Business Coach: Best Referral Sources
Who should be sending you clients, and the rooms they are already sitting in.
Get the networking events worth showing up to
Tell us where you are. We will send you the best rooms for business coaches and the next meeting dates. Add a ZIP and this page will also show your local chapters and which seats are open.
Most business owners network where their competitors are, not where their referral partners are.
Your own trade group is for learning. Your partners' groups are where the work comes from. Everything below starts with one question. When something happens that makes people need business coaches, who else gets a call that same week?
Business coaches sell to other businesses, and most of the work starts when somebody starts a company. People take their time deciding, so a recommendation carries most of the weight. Clients come back, which makes one good introduction worth years.
- Business formationwhen somebody starts a company
- First hire / payrollwhen a business puts its first employee on payroll
- Sale of a businesswhen an owner sells the company
- Retirementwhen somebody retires
- Rebrand or launchwhen a business launches or rebrands
Who should be sending you clients
Who you should be sending clients to
Ranked by what starts the job, not by who sounds close to your trade.
The same list, turned around. Give first and the rest follows.
- 01
CPA / Accountant
They send you work80Trigger: somebody starts a company
CPAs hear about it when somebody starts a company, before you do. This one sends you work rather than trading it.
- 02
Bookkeeper
They send you work75Trigger: somebody starts a company
Bookkeepers hear about it when somebody starts a company, before you do. This one sends you work rather than trading it.
- 03
Attorney Business & Corporate
They send you work75Trigger: somebody starts a company
Business attorneys hear about it when somebody starts a company, before you do. This one sends you work rather than trading it.
- 04
Insurance Health & Benefits
They send you work68Trigger: a business puts its first employee on payroll
Health and benefits brokers hear about it when a business puts its first employee on payroll, before you do. This one sends you work rather than trading it.
- 05
Business Banker
They send you work66Trigger: somebody starts a company
Business bankers hear about it when somebody starts a company, before you do. This one sends you work rather than trading it.
- 06
Staffing / Recruiting
They send you work66Trigger: a business puts its first employee on payroll
Staffing and recruiting firms hear about it when a business puts its first employee on payroll, before you do. This one sends you work rather than trading it.
- 07
Payroll Services
They send you work65Trigger: a business puts its first employee on payroll
Payroll providers hear about it when a business puts its first employee on payroll, before you do. This one sends you work rather than trading it.
- 08
Merchant Services / Payment Processing
Two-way63Trigger: somebody starts a company
You and merchant services providers both get the call when somebody starts a company, usually the same week. This one goes both ways.
- 09
HR Consulting / PEO
They send you work63Trigger: a business puts its first employee on payroll
HR consultants and PEOs hear about it when a business puts its first employee on payroll, before you do. This one sends you work rather than trading it.
- 10
Financial Advisor
They send you work63Trigger: an owner sells the company
Financial advisors hear about it when an owner sells the company, before you do. This one sends you work rather than trading it.
- 01
Payroll Services
They send you work67Trigger: a business puts its first employee on payroll
Payroll providers hear about it when a business puts its first employee on payroll, before you do. This one sends you work rather than trading it.
- 02
Bookkeeper
They send you work66Trigger: somebody starts a company
Bookkeepers hear about it when somebody starts a company, before you do. This one sends you work rather than trading it.
- 03
Merchant Services / Payment Processing
Two-way65Trigger: somebody starts a company
You and merchant services providers both get the call when somebody starts a company, usually the same week. This one goes both ways.
- 04
Web Developer
Two-way65Trigger: somebody starts a company
You and web developers both get the call when somebody starts a company, usually the same week. This one goes both ways.
- 05
Promotional Products
You send them work65Trigger: a business launches or rebrands
You hear about it when a business launches or rebrands, before promotional products distributors do. Expect to give more than you get back here.
- 06
Attorney Intellectual Property
They send you work64Trigger: somebody starts a company
IP attorneys hear about it when somebody starts a company, before you do. This one sends you work rather than trading it.
Where those people actually are
Ranked by how many of your best partners are in the room, and how much work each one can send you.
LinkedIn groups & local B2B communities
Your partners are in this room: CPAs, bookkeepers, and business attorneys.
Works when your buyer has a job title. Useful comments on your partners' posts beat posting your own.
Find your local chapter →Give someone nine choices and they pick none. If you do one thing from this page, do this.
- 01
LinkedIn groups & local B2B communities
Online communityYour partners are in this room: CPAs, bookkeepers, and business attorneys.
Works when your buyer has a job title. Useful comments on your partners' posts beat posting your own.
Chapter finder → - 02
State CPA society
Your partners' associationYour partners are in this room: CPAs, bookkeepers, and financial advisors.
A CPA is the person most business owners trust most. Sponsors can go to chapter meetings and classes.
Chapter finder → - 03
Vistage
Paid peer groupYour partners are in this room: CPAs, business attorneys, and business bankers.
Run CEO peer groups. You are buying advice, not leads, but the group turns into a warm list over time.
Chapter finder → - 04
Your city or county chamber of commerce
Chamber of commerceYour partners are in this room: CPAs, bookkeepers, and business attorneys.
