In the US, business coaching runs from about $99 a month for a group program to several thousand dollars a month for private one-on-one work. The International Coaching Federation reports a North American average of $272 for a one-hour session (2022 data, all coaching types). Because fees vary so widely, get the total in writing and test it against the extra profit you need.

Most owners search for a number and find a wall of vague ranges. This guide gives you the few published figures that exist, says where each one comes from, and shows you how to judge any quote against your own business. Every source below was read on 10 November 2026 (New Zealand time). Where a provider does not publish a price, none is guessed here.

Last updated 10 November 2026. Market: United States. Method: provider and study pages read directly; third-party figures are labeled as reported by their source.

There is no single price, because coaching is sold in very different formats: group programs, private one-on-one coaching, executive coaching and operating-system implementations. The most useful public benchmark is the International Coaching Federation (ICF) 2023 Global Coaching Study, built on 14,591 valid responses from 157 countries. Its North America row shows an average fee of $272 for a one-hour coaching session, using 2022 data. That figure covers all kinds of coaching and a whole region, so treat it as a reference point, not a quote for a business coach.

At the lower end, ActionCOACH says group coaching starts at about $99 a month. It gives no figure for one-on-one or executive coaching, saying only that one-on-one carries a higher monthly cost. At the upper end, one third-party guide reports an EOS Implementer at $20,000 to $45,000 a year, typically for two years.

ActionCOACH names four factors, and they hold across providers. Format matters first: group, one-on-one and executive coaching carry different time and intensity. Personalization is next, because tailored strategy and deeper analysis of your numbers cost more. Pace also counts. If you want fast change, you will need more frequent sessions, which raises the total. Finally, complexity adds cost: restructuring, several product lines or a large team lengthen the work.

Two more things sit behind the quote. Who is doing the coaching: a franchise system, a peer-group chair or an independent coach. And what you are really buying: ideas, accountability, a community or hands-on work on your own numbers. The cheapest option is only cheap if it does the job you need done.

Judge it the way you would judge any investment: how much extra profit must it create to pay for itself? Divide the monthly fee by your gross margin. Here is an illustrative example, not a client result. If a coach costs $2,000 a month and your gross margin is 40 percent, the work must add about $5,000 a month in extra sales, or save an equivalent amount, just to break even. If you can point to a likely lever, such as a price rise, a repeat-purchase gap or a lead source you ignore, the math becomes concrete.

If you cannot name any lever, you may not be ready to buy yet. A good provider will say so on the first call. Ask them what they would work on first and how you would both know it was working after 90 days.

These questions work on any provider, including Kevin. Ask every candidate the same six and compare the answers.

Most of what US owners hear comes from the same conferences, the same books and the same playbooks. An outside view from someone who has worked across many industries can show you what your industry treats as a law of nature but is really a habit. That is a supporting benefit, not a claim that one country coaches better than another.

Kevin D'Ambros-Smith is a business coach and advisor who has coached 200+ businesses one-on-one across 30+ industries, after a career at DDB, Ogilvy and Saatchi and Saatchi and founding nine companies. He works with US owners online.

Kevin sets fees after a conversation, so there is no price list to quote here. Simple-Growth is also preparing online programs for owners on smaller budgets. They are not on sale yet, so join The Inside Track to hear first. Here is what one owner said about the pricing side of the work:

Kevin helped me get a clearer picture of my pricing and freight costs, giving me more confidence in my decisions and a better understanding of how to protect my margins. He also helped me look beyond the day-to-day and build a five-year plan — making growth in New Zealand and Australia feel like a realistic, achievable goal. Alongside that, his guidance on improving my visibility in AI and search has helped me think more strategically about how customers find the business.

Lisa Campbell, Owner, Woodhill Distribution Ltd

Individual results vary and depend on the business and the work the owner puts in.

Be the owner who knows the real constraint before choosing a price tag. Book a free 30-minute call with Kevin. It runs online across US time zones, with no obligation.

Related reading: what an EOS Implementer costs, and how a Scaling Up platform compares. Based in New Zealand? There is a separate guide with local prices.

Simple-Growth publishes this guide and Kevin D'Ambros-Smith is one of the coaches discussed. The criteria are listed above so you can apply them to anyone.

Kevin and The Simple-Growth Team