disagreement arises, both parties will first talk it through in good faith. If that does not resolve it within [number] days, they will try mediation through [mediation service or "a mediator they agree on"] before starting court proceedings, except for urgent injunctions.
18. Governing law. This Agreement is governed by the laws of [state, province or country], and the courts of [location] have jurisdiction.
19. General. This Agreement is the full agreement between the parties about the coaching and replaces earlier proposals. Changes must be in writing. If any clause is unenforceable, the rest stays in force. The parties may sign electronically, and an electronic signature has the same effect as a handwritten one.
20. Signatures.
    • Coach: [name], [title], signature ____________, date [date]
    • Company: [authorised signatory name], [title], signature ____________, date [date]
    • Coachee (if different from the signatory): [name], signature ____________, date [date]

Why does each section matter, and what should you watch for?

Every clause above exists because of a specific argument coaches end up having with business clients. Use this table when you trim the template, so you know what you lose by deleting a clause.

For deeper wording on the heavier clauses, see our articles on non-solicitation and confidentiality terms, copyright and IP terms, liability and indemnity clauses and dispute resolution clauses.

What must business coaches add for scope, safety, data and local law?

The template covers the core contract, but four areas usually need local or personal adjustments before you send it. Treat these as a checklist for your final review.

Scope of practice

Business coaching is unregulated in most places, which is exactly why your agreement must draw the boundary itself. If you hold another qualification, such as an accounting or legal credential, state clearly that you are not acting in that capacity during coaching, or the client may later argue they relied on professional advice. If you do give advisory input, say so in clause 3 and consider whether your insurance covers it.

Wellbeing and safety

Owners under financial pressure sometimes bring stress, burnout or worse into sessions. Coaching is not therapy. Keep the line in clause 4, and decide in advance what you will do if a client discloses a crisis: pause the business agenda, encourage them to contact a doctor or mental health professional, and, where there is immediate risk, emergency services. The confidentiality exception in clause 10.1 lets you act.

Sensitive data

You will see payroll figures, staff performance issues and customer lists. If you or your client are in the EU or UK, the General Data Protection Regulation applies to personal data about employees and customers, and you should know your legal basis for holding it (overview of the GDPR). Elsewhere, state privacy laws may apply. Ask clients to anonymise staff where they can.

Electronic signatures and local law

In the United States, the ESIGN Act generally gives electronic signatures the same standing as handwritten ones for most commercial contracts (ESIGN Act overview). In the EU, the eIDAS regulation sets the framework for electronic signatures (eIDAS overview). Late fees, liability caps, non-solicitation clauses and refund rules all vary by state and country, so these are the clauses to bring to a local lawyer first.

What does a filled business coaching agreement look like?

Here is the same template completed for a fictional client. This is an example only: the people and company are invented, and the fee is an illustrative figure chosen to show the wording, not a market rate. Set your own price from your costs, hours and offer.

Example: BUSINESS COACHING AGREEMENT

Made on 2 November 2026 between Rowan Ashby Coaching LLC, of [address] ("Coach"), and Ferncliff Joinery Ltd, of [address] ("Company"), for the coaching of Priya Lindqvist, Managing Director ("Coachee").

1. Purpose. To help the Coachee step back from daily production scheduling and build a two-person leadership team, so the workshop runs for two weeks without the Coachee. Focus areas: delegating production planning, a weekly numbers review, and hiring an operations lead.
2. Included. Twelve one-to-one sessions of 60 minutes every two weeks by video; one 2-hour strategy session in week one to set 6-month priorities; written check-ins through the Coach's client portal, answered within 2 business days; up to 2 hours per month of review of documents the Coachee prepares, such as the operations lead job brief.
3. Not included. Writing the job description or interviewing candidates; employment law, tax or accounting advice. The Coach will suggest the Company's accountant and an employment lawyer where needed.
4. Term. 9 November 2026 to 8 May 2027. Ends at the end of the Term unless renewed in writing.
5. Fees. Example fee of $1,500 per month for 6 months, plus applicable sales tax, charged by card on the 9th of each month. Invoices go to accounts@[company domain]. If a payment is more than 10 days late, sessions pause until it is received.
6. Scheduling. 48 hours' notice to reschedule. Unused sessions may be used within 30 days after the Term.
7. Confidentiality. Covers the Company's management accounts, pricing, staff matters and supplier terms, for 3 years after the end. No reports to anyone other than the Coachee.
8. Data. Notes, intake answers and check-ins are kept on the Coach's coaching platform. Sessions are not recorded.
9. Ending. Either party may end with 30 days' notice. Prepaid fees for undelivered sessions are refunded pro rata within 14 days.
10. Law. Laws of the State of [state]; mediation before court.

Notice what the example does well. The purpose is a concrete change in how the owner spends the week, not "grow the business". The excluded list names the two areas this client is most likely to ask about, hiring paperwork and employment law. The document review is capped at two hours, so helping with the job brief does not turn into writing it.

