12 warning signs of a bad business coach
These are the patterns that repeat across the warnings filed on this site. None of them proves anything on its own. Two or three together is your cue to walk.
1. The sales call promises far more than the programme
The call describes systems, hands-on support and tailored work. What arrives is a slide deck and a group chat. Ask for the actual module list and a sample of the materials before you pay, not after.
2. The price jumps and you are told to lock in now
“Prices are going up because I am so busy — lock in today” is a sales tactic, not a business fact. A coach confident in the results does not need a countdown to close you.
3. Monthly rolling turns into a fixed-term contract
Starting rolling feels safe. Being pushed weeks later into twelve months to “keep your rate” is how people end up owing for a year of something they stopped using in month two.
4. Generic templates dressed up as a system
Spreadsheets built for a different business model, formulas that break, numbers that do not fit your trade. If you spend days rebuilding the tools, you bought a template pack at coaching prices.
5. No real experience in your trade
Coaching a contractor is not the same as coaching an agency. Ask directly what they have run, in which trade, at what turnover — and ask for a client in your line of work you can phone.
6. You cannot speak to a single former client
Screenshots and video clips are chosen. A contactable former client is not. If nobody can be put on the phone with you, treat every claimed result as unverified.
7. Constant upsells to third parties
Accountants, lenders, ad agencies, software — all “recommended” shortly after you join. Ask outright whether they receive a commission. A straight answer tells you a lot.
8. The refund terms are vague or missing
“We will look after you” is not a refund policy. Get the cooling-off period, the cancellation notice and the exit cost in writing, in the agreement itself.
9. Results shown without context
Revenue screenshots with no margin, no timeframe and no starting point are marketing. Profit, not turnover, is the number that matters to you.
10. Pressure to decide on the call
Any legitimate programme survives you sleeping on it and reading the contract. Discounts that expire the moment you hang up exist to stop you checking.
11. The tone changes when you try to leave
Warmth while you pay, hostility when you stop. Letters to your home address and threats of court over money you dispute is the single most common ending in the accounts filed here.
12. Nothing about them is searchable
Search the coach's name plus “review”, “refund” and “court”. Check Companies House. Check the coach index here. Ten minutes now saves five figures later.
See how this plays out
Several of these signs appear together in the accounts filed about Jamie Simpson's Profitable Contractor Blueprint, and in the wider coach index.
Next: what to check in a coaching contract →