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Time investment: Plan for 2-3 hours total across your first week. You don’t need to complete everything in one sitting—take breaks and return when you’re ready.

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Welcome to CoachIQ!

You’re about to transform how you run your coaching business. This guide will walk you through the essential setup steps in a logical order, ensuring you’re ready to accept bookings, process payments, and deliver an exceptional client experience.

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What you’ll accomplish this week

By the end of this setup process, you’ll have:
  • ✅ Connected payment processing (start earning immediately)
  • ✅ Created your service offerings with prices
  • ✅ Set up your availability for bookings
  • ✅ Built training programs for clients
  • ✅ Customized your athlete portal
  • ✅ Launched your professional website

Day 1-2

Payments & Products Get ready to accept money

Day 3-4

Scheduling & Programs Define your services

Day 5-7

Client Experience Perfect your brand

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Step 1: Connect your Stripe account

Why this matters: Without payment processing connected, you can’t accept bookings or charge for services. This is your foundation.
1

Navigate to payment settings

From your dashboard, click on Settings in the left sidebar, then select Stripe Portal.
Stripe Settings Location
2

Connect Stripe

Click the Connect Stripe button. You’ll be redirected to Stripe’s secure connection page.
  1. Click Create a Stripe account
  2. Enter your business information
  3. Provide bank account details for payouts
  4. Complete identity verification
Processing time: Stripe verification typically takes 1-2 business days. You can continue setup while waiting.
3

Verify connection

After connecting, you’ll be redirected back to CoachIQ. You should see a green checkmark and “Connected” status.
Success! Your payment processing is now active. You can accept credit cards, debit cards, and digital wallets.
Important: Don’t skip this step! Many features in CoachIQ require payment processing to be connected, including paid sessions, program sales, and automated billing.
What’s next: Now that payments are ready, let’s create your service offerings.

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Step 2: Add your products and services

Why this matters: Products define what you offer and how much you charge. These become the building blocks for everything else in CoachIQ.
1

Go to Products

From your dashboard, navigate to Products in the left sidebar, then click + Create.
Products Page
2

Create your first product

Fill in the essential details:
  • Product name: What you call this service (e.g., “60-Minute Personal Training Session”)
  • Description: Brief explanation for clients
  • Price: Your standard rate
  • Duration: How long this service takes (if applicable)
Start with your core offerings: Begin with your 2-3 most popular services. You can add more products anytime as your business grows.
Product Builder
3

Configure payment options

Choose how clients will pay:
Best for: Single sessions, drop-ins, consultations
  • Client pays once at booking
  • No recurring billing
  • Immediate access after payment
4

Add more products

Repeat the process to add your other key services. Common products coaches create:
  • Individual training sessions (30/60/90 minutes)
  • Small group training
  • Program access (monthly/quarterly)
  • Assessment or consultation sessions
  • Video analysis packages
Nice work! You’ve defined your service catalog. Clients can now see exactly what you offer and at what price.
Start with 2-5 core offerings. You can always add more later. Most successful coaches begin with:
  • One individual session option
  • One package/bundle option
  • One group or specialty offering
Avoid overwhelming clients with too many choices initially.
Yes! You can update product prices anytime from the Products page. Changes apply to new bookings only—existing client agreements remain unchanged unless you manually update them.
Create a product with a price of $0. This still allows clients to book through your scheduler while keeping everything organized in your system.
What’s next: With products defined, let’s set up when you’re available for bookings.

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Step 3: Set up your availability and schedulers

Why this matters: Schedulers allow clients to book sessions automatically based on your availability. This eliminates back-and-forth scheduling and lets you control your calendar.
1

Navigate to Schedulers

From your dashboard, click Schedule in the left sidebar, then select Schedulers.
2

Define your general availability

Before creating schedulers, set your overall availability:
  1. Click the + button next to Availability in the Schedule section
  2. Select your typical working hours for each day for a particular session (ex: Private Sessions, High School Boys Group Sessions, etc.)
  3. Set your timezone
Pro tip: Start conservative with your availability. It’s easier to add more time slots later than to remove ones that don’t work for you.
Availability Ex
3

Customize specific availability (optional)

If this availability needs different hours than your general availability:
  1. Set specific days/times for this service
  2. Useful for blackout dates or additional training times
Example: You might offer group training only on Tuesday/Thursday evenings but one evening may fall on a holiday that you won’t be operating.
4

Create your first scheduler

Click + New Scheduler and configure:
Create New Scheduler
Basic Information:
  • Scheduler name: (e.g., “1-on-1 Training Bookings”)
  • Description: What clients see when booking
Booking Rules:
  • Session duration: Auto-filled from product (can override)
  • Buffer time: Gap before/after sessions (recommend 15-30 min)
  • Advance notice: Minimum booking notice (e.g., 24 hours)
  • Booking window: How far in advance clients can book (e.g., 30 days)
5

