As a retired civil servant, I never thought I’d be diving into the world of online business. After years of dedicated service, I found myself with time on my hands and a burning desire to try something new. That’s when I stumbled upon the idea of starting an online business. It seemed perfect – I could work from home, set my own hours, and potentially create a new source of income.
But let’s be honest, the prospect of venturing into this unfamiliar territory was daunting. There’s so much to learn, from digital marketing to e-commerce platforms, and the internet is flooded with information – some helpful, some not so much. That’s when I realized I needed guidance from experienced professionals who’ve already walked this path.
In my search for mentorship, I discovered the world of online business coaches. These experts offer a wealth of knowledge and practical strategies to help newcomers like me navigate the complexities of online entrepreneurship. After extensive research and personal consideration, I’ve compiled a list of the 11 best online business coaches who I believe can truly make a difference for aspiring entrepreneurs, especially those of us starting a second career later in life.
Whether you’re interested in e-commerce, affiliate marketing, course creation, or any other online business model, these coaches offer invaluable insights and proven strategies to help you succeed.
1. Ezra Firestone
Ezra Firestone is a renowned e-commerce expert and brand builder who has made a significant impact in the online business world. With over a decade of experience in e-commerce, Firestone has established himself as a leading authority in the field. He is the founder of Smart Marketer, a platform that provides resources and training for entrepreneurs looking to build successful online businesses. Firestone’s journey to success is impressive, having bootstrapped his cosmetic brand BOOM! by Cindy Joseph from $0 to over $40 million in annual revenue.
Firestone’s approach to e-commerce growth and brand building is rooted in consistency and a balanced lifestyle. He emphasizes the importance of showing up every day with enthusiasm and focusing on both personal and business goals. His success strategy involves developing effective systems, creating multiple revenue streams, and sharing knowledge with the community. Firestone’s expertise extends to various aspects of e-commerce, including email marketing, front-end offers, and SMS list growth.
2. Affiliate Marketing Coaching by Jack Davis
Jack Davis is a seasoned expert in affiliate marketing with over a decade of experience in the field. As the founder of Affiliate Marketing Masterclass, Davis has built multiple authority sites that consistently generate six-figure incomes annually. His expertise extends beyond just affiliate marketing, as he also founded an SEO agency that works with companies worldwide. Davis’s approach to teaching is rooted in practicality and actionable steps, focusing on helping entrepreneurs leverage their existing knowledge to create successful online businesses.
Davis offers a comprehensive affiliate marketing course that covers essential topics such as finding profitable niches, using AI for content creation, discovering easy-to-rank keywords, building white-hat links at scale, and building an email list. His coaching program is highly personalized, treating each client’s website as if it were his own. Davis’s expertise spans various areas, including content optimization, link-building, ad revenue maximization, and leveraging AI for SEO strategies. His coaching packages range from one-off consultations to recurring monthly sessions, catering to entrepreneurs at different stages of their affiliate marketing journey.
3. Dropshipping Coaching by James Johnson
James Johnson is a prominent figure in the dropshipping industry, having built multiple six-figure dropshipping stores since 2008. As the founder of DropshippingCourse.org, Johnson shares his wealth of experience and actionable tactics to help aspiring entrepreneurs succeed in the world of eCommerce. His expertise extends beyond just dropshipping, as he also founded a marketing agency dedicated to building eCommerce brands.
Johnson’s dropshipping course covers crucial aspects of building a successful dropshipping business, including choosing a profitable niche, finding reliable suppliers, building an online store, optimizing for SEO, developing effective marketing strategies, automating processes, and focusing on customer service. His coaching program is designed to provide personalized guidance and support to entrepreneurs at various stages of their dropshipping journey.
Johnson’s approach emphasizes overcoming common challenges in dropshipping, such as supplier sourcing, inventory management, brand building, and handling customer returns. His coaching packages are flexible, ranging from one-off consultations to intensive three-month programs, allowing clients to choose the level of support that best fits their needs and goals.