How should you send, sign and store the agreement?

Send it from the same place you run the rest of the client relationship, so the signed version sits next to the sessions and invoices it governs. The table compares the common options. Vendor prices are as listed on their pricing pages in October 2026 and change often.

A short note on the other tools. HoneyBook, Dubsado and Bonsai are built for service businesses and freelancers in general, so their contract features are solid but they stop at the admin layer: their own documentation does not list coaching programs, client habits or check-ins. Paperbell, CoachVantage and Satori are coaching practice tools with contracts built in, each with the limits shown above. If your agreement promises written check-ins and a portal, as clause 3 does, the tool you pick has to deliver them too.

For the mechanics of reminders and signing flows, see how to automate coaching agreement e-signatures.

How do you run this agreement in Coachful, step by step?

In Coachful the agreement is one step in a client journey that starts at booking and carries on through sessions, check-ins and invoices. Here is how it fits together for a business coaching engagement, and what the client sees at each step.

Step 1: Collect intake answers on booking

Add intake questions to your discovery or strategy call booking page: company name and legal entity, the owner's role, team size, the main problem in their words, and who will pay. Those answers land on the Intakes page and on the client record, so the parties and purpose clauses of your agreement can be filled in from what the client actually told you.

Booking pages handle availability rules, buffers, minimum notice and time-zone detection, with two-way Google, Apple or Outlook calendar sync and built-in video or auto-created Zoom, Meet or Teams links. That matters for clause 7: the notice period in your contract should match the minimum notice set on your booking page.

Step 2: Send the agreement before the first call

Coaching agreements with e-signature are sent before the first call and stored on the client record. Paste your finished template, fill in the brackets for this client, and send it. The Agreements tab on the client record is also where you can drop a signed PDF if a client signed a paper copy or their company used its own signing process.

If you want help drafting the bracketed clauses for a specific client first, the coaching contract generator helps you put together a draft to paste in. Coachful's coaching contracts page covers the signing side in more detail.

Step 3: Take payment and issue invoices

Payments run through your own Stripe Connect or Razorpay account: one-time, subscriptions, payment plans, coupons and refunds, with Apple Pay, Google Pay and Stripe Tax. Every transaction gets an invoice, and you can issue manual invoices too, which helps when a company's accounts team wants a formal invoice addressed to the legal entity named in your agreement. Coachful charges a 0% platform fee on client payments; only Stripe or Razorpay processing applies.

Step 4: Deliver what clause 3 promises

If your agreement includes check-ins between sessions, set them up as coaching flows: a welcome flow, then weekly or daily check-ins. For owners, a short Friday check-in on the week's numbers and one decision made works well. Habits, goals with progress bars and streaks give the "agreed actions" in clause 8 somewhere to live.

This walkthrough shows the full client journey, from first booking to an active program:

For a group offer, such as a 12-week program for owners of service businesses, clients enroll in a multi-week program with weekly goals and daily tasks, and a cohort group is created automatically on enrollment.

Step 5: What the client sees

The client uses one branded app under your name inside the Coachful app. They see their next session, any pre-session work you have set, their programs, progress and documents. That gives the owner one place to check what they agreed to, rather than digging through email.

Step 6: Keep the record together

The client record holds goals, check-ins, habits, notes, intake answers, tags, payments, sessions and an AI briefing per client, with a status of thriving, active, quiet or at risk. Michelle, the built-in AI assistant, can brief you before a session from that live data, which helps when you have not seen a client for two weeks. If a client goes quiet halfway through a 6-month term, you see it before the renewal conversation.

See more on Coachful for business coaches.

What is Coachful, and who is it for?

Coachful is a coaching platform. One subscription covers booking, payments, contracts, program delivery with habits and check-ins, courses, a community, a website with funnels and email, and an AI assistant, with one login for the coach and one branded app for the client. It is built for coaches who deliver programs and not only sessions, solo coaches growing into a small team, and coaches replacing four to six separate tools. The company is based in Tallinn, Estonia.

What it does not do matters for a business coaching agreement, too. Coachful is not HIPAA-certified and is not for clinical record-keeping or insurance billing. It does not take PayPal, has no permanent free plan, and has no Salesforce or HubSpot integration or multi-stage deal board for large sales teams. The client app ships under the Coachful listing with your branding, not under your own App Store account.

To start, take a free trial and look at the plans (Lite: $29/month for up to 5 clients; Solo: $49/month for up to 20 clients; Pro: $99/month with unlimited clients; Studio: $199/month with unlimited clients). Booking, contracts, programs and the client app are included in your Coachful membership.