Create additional schedulers

Repeat for different services or scenarios:
  • Separate scheduler for group sessions
  • Different scheduler for assessment/consultation
  • Special scheduler for VIP clients with different terms
Quick setup: Most coaches need 2-3 schedulers total—one for individual sessions, one for groups, and optionally one for consultations.
Availability = Your overall calendar constraints (when you’re potentially available)Schedulers = Specific booking portals that use your availability plus additional rules for different servicesThink of availability as your hours availabile and schedulers as filtered views of that schedule for different purposes.
Go to Schedule → Availiabilty → Specific Dates to create a new unavailabilty.
What’s next: Now let’s create training programs to deliver to your clients.
Why this matters: Programs let you deliver structured training plans, workout routines, nutrition guidance, and educational content. They differentiate you from coaches who only offer “show up and workout” sessions.
Time to complete: 30-60 minutes depending on complexity. This step is optional but highly recommended—even a simple program dramatically increases perceived value.
1

Navigate to Programs

From your dashboard, click Programs in the left sidebar, then click + Create Program.
Programs Main Page
2

Create Your Program

Create a new program:
  1. Click New then Select
  2. Name your program (e.g., “8-Week Strength Foundation”)
  3. Select your Series (Immediate Access, Complete and Progress, Drip)
3

Structure your program

Organize your program into phases or weeks:
  1. Click and drag either Media or Lesson into the builder
  2. Select the media/lesson you wish to add to your program
  3. You can customize the thumbnail for each node (optional)
Start simple: Your first program doesn’t need to be perfect. A 4-week basic program with 3 workouts per week is better than no program at all. You can always create more sophisticated programs later.
Programs Center Ui
4

Configure program settings

Set up how clients access and experience the program:
  • Access type: One-time purchase, subscription, or complementary to sessions
  • Start date: When client begins (immediately, specific date, or you trigger)
  • Progression: Linear, user-paced, or coach-released
  • Notifications: Remind clients about workouts and content
Fantastic! You’ve created a professional training program. This positions you as a comprehensive coach, not just a session provider.
5

Choose how you want your athletes to access your program

Click the Change button in the top right bar to view the program’s share settings.You can set your program to Free, Paywalled, or Private:
  1. Free: Anyone can access the program
  2. Paywalled: Lock your program behind your products. Only customers who purchase the corresponding selected products can view the program.
  3. Private: Directly assign your program to your athlete
Note: You can only paywall or privately assign programs. Enabling both will cause issues with your athletes being able to view your programs.
Not required, but highly recommended! Even for in-person-only coaches, programs provide:
  • Homework between sessions
  • Reference for clients to review technique
  • Perceived value (you’re providing more than just the hour together)
  • Ability to serve clients while traveling
Many coaches start with just documenting their in-person sessions as program workouts—this alone adds value.
Example viable program:
  • 4 weeks of workouts
  • 3 workout days per week
  • Basic exercise list with sets/reps
  • One rest day note per week
This takes 30-45 minutes to create and is infinitely better than no program. Add detail over time.
Yes! The CoachIQ mobile app provides full access to programs, with video demonstrations, progress tracking, and workout logging. This is a huge differentiator for your clients.
What’s next: Let’s customize your athlete portal where clients access everything.

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Step 5: Customize your athlete portal

Why this matters: The athlete portal is your clients’ home base—where they view workouts, book sessions, message you, and track progress. A well-configured portal creates a premium, professional experience.
1

Navigate to Portal Settings

From your dashboard, go to Edit under Athlete Portal.
Athlete Portal Dashboard Ex
2

Upload your branding

Make the portal feel like YOUR brand:
  1. Visit the Design tab under Settings
  2. Theme: Light or Dark Mode
  3. Brand colors: Set primary and accent colors for buttons and text
Design Settings Portal
3

Configure portal modules

Choose which features clients see in their portal:
  2. Name your first section
  3. Click the + Add Schedule button to add a scheduler(s).
  4. Organize and add different sections (optional)
  5. Toggle the page to Active and press Update Page.
4

Test your portal

View the athlete experience:
  1. Exit the builder to your dashboard and select View under Athlete Portal
  2. Navigate through as a client would
  3. Check mobile responsive view
  4. Test booking flow
  5. Verify branding looks correct
Perfect! Your athlete portal is now branded and configured. Clients will experience a professional, cohesive platform that feels uniquely yours.
Yes! Clients can adjust their notification preferences, set measurement tracking goals, and organize their workout history. However, the overall branding and available features are controlled by you.
They’re the same experience on different platforms:
  • Web portal: Accessed via browser, great for desktop use
  • Mobile app: Native iOS/Android apps, optimized for on-the-go access
All data syncs in real-time across platforms. Your branding applies to both automatically.
When you add a client to CoachIQ, they automatically receive an email invitation to create their portal account. You can also generate custom invite links from the Clients section.
What’s next: Finally, let’s review and launch your professional website.