4. Online Business Coaching by Jeff Smith
Jeff Smith is the founder of High Income Source, a platform designed to help entrepreneurs build sustainable online businesses. With a focus on digital marketing, e-commerce, and passive income strategies, Jeff offers a holistic approach to online business coaching. His expertise spans multiple domains, including content creation, branding, SEO, and monetization.
Jeff’s Online Business Coaching Program is structured to cater to entrepreneurs at various stages of their journey—whether they’re just starting out or looking to scale an existing business. The program emphasizes creating systems and strategies that drive long-term growth. Key areas of focus include identifying profitable niches, optimizing website performance, leveraging social media for traffic generation, and implementing effective monetization techniques.
What makes Jeff’s coaching unique is his emphasis on practical implementation. He provides clients with step-by-step guidance on setting up their online businesses while addressing common challenges like low traffic or inconsistent revenue streams. His coaching packages are flexible, offering both one-time consultations and ongoing support tailored to individual needs.
Clients frequently commend Jeff for his ability to break down complex strategies into manageable steps. Many have noted substantial improvements in their business metrics after implementing his advice. For instance, one client shared how Jeff’s insights into niche selection and SEO helped them achieve consistent monthly revenue growth.
5. Victor Antonio
Victor Antonio is a dynamic sales trainer and expert in influence techniques, known for his engaging and informative presentations. With a background in electrical engineering and an MBA, Antonio has successfully transitioned from a tech career to becoming one of the world’s leading sales experts. His experience includes serving as the President of Sales and Marketing for a $420 million technology company, which has given him valuable insights into the corporate world.
Antonio’s approach to sales training focuses on influence and persuasion, emphasizing the importance of understanding buyer behavior and adapting to changing market dynamics. He has developed comprehensive training programs, such as the Sales Velocity Academy, which covers various aspects of sales, including prospecting, pricing, and presentation skills. Antonio’s teachings are based on value-centric selling strategies, helping salespeople position their products effectively and reduce reliance on discounting.
6. Amy Porterfield
Amy Porterfield is a renowned expert in online course creation and digital marketing, who has made a significant impact in the online business world. With a background working alongside industry giants like Tony Robbins, Porterfield has leveraged her experience to become a trailblazing entrepreneur. Her online courses and popular podcast, “Online Marketing Made Easy,” have generated over $100 million in revenue, demonstrating her expertise in the field. Porterfield’s approach focuses on empowering entrepreneurs to transition from traditional nine-to-five jobs to thriving online businesses, having helped over 10,000 students achieve this goal.
Porterfield’s flagship program, Digital Course Academy (DCA), is a comprehensive course that teaches aspiring entrepreneurs how to create and launch their own online courses. The program is meticulously designed with seven modules that break down the process of course creation and launch, providing students with the tools and strategies needed for success. Her teaching style is known for being approachable and practical, making complex marketing concepts accessible to beginners and experienced business owners alike. Porterfield’s success is not just in her own achievements but also in the remarkable results her students have attained, with many reporting five and six-figure launches from seemingly simple topics.
7. Pat Flynn
Pat Flynn is a highly successful entrepreneur known for his expertise in affiliate marketing and passive income strategies. Flynn’s journey began unexpectedly when he lost his job as an architect in 2008, which led him to explore online business opportunities. He initially found success by creating an e-book to help others pass the LEED exam, an experience that sparked his passion for online entrepreneurship and passive income generation. This early success laid the foundation for his popular website, Smart Passive Income, where he transparently shares his business strategies and income reports.
Flynn’s approach to online business is centered on providing value and building trust with his audience. He has diversified his income streams through various projects, including his highly successful Smart Passive Income podcast, which has garnered over 60 million downloads since its launch in 2010. Flynn is also an accomplished author, with books like “Will It Fly” and “Superfans” offering practical advice for aspiring entrepreneurs. His teaching emphasizes the importance of serving others first and then building systems or teams to scale that service. Flynn’s transparency in sharing his business journey, including both successes and failures, has earned him a loyal following and established him as a trusted voice in the online business community.
