How to Start a Public Speaking Instruction Business

Public speaking instruction may be one-on-one or in small groups or in larger classrooms. The clients may be preparing to speak for special events, upcoming presentations, or simply become better communicators at their job.

Learn how to start your own Public Speaking Instruction Business and whether it is the right fit for you.

Ready to form your LLC? Check out the Top LLC Formation Services.

Start a public speaking instruction business by following these 10 steps:

  1. Plan your Public Speaking Instruction Business
  2. Form your Public Speaking Instruction Business into a Legal Entity
  3. Register your Public Speaking Instruction Business for Taxes
  4. Open a Business Bank Account & Credit Card
  5. Set up Accounting for your Public Speaking Instruction Business
  6. Get the Necessary Permits & Licenses for your Public Speaking Instruction Business
  7. Get Public Speaking Instruction Business Insurance
  8. Define your Public Speaking Instruction Business Brand
  9. Create your Public Speaking Instruction Business Website
  10. Set up your Business Phone System

We have put together this simple guide to starting your public speaking instruction business. These steps will ensure that your new business is well planned out, registered properly and legally compliant.

Exploring your options? Check out other small business ideas.

STEP 1: Plan your business

A clear plan is essential for success as an entrepreneur. It will help you map out the specifics of your business and discover some unknowns. A few important topics to consider are:

Luckily we have done a lot of this research for you.

What will you name your business?

Choosing the right name is important and challenging. If you don’t already have a name in mind, visit our How to Name a Business guide or get help brainstorming a name with our Public Speaking Instruction Business Name Generator

If you operate a sole proprietorship, you might want to operate under a business name other than your own name. Visit our DBA guide to learn more.

When registering a business name, we recommend researching your business name by checking:

  • Your state's business records
  • Federal and state trademark records
  • Social media platforms
  • Web domain availability.

It's very important to secure your domain name before someone else does.

Want some help naming your public speaking instruction business?

Business Name Generator

What are the costs involved in opening a public speaking instruction business?

The cost of opening this business is very low. This is because it is possible to start your business from home. You may conduct classes and workshops where clients already are, including at their jobs (corporate speaking workshops can be very popular) and their homes. You may also be able to work with local colleges and libraries to conduct classes and workshops at those places.

With that in mind, you can effectively open your business for $3,000 or less. You should spend around $500 to have a professionally designed website. Spend most of the remaining money on newspaper and radio ads for your business, and don't forget to save some to print out professional business cards you can hand to prospective clients.

What are the ongoing expenses for a public speaking instruction business?

If you are working from home, this job has very few ongoing expenses. You must pay for gasoline to travel from one location to another, and you may periodically invest in additional advertising via radio and newspaper. However, when starting out, you have no expensive lease, no extra utilities, no employees to pay, and no special equipment you must purchase. All of this dramatically reduces your overhead.

Who is the target market?

Some of your best clients will be those in their late 20's or early 30's. This audience is likeliest to have increased speaking responsibilities as part of recent promotions or new jobs but also be worried since they have not done much public speaking since college. This makes them see the value of your classes.

How does a public speaking instruction business make money?

A public speaking instruction business makes money by charging clients for workshops and ongoing lessons in public speaking.

How much can you charge customers?

How much you can charge clients depends on your area, your competition, and the exact format of the lesson. Some instructors, for instance, charge $300 for eight four-hour lessons. This provides great value to students, but only offers value to the instructor if you have enough students signed up. Some experienced instructors charge as much as $995 for an intensive, two-day course. Others establish a flat, hourly rate, such as $25 to $30 an hour per person. When pricing, one thing to keep in mind is competition, both from other public speaking instructors and the cost of taking a speech class at the local college or university.

How much profit can a public speaking instruction business make?

How much profit you can make depends on how you charge clients, how much you charge clients, and how many clients you have. If you see twenty clients a week for fifty weeks of the year for four hours a week and $25 an hour, for instance, you will make $100,000 a year. Your first year is less likely to be this profitable, though increased community awareness should lead to increased revenue each year.

How can you make your business more profitable?

Try a business model that encourages multiple sessions that clients pay for upfront. Be sure to include client testimonials on your website and social media pages so that future clients can see how you have helped others. Finally, don't be afraid to charge more as your business becomes more established and you have a portfolio of demonstrated results.

Want a more guided approach? Access TRUiC's free Small Business Startup Guide - a step-by-step course for turning your business idea into reality. Get started today!