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Step 6: Review and launch your website

Your CoachIQ website is your 24/7 sales and booking engine. We’ve pre-built a professional site for you—now you’ll customize it and make it live.
Your website is being built! The CoachIQ team is creating a professional website for you based on your initial signup information. This step is about reviewing, customizing, and publishing it.
1

Access website builder

From your dashboard, click Edit under Website in the left sidebar.
Edit Site
You’ll see a preview of your pre-built website.
2

Review homepage

Check the key elements we’ve created:
  • Hero section: Your name/business name and tagline
  • About section: Bio and credentials
  • Services section: Automatically populated from your Products
  • Testimonials: Placeholder section (add real testimonials later)
  • Booking CTA: Direct link to your scheduler
First impression check: Does the homepage clearly communicate what you do and who you help? If not, click Edit on any section to refine the copy.
3

Customize content

Make it uniquely yours:
Essential changes (10 minutes):
  1. Review and update your bio with your real story
  2. Replace any placeholder images with your photos from the media hub
  3. Verify service descriptions match your offering
  4. Verify your social media links
  5. Verify contact information
4

Set up your domain

Choose how visitors will access your site:
We’ll work with you to register a new domain. Simply email us with your request for a domain name and we’ll check for availablity and handle everything from there.
5

Review SEO settings

Help people find you on Google:
  1. Click SEO Settings in website editor
  2. Verify your meta title includes your location and specialty
  3. Write a compelling meta description (150-160 characters)
  4. Add relevant keywords (e.g., “personal trainer Austin”, “strength coach”)
6

Test booking flow

Ensure everything works smoothly:
  1. From your Dashboard, click View under the Website section to view your live site
  2. Navigate to your offer and confirm how you want new customers to onboard with you
  3. Verify that any forms, products, and schedulers during your onboarding flow are working properly.
  4. Confirm email notifications work
Crucial checkpoint: The onboarding flow is your money-maker. Make sure it’s seamless before going live.
7

Share your website

Get your first visitors:
  • Add website link to your email signature
  • Share on social media profiles
  • Update your Instagram/Facebook bio
  • Include in your LinkedIn profile
  • Share with your current clients
  • Add to business cards and marketing materials
Marketing tip: Don’t just share the homepage—link directly to your booking page or specific services in social posts to drive immediate action.
Absolutely! You can edit anytime. Changes are reflected immediately upon saving. Your website is a living tool that should evolve with your business.
Go to Website → Analytics to view:
  • Visitor count
  • Page views
  • Booking conversions
  • Traffic sources
  • Popular pages
You can also connect Google Analytics for more detailed tracking.
Yes! Go to Website → Blog to create posts. Blogging helps with SEO and positions you as an authority. Even one post per month makes a difference.

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🎊 You’re All Set! What’s Next?

Amazing work! You’ve completed your CoachIQ setup. You now have a professional coaching business platform with:
  • ✅ Payment processing connected
  • ✅ Services and pricing defined
  • ✅ Scheduling enabled
  • ✅ Training programs ready to deliver
  • ✅ Branded athlete portal
  • ✅ Professional website live

Add Your First Client

Invite a client and walk through their onboarding experience

Set Up Automations

Automate welcome emails, reminders, and follow-ups

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Quick reference checklist

Print or bookmark this checklist to track your setup progress:
  • Stripe account connected and verified
  • At least 2-3 core products created with pricing
  • General availability configured
  • Primary scheduler created and tested
  • First training program built (or template selected)
  • Athlete portal branding customized
  • Website reviewed and content updated
  • Website published and domain configured
  • Booking flow tested end-to-end
  • First client invited to platform
Having trouble with any step? Don’t let perfection block progress. Get 80% complete and launch. You can refine and optimize as you go. Your first client won’t expect perfection—they’ll appreciate your dedication to delivering value.

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Common first-week questions

No, products that accept payment can only be created after Stripe is properly connected. Products will default to access codes if Stripe isn’t connected.
If you can successfully:
  1. View your published website
  2. Click through to booking
  3. See your services and availability
  4. Complete a test booking
Then you’re doing it right! Everything else is optimization.
Everything is editable! There are no permanent mistakes. You can:
  • Update prices anytime
  • Modify schedulers
  • Rebuild programs
  • Redesign your website
  • Change portal settings
Start with your best guess and refine based on real client feedback.
No! Many coaches successfully onboard clients with just steps 1-3 complete (Stripe, products, scheduling). The remaining steps enhance the experience but aren’t blockers.That said, completing all six steps creates the best first impression and sets you up for long-term success.
Welcome to the CoachIQ family! You’re now equipped with professional-grade tools to run and grow your coaching business. Focus on delivering exceptional value to your clients—we’ll handle the technology.
Questions about this guide? Click the feedback button below or contact support. We’re constantly improving based on coach feedback.