8. David Siteman Garland
David Siteman Garland is a prominent figure in the world of online course creation and marketing. As the creator of “Create Awesome Online Courses,” Garland has developed a comprehensive system that guides entrepreneurs through the process of ideating, creating, and launching successful online courses. His approach is rooted in practicality and actionable steps, focusing on helping mediapreneurs leverage their existing knowledge to generate automated revenue streams.
Garland’s journey began with his popular online business show “The Rise to the Top,” which has featured over 300 business and marketing experts since its inception in 2008. This platform allowed him to build a significant following, with the show attracting over 250,000 viewers. His expertise in online business led him to author the book “Smarter, Faster, Cheaper,” which emphasizes the use of online communities and content to enhance marketing efforts. Garland’s course creation methodology is designed to be accessible to beginners while still providing value to experienced business owners, covering everything from course ideation and validation to launch strategies and sales page optimization.
9. Kendrick Shope
Kendrick Shope is a renowned sales expert and coach who specializes in empowering women entrepreneurs. She is the creator of Authentic Selling®, a unique sales process that redefines selling as a form of helping, rooted in building genuine relationships. Shope’s approach to sales is distinctly “southern style,” offering a fresh take on traditional corporate sales strategies that resonates particularly well with women business owners.
After leaving a successful career as a top-performing sales representative in the pharmaceutical industry, Shope founded her own company in 2011. Her Authentic Selling® method has since helped over 600 entrepreneurs generate millions in revenue. Shope’s expertise has earned her recognition as one of the nation’s top sales experts, and she has been featured on NBC and in various publications. Her sales training program, Sales School, is specifically designed for women entrepreneurs, addressing the unique challenges and strengths of women in sales.
Shope’s teaching emphasizes overcoming the “icky” feeling often associated with selling and provides strategies for effective, authentic sales techniques. Her approach includes the “Dr. Dre Formula” for creating compelling sales copy and focuses on the importance of follow-up in the sales process. Shope also highlights the differences in selling styles between men and women, encouraging her clients to embrace their authentic approach to sales.
10. Stu McLaren
Stu McLaren is a renowned expert in the field of membership sites and online courses. As the creator of “The Membership Experience,” McLaren has developed a comprehensive system that guides entrepreneurs through the process of launching, growing, and scaling successful membership sites. His approach is based on years of experience and research, drawing insights from over 70,000 membership sites and online communities.
McLaren’s signature program consists of six modules that cover essential strategies for long-term membership success, including marketing, retention, and growth. His teaching style is known for being thorough and practical, leaving no stone unturned in providing valuable information to his students. The course is designed to cater to entrepreneurs at various stages, from those starting from scratch to those looking to scale their existing memberships to six, seven, or even eight figures.
One of McLaren’s key strengths is his ability to simplify complex concepts and provide actionable steps for his students. His program emphasizes the importance of understanding one’s audience, creating engaging content, and implementing effective retention strategies. McLaren’s success is not just evident in his own achievements but also in the remarkable results his students have attained, with many reporting significant growth in their membership businesses.
11. Adrian Morrison
Adrian Morrison is a prominent figure in the world of dropshipping and e-commerce strategies. Having built his empire from humble beginnings, Morrison has become known for his expertise in leveraging social media, particularly Facebook ads, to drive e-commerce success. His journey began with affiliate marketing, but he later transitioned to dropshipping, where he found explosive success.
Morrison’s approach to e-commerce is centered on simplicity and scalability. He advocates for a dropshipping model where entrepreneurs never need to handle inventory or shipping, allowing them to focus on marketing and scaling their businesses. His strategies emphasize the importance of finding winning products quickly and scaling successful campaigns rapidly.
One of Morrison’s key teachings is his “four phases of targeting” formula, which he uses to help students properly target their Facebook ads. He emphasizes the importance of understanding market trends, analyzing competitor strategies, and rapidly testing and iterating on ad campaigns. Morrison’s success is evident in his ability to generate significant daily revenues and his track record of helping students achieve similar results.