STEP 2: Form a legal entity

The most common business structure types are the sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company (LLC), and corporation.

Establishing a legal business entity such as an LLC or corporation protects you from being held personally liable if your public speaking instruction business is sued.

Form Your LLC

Read our Guide to Form Your Own LLC

Have a Professional Service Form your LLC for You

Two such reliable services:

You can form an LLC yourself and pay only the minimal state LLC costs or hire one of the Best LLC Services for a small, additional fee.

Recommended: You will need to elect a registered agent for your LLC. LLC formation packages usually include a free year of registered agent services. You can choose to hire a registered agent or act as your own.

STEP 3: Register for taxes

You will need to register for a variety of state and federal taxes before you can open for business.

In order to register for taxes you will need to apply for an EIN. It's really easy and free!

You can acquire your EIN through the IRS website. If you would like to learn more about EINs, read our article, What is an EIN?

There are specific state taxes that might apply to your business. Learn more about state sales tax and franchise taxes in our state sales tax guides.

STEP 4: Open a business bank account & credit card

Using dedicated business banking and credit accounts is essential for personal asset protection.

When your personal and business accounts are mixed, your personal assets (your home, car, and other valuables) are at risk in the event your business is sued. In business law, this is referred to as piercing your corporate veil.

Open a business bank account

Besides being a requirement when applying for business loans, opening a business bank account:

  • Separates your personal assets from your company's assets, which is necessary for personal asset protection.
  • Makes accounting and tax filing easier.

Recommended: Read our Best Banks for Small Business review to find the best national bank or credit union.

Get a business credit card

Getting a business credit card helps you:

  • Separate personal and business expenses by putting your business' expenses all in one place.
  • Build your company's credit history, which can be useful to raise money later on.

Recommended: Apply for an easy approval business credit card from BILL and build your business credit quickly.

STEP 5: Set up business accounting

Recording your various expenses and sources of income is critical to understanding the financial performance of your business. Keeping accurate and detailed accounts also greatly simplifies your annual tax filing.

Make LLC accounting easy with our LLC Expenses Cheat Sheet.

STEP 6: Obtain necessary permits and licenses

Failure to acquire necessary permits and licenses can result in hefty fines, or even cause your business to be shut down.

State & Local Business Licensing Requirements

Certain state permits and licenses may be needed to operate a public speaking instruction business. Learn more about licensing requirements in your state by visiting SBA’s reference to state licenses and permits. In addition, certain local licensing or regulatory requirements may apply.

Most businesses are required to collect sales tax on the goods or services they provide. To learn more about how sales tax will affect your business, read our article, Sales Tax for Small Businesses.

STEP 7: Get business insurance

Just as with licenses and permits, your business needs insurance in order to operate safely and lawfully. Business Insurance protects your company’s financial wellbeing in the event of a covered loss.

There are several types of insurance policies created for different types of businesses with different risks. If you’re unsure of the types of risks that your business may face, begin with General Liability Insurance. This is the most common coverage that small businesses need, so it’s a great place to start for your business.

Another notable insurance policy that many businesses need is Workers’ Compensation Insurance. If your business will have employees, it’s a good chance that your state will require you to carry Workers' Compensation Coverage.

FInd out what types of insurance your Public Speaking Instruction Business needs and how much it will cost you by reading our guide Business Insurance for Public Speaking Instruction Business.

STEP 8: Define your brand

Your brand is what your company stands for, as well as how your business is perceived by the public. A strong brand will help your business stand out from competitors.

If you aren't feeling confident about designing your small business logo, then check out our Design Guides for Beginners, we'll give you helpful tips and advice for creating the best unique logo for your business.

Recommended: Get a logo using Truic's free logo Generator no email or sign up required, or use a Premium Logo Maker.

If you already have a logo, you can also add it to a QR code with our Free QR Code Generator. Choose from 13 QR code types to create a code for your business cards and publications, or to help spread awareness for your new website.

How to promote & market a public speaking instruction business

Consider offering short, free workshops at libraries and community college campuses that help demonstrate your value. Make sure you have a social media presence so that your business is visible via mobile devices. Try to build a relationship with Human Resources departments so that they can refer you to prospective clients who want to improve their public speaking to get a promotion or new job.

