MUST-HAVE Business Tools for New ADHD Coaches

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As a new ADHD coach, you’ve likely already invested significantly in your training and certification. The last thing you want to do is pour more money into expensive business tools and systems. I get it—I was there too. But here’s what I learned the hard way: being too frugal with your business tools can actually hold you back from making money sooner.

Start With Self-Assessment

Before you invest in any tools, take inventory of yourself as an entrepreneur:

• Team or Solo? Do you want to build a team to handle administrative tasks, or are you planning to be a solopreneur?
• Tech Comfort Level How savvy and DIY are you with technology? Be brutally honest with yourself.
• Delegation vs. Automation Would you rather delegate tasks to a virtual assistant or use tools and automations to handle them?

I came from the blogging world and learned everything about building websites and managing social media—not an expert, but “dangerous” enough to handle these areas myself. As someone who prefers being a solopreneur, I rely more heavily on tools and automations than hiring help, so I have a more robust tech stack, because its’ far cheaper and easier to pay a software fee than an actual person that I would have to manage as well (<- I cannot stand managing people).

Quick Tip for Non-Tech People: If technology intimidates you, hire help almost immediately. Find someone with the specific skills you lack, or you’ll just spin your wheels and go nowhere.

The Essential Starter Kit

If you’re scrappy, willing to learn, and not intimidated by tech, here’s what you absolutely need from day one:

1. A Digital Planning System

Pen and paper simply won’t cut it for running a business. You need a digital system that can:

• Integrate with your calendars
• Capture and track tasks
• Help you plan your offers and launches
• Store content ideas
• Collect professional development resources
• Organize “swipe files” (inspiring content from others)

Tool Recommendations:

I use Notion to run my business because it’s got everything I need. If you want to start with using my system – check out The Coach Hub template (if you are a coach) or the Organized Business template if you have any other type of business.

2. Email Service Provider

This is non-negotiable from day one. Your email list is the only marketing asset you truly own.

• Social media accounts can disappear or get hacked
• Platform algorithms limit your reach without paid promotion
• Email gives you direct access to your audience

Don’t just collect emails—nurture them. Send a short, helpful email weekly. These can be planned in advance, so “consistency” becomes easier. Even a quick tip each week keeps your audience warm and generates clients.

Tool Recommendation: Flodesk

• Beautiful, simple interface
• Affordable flat-rate pricing (not penalized for growing your list)
• High deliverability rates
• Grows with your business

3. Scheduling System

If you take appointments with clients, an automatic calendar system is essential:

• Eliminates back-and-forth emails about availability
• Automatically sends reminders (crucial for ADHD clients and coaches!)
• Can handle payments and intake forms
• Automates the contract signing process – this is SO important!

Tool Recommendations:

• Practice.do (most robust option)
• Paperbell (also excellent)

These systems can double as your initial website, showing:

• Who you are
• Who you work with
• What you offer
• How to book and pay

Important: Don’t feel you need a full-blown $5,000 website to get started. These scheduling platforms provide enough of a web presence to begin booking clients.

Total Investment

This minimal but effective setup might cost:

• Flodesk: ~$20/month (first year)
• Notion: Free plan or ~$150/year for paid
• Scheduling system: $20-40/month

That’s an extremely low overhead business with huge profit margins. The rest is just you coaching clients and marketing your business.

Your Next Steps

1. Set up these three essential systems
2. Get your offers and availability configured
3. Start marketing yourself:
   • Network with your warm audience (everyone you know)
   • Send a launch announcement email
   • Begin posting on your chosen social platform(s)

When you’re starting out, the majority of your time will be spent on marketing and lead generation—getting people on your list and having conversations with potential clients.

As you start to grow your email list, and continue to nurture them, you will start to see sales, and more of your time can be spent on coaching actual clients.

Start this now – even if you haven’t started coaching yet

It’s never too early to set up these foundational systems – especially your email list!! You don’t have to wait until you’re formally charging for your work to start nurturing a strong list of future clients. Do that today and start adding value to their lives by sharing what you’re learning in your training program.

Bottom line: Start simple, but be willing to build as you grow. And if you have ADHD, it’s important to keep things as simple as possible.

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Want more guidance on building an ADHD-friendly coaching business? Join me in The ADHD Business Hub where I help ADHD coaches and service providers, like professional organizers, therapists, nutritionists, etc, grow their ADHD-focused businesses with ease and confidence.