Too big and too broad on its own. The value is in one committee. Pick one and go every time. The same fifteen people show up, and they get to know you.
Chapter finder → - 05
SHRM local chapter
Your partners' associationYour partners are in this room: health and benefits brokers, staffing and recruiting firms, and payroll providers.
HR managers. They buy benefits, training, staffing, background checks, and legal help.
Chapter finder → - 06
Your local estate planning council
Your partners' associationYour partners are in this room: CPAs and financial advisors.
Estate lawyers, CPAs, bankers, and insurance people in one room on purpose. It was built for this kind of referral.
Chapter finder → - 07
BNI
Structured referral groupOne seat per category, so your competitors are excluded by rule and the seats around you are the partners above.
The biggest referral group in the world. You meet every week. Only one person per job. They expect you to show up.
Chapter finder → - 08
LeTip International
Structured referral groupOne seat per category, so your competitors are excluded by rule and the seats around you are the partners above.
Weekly referral chapters. One person per job. Strong with trades and home services.
Chapter finder →
LinkedIn groups & local B2B communities
Your partners are in this room: CPAs, bookkeepers, and business attorneys.
Works when your buyer has a job title. Useful comments on your partners' posts beat posting your own.
Find your local chapter →Give someone nine choices and they pick none. If you do one thing from this page, do this.
- 01
LinkedIn groups & local B2B communities
Online communityYour partners are in this room: CPAs, bookkeepers, and business attorneys.
Works when your buyer has a job title. Useful comments on your partners' posts beat posting your own.
Chapter finder → - 02
State CPA society
Your partners' associationYour partners are in this room: CPAs, bookkeepers, and financial advisors.
A CPA is the person most business owners trust most. Sponsors can go to chapter meetings and classes.
Chapter finder → - 03
Vistage
Paid peer groupYour partners are in this room: CPAs, business attorneys, and business bankers.
Run CEO peer groups. You are buying advice, not leads, but the group turns into a warm list over time.
Chapter finder → - 04
Your city or county chamber of commerce
Chamber of commerceYour partners are in this room: CPAs, bookkeepers, and business attorneys.
Too big and too broad on its own. The value is in one committee. Pick one and go every time. The same fifteen people show up, and they get to know you.
Chapter finder → - 05
SHRM local chapter
Your partners' associationYour partners are in this room: health and benefits brokers, staffing and recruiting firms, and payroll providers.
HR managers. They buy benefits, training, staffing, background checks, and legal help.
Chapter finder → - 06
Your local estate planning council
Your partners' associationYour partners are in this room: CPAs and financial advisors.
Estate lawyers, CPAs, bankers, and insurance people in one room on purpose. It was built for this kind of referral.
Chapter finder → - 07
Prime Time Business Network
Structured referral groupOne seat per category, so your competitors are excluded by rule and the seats around you are the partners above.
A South Florida referral group. Only one person per job in each chapter. So your competitors are kept out, and your referral partners have the other seats.
See chapters → - 08
An independent local leads group
Structured referral groupOne seat per category, so your competitors are excluded by rule and the seats around you are the partners above.
Most cities have small leads groups you will never find online. A realtor or insurance agent usually starts them. Ask three people in your trade who they meet with.
Let us be straight with you. For business coaches, a weekly referral group is not the best pick. Your partners gather in professional groups instead, so spend your time there. We would rather say that than sell you a seat you do not need.
Is your seat open?
Prime Time takes one business coach per chapter. Put in a South Florida ZIP above and we will show you which seats are open.
Add a ZIP code at the top of the page to see which seats are open.
Prime Time doesn't operate where you are yet.
We have fifteen chapters in South Florida and none near you. Telling you to join would be bad advice. The rooms above are the real answer where you are. We can email you the one page version and let you know if we open near you.
Send me those roomsHave the next meetings sent to you
The rooms above are the answer. This is when they meet. Tell us where to send it and we will email you the next dates for business coaches, with the one page plan.
We already know your trade and your area from this page, so there is nothing else to fill in. We do not ask for a phone number. Every email we send has an unsubscribe link.
Your one-page action plan
Five partners, five things to say, three rooms. Print it and keep it in the car.
Networking plan: Business Coach
The five people who should be sending you clients
- CPA / Accountant (They send you work)
Shared trigger: somebody starts a company - Bookkeeper (They send you work)
Shared trigger: somebody starts a company - Attorney Business & Corporate (They send you work)
Shared trigger: somebody starts a company - Insurance Health & Benefits (They send you work)
Shared trigger: a business puts its first employee on payroll - Business Banker (They send you work)
Shared trigger: somebody starts a company
The three rooms to be in
- LinkedIn groups & local B2B communities: Your partners are in this room: CPAs, bookkeepers, and business attorneys.
- State CPA society: Your partners are in this room: CPAs, bookkeepers, and financial advisors.
- Vistage: Your partners are in this room: CPAs, business attorneys, and business bankers.
- LinkedIn groups & local B2B communities: Your partners are in this room: CPAs, bookkeepers, and business attorneys.
- State CPA society: Your partners are in this room: CPAs, bookkeepers, and financial advisors.
- Vistage: Your partners are in this room: CPAs, business attorneys, and business bankers.