How to keep customers coming back

Between your website, advertising, and social media presence (as well as traditional networking in your community), it should be easy to attract customers. In order to retain them, make sure every lesson ties to the real world in tangible ways. When they see how being a better communicator can help with everything from getting a promotion to improving their love life, they will keep coming back.

STEP 9: Create your business website

After defining your brand and creating your logo the next step is to create a website for your business.

While creating a website is an essential step, some may fear that it’s out of their reach because they don’t have any website-building experience. While this may have been a reasonable fear back in 2015, web technology has seen huge advancements in the past few years that makes the lives of small business owners much simpler.

Here are the main reasons why you shouldn’t delay building your website:

  • All legitimate businesses have websites - full stop. The size or industry of your business does not matter when it comes to getting your business online.
  • Social media accounts like Facebook pages or LinkedIn business profiles are not a replacement for a business website that you own.
  • Website builder tools like the GoDaddy Website Builder have made creating a basic website extremely simple. You don’t need to hire a web developer or designer to create a website that you can be proud of.

Recommended: Get started today using our recommended website builder or check out our review of the Best Website Builders.

Other popular website builders are: WordPress, WIX, Weebly, Squarespace, and Shopify.

STEP 10: Set up your business phone system

Getting a phone set up for your business is one of the best ways to help keep your personal life and business life separate and private. That’s not the only benefit; it also helps you make your business more automated, gives your business legitimacy, and makes it easier for potential customers to find and contact you.

There are many services available to entrepreneurs who want to set up a business phone system. We’ve reviewed the top companies and rated them based on price, features, and ease of use. Check out our review of the Best Business Phone Systems 2023 to find the best phone service for your small business.

Recommended Business Phone Service: Phone.com

Phone.com is our top choice for small business phone numbers because of all the features it offers for small businesses and it's fair pricing.

Is this Business Right For You?

This job is great for those who are good at public speaking. Former teachers do well in this job due to their experience writing and conducting lectures. Writers are also good at this job because part of good speech instruction is knowing which words will have certain effects on certain audiences.

Want to know if you are cut out to be an entrepreneur?

Take our Entrepreneurship Quiz to find out!

Entrepreneurship Quiz

What happens during a typical day at a public speaking instruction business?

Your daily activities include preparing and delivering instruction to clients about how to improve their public speaking. You may also spend time communicating with existing clients and potential clients that have contacted you. You may spend time driving to where clients are and spend downtime both researching public speaking strategies and advertising your business.

What are some skills and experiences that will help you build a successful public speaking instruction business?

If it has been a long time, try to take a speech class or two at your local community college to brush up on skills. Sit down with local business managers and ask them what speaking skills they wish their workers had so you can incorporate these into lessons. Finally, make sure to do as much of your own public speaking as you can to build up your own skills and develop stories you can share with students.

What is the growth potential for a public speaking instruction business?

The growth potential of this job is modest. The need for public speaking instruction grows as the businesses requiring these skills grow, and jobs such as “sales representative” (which requires ample speaking) are expected to grow by seven percent between 2014 and 2024.

TRUiC's YouTube Channel

For fun informative videos about starting a business visit the TRUiC YouTube Channel or subscribe to view later.

Take the Next Step

Find a business mentor

One of the greatest resources an entrepreneur can have is quality mentorship. As you start planning your business, connect with a free business resource near you to get the help you need.

Having a support network in place to turn to during tough times is a major factor of success for new business owners.

Learn from other business owners

Want to learn more about starting a business from entrepreneurs themselves? Visit Startup Savant’s startup founder series to gain entrepreneurial insights, lessons, and advice from founders themselves.

Resources to Help Women in Business

There are many resources out there specifically for women entrepreneurs. We’ve gathered necessary and useful information to help you succeed both professionally and personally:

  • Funding
  • Events
  • Guides
  • Support

If you’re a woman looking for some guidance in entrepreneurship, check out this great new series Women in Business created by the women of our partner Startup Savant.

What are some insider tips for jump starting a public speaking instruction business?

Consider specializing in a certain field such as “corporate leadership.” This can net you ongoing business from multiple corporations in training their executives to improve communication. Take the time to interview speech professors about their teaching strategies and what they have learned. Finally, don't be afraid to start slow and do this as a side business long enough for you to establish your brand within the community.

How and when to build a team

Most public speaking instruction businesses start as solo practices. However, if you build a steady stream of clients and can no longer personally fit them into your schedule, you should take on a partner or build a small team to deliver workshops and lessons.

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