Why Coachful stands out: a free white-glove service. From Create, choose "We'll build it for you" and describe what you want: a website, a funnel, an offer or sales page, a program, a form or worksheet, an email sequence and more. You can attach up to 8 reference links and up to 10 files, such as your logo, brand guide or an existing contract draft. The Coachful team builds it inside your own account, usually within about 24 hours, and leaves gaps for you rather than inventing credentials, testimonials or prices. One recent build: a business mentor for beauty professionals got a 12-week mentorship sales page, a free start-up-guide funnel and rewritten follow-up emails. Read more about the free white-glove service.

What are the most common mistakes in business coaching agreements?

Most problems come from leaving a decision implicit. These are the ones that cause the most friction with owner clients:

1. Signing with the person, billing the company. If the company pays, the company should be a party. Otherwise a missed payment becomes a question of who actually owes you.
2. No exclusions list. "Business coaching" with no stated exclusions lets a client argue that writing their sales deck was part of the deal.
3. Promising outcomes in sales copy. Clause 9 means little if your sales page says "double your revenue in 90 days". Keep marketing and contract consistent.
4. Sponsor reporting decided later. When a founder pays for a manager's coaching, settle the reporting line before session one.
5. Generic confidentiality. A line about "personal matters" does not obviously cover a profit and loss statement or a customer list. Name commercial information.
6. Refunds scattered across clauses. Put cancellation, refunds and remaining instalments in one place, as clause 16 does.
7. Notice periods that the booking tool does not enforce. If the contract says 48 hours but your booking page allows 2 hours, clients will follow the page.
8. Using a downloaded template without local review. Liability caps, late fees and non-solicitation terms are the clauses most likely to need changes where you live.
9. Storing the signed copy in an inbox. At renewal or in a dispute you need the signed version and the payment history together.

If you are still setting up the practice itself, our guide on how to start a business coaching business covers offers, pricing and first clients, and the coaching invoice template matches the fee clause above.

Is this template legal advice, and when should a lawyer review it?

No. This template is a starting point written for business coaches, not legal, tax or financial advice, and it does not create a lawyer and client relationship. Laws on contracts, consumer protection, late fees, data protection, non-solicitation and electronic signatures differ by state and country.

Have a lawyer licensed where you practise review your final version before you use it, and again when you change your model. Get review in particular if you:

• coach clients in another country or state from your own;
• add advisory or consulting work alongside coaching;
• work with larger companies that send their own procurement terms;
• hold a professional licence, such as accounting or law, that clients might think you are using;
• want to rely on the liability cap or non-solicitation clause.

For sales tax, VAT or GST on coaching fees, check with an accountant. If a client discloses a health or mental health crisis, refer them to a qualified clinician; that is outside coaching.

Frequently asked questions

Is this business coaching agreement template free to use?

Yes. You can copy the template, adapt it for your practice and use it with clients. Have a local lawyer review your final version, because contract rules vary by state and country.

Should the agreement be with the business owner or the company?

If the company pays, make the company a party and name the owner as the coachee, as the template does. If a sole trader pays personally, the company and the coachee are the same person. The point is that whoever owes the fees has signed.

How long should a business coaching engagement be?

Many business coaches use fixed terms of three, six or twelve months because business changes take time to show up in the numbers. Others run month to month with a notice period. Pick the structure that matches your offer, then make clauses 5 and 16 consistent with it.

Can I include consulting work in a coaching agreement?

You can, but define it. List the advisory work in clause 3, cap it in hours or deliverables, and check that your insurance covers advice. Anything larger, like a team offsite, belongs in a separate written scope with its own fee.

Are electronic signatures valid for a coaching contract?

In many places, yes. The US ESIGN Act and the EU eIDAS regulation both give electronic signatures legal standing for most commercial contracts. Local exceptions exist, so confirm with a lawyer where you practise.

What should the confidentiality clause cover for business clients?

Name commercial information explicitly: financial statements, pricing, customer and supplier details, staff matters and business plans. Add the legal and safety exceptions, and decide whether any sponsor gets reports. Set how long the duty lasts after the engagement ends.

Can Coachful send and store my business coaching agreement?

Yes. In Coachful you send the agreement for e-signature before the first call, and the signed copy is stored on the client record with intake answers, sessions, invoices and goals. You can also drop in a signed PDF on the Agreements tab.

What is Coachful's free white-glove service?

From Create, choose "We'll build it for you" and describe what you need, such as a website, funnel, program, form or email sequence, with up to 8 links and 10 files attached. The Coachful team builds it inside your own account, usually within about 24 hours. It is free on every plan, and it does not include recording videos, logo design or ongoing marketing.

Does Coachful work for clinical or regulated client records?

No. Coachful is not HIPAA-certified and does not sign a BAA, so it is not for clinical record-keeping or insurance billing. It fits business coaching records such as goals, notes, check-ins and invoices.

What happens if a client wants to stop halfway through?

Clause 16 decides it. Choose one refund rule in advance, such as a pro rata refund of prepaid, undelivered sessions, and state whether remaining payment plan instalments are still due. A clear notice period stops arguments about the final month.