When you graduate from a reputable accredited coach training course, you lay the solid foundation for your coaching business and for your professional reputation.

Good training is important in any profession and coaching is no different. A good coach-training course will give you the skills and confidence to coach well. It will increase your credibility with prospective clients - both individuals and organisations.

In recent years there has been an explosion of coaching trasining providers - at least 46 in the UK and literally hundreds worldwide. So how do you choose the right one for you?

Here's how:

1. Be clear about your budget for your training. The range offered is huge from free courses to those costing over £10,000. Consider a UK Career Development Loan www.lifelonglearning.co.uk/cdl offering low interest loans.
2. Be clear about the kind of course you want: business, life, executive coaching - or a mix. Some training providers offer a choice of different kinds of coach training.
3. Work out what style of training you prefer: residential, teleclasses, elearning or correspondence, face to face classes, a mix of different formats.
4. Research the market thoroughly - surf the web and ask other coaches where they trained and whom they recommend.
5. Take time to do your research - don't just respond to high-pressure marketing (discounted fees if you sign up today etc).
6. Find out how many training hours are devoted to teaching and evaluating actual coaching skills.
7. Research how the course is accredited and by whom.
8. Check out whether training school students and graduate coaches abide by a professional code of ethics and if so what it is.
9. Before finally deciding on a course, make sure you speak to some of its students or graduates.
10. If you have no experience of running a business, consider whether you want business development to be part of your training.

At MCI we are committed to on going professional development for ourselves and we strongly advocate it for all coaches. It's vital that your first coach-training course equips you with the tools you need. This is your foundation stone. But it's also essential to read widely and attend workshops, conferences and specialist courses throughout your career as a coach. As such, continuous learning represents the building blocks of your coaching and your business. This way you continue to grow and earn, staying fresh and open to new ways of coaching and new ideas in the field and beyond.

Marianne Craig PCC
International Coach Federation Professional Certified Coach

More information on choosing a coach training course and setting up your coaching business is included in Marianne's ebook So You Want to Become a Coach, price £14. Click here for further information. The ebook lists 46 coaching training providers available in the UK, with live links to their websites and their up to date contact details. There also links to schools in many other countries.