Frequently Asked Questions

A Certified Systems Business Coach® (CSBC) is a coaching professional who has completed our certification program and signed an agreement to be a licensed provider of the Systems Business Coach® framework, tools and materials.

We work with professionals who help small business owners throughout their careers.

This includes, and is not limited to, coaches, consultants, small business bank managers, accountants, funding officers, non-profit counsellors and coordinators, economic development agency leaders, bookkeepers and lawyers. If you support small business owners, we’ll train you! 

The Small Business Coach Certification process has two steps. 

We offer our Foundations program as a way for you to explore small business coaching with a small investment starting at $549.00  USD.

All tuition from Foundations are then applied to the total cost of Certification which is currently priced  from $3997.00 USD.  Live on location training may be offered at a premium and lower fees may apply based on your local market condition. 

The Small Business Field Guide

As a certified coach, you agree to  purchase a physical or digital version of the Small Business Field Guide for each client. This is intended  to support your coaching, provide the highest value to the client and to protect the integrity of the program.  

Digital version $97.00 USD

Print version $197.00 USD  (plus shipping) 

Coaching Fees are yours

As a certified SBC coach you keep your coaching revenue.

While we provide a suggested market pricing guide, you are the one to set your own coaching rates.

Annual renewal fee

We have set our annual renewal fee to just cover the cost of technology administration and payment of access to our digital platform provided to our coaches.  

Current fee is $497.00 USD

Other Opportunities to work together. 

As a SBC Certified Coach you  have the opportunity to bundle your coaching with our popular individual and group coaching  programs that have an associated client  registration fee.

For example,  the SBC Business Plan Creation Course includes  client access to the course,  a customized plan template and confidential set up of financial forms along with a copy of the Field Guide.  

Our group courses include client registration, reminder emails, facilitator guides and everything you need to successfully deliver group coaching programs.  Each has a small client registration fee depending on the length of the program. 

Small Business Coaching Foundations includes 7 modules that are immediately useful, effective and stay true to our coaching approach.

Orientation – Introduces the course, concepts, and participants, and sets the stage for successful completion of the readings, fieldwork, and assignments. 

Module 1: Understanding the Small Business Owner – Understand the challenges small business owners face and how coaches can help.

Module 2: Contracting and Establishing Client Goals – Discover what it means to have a successful coaching engagement with small business owners.

Module 3: A Unique Coach Approach – Learn about vision thinking, strategic thinking, and systems thinking.

Module 4: Small Business Money Problems – Understand small business finances and its effect on the coaching/client relationship.

Module 5: Supporting a Healthy Small Business Culture – Discover how to help create a healthy company culture.

Module 6: Target Marketing for Your Clients and Yourself – Dive into the foundations of small business marketing.

Module 7: Roadmap to a Successful Small Business Coaching Practice – Learn the best strategies behind building a full-time small business coaching practice.

After becoming a Certified Systems Business Coach®, you can: 

Coaching Resources & Tools

• Utilize program materials for impactful one-to-one coaching sessions, providing valuable insights and guidance to your clients.

• Gain access to an extensive collection of over 2700 coaching questions, enabling you to facilitate insightful conversations and drive meaningful progress with your clients.

Community

• Engage in monthly one-hour coach meetings with fellow Certified Systems Business Coaches®, fostering a supportive community for continuous learning and growth.

• Enjoy the benefits of the client portal and online community provided at connecting you with a network of like-minded coaches and valuable resources.

 Business Development 

• Access a proven system for converting prospects into buyers, including a Small Business Assessment and Client Proposal, empowering you to effectively communicate the value of your coaching services.

• Receive a customized business card featuring the SBC  board game, a unique and engaging way to leave a lasting impression on potential clients.

• Seize the opportunity to receive clients directly from Systems Business Coach®, increasing your visibility and potential for business growth.  These opportunities are not guaranteed and may require additional training. 

Marketing

• Showcase your expertise and build credibility with your own bio and picture featured on the SBC website, linked to your unique sign-up page at 

• Access a comprehensive branding library (with certain restrictions), equipping you with professional materials to enhance your coaching practice.

• Display the Certified Systems Business Coach® logo on your own website and branding materials, showcasing your official certification and building trust with prospective clients.

Please note that these benefits are subject to the payment of the annual Licensing Fee, which ensures continued access to these valuable resources and opportunities.

To protect the integrity of the program, Certified Systems Business Coaches® are required to add on or include a copy of The Small Business Field Guide in all client engagements. (Paid or pro-bono)  Shipping, duty, and other applicable charges will be added separately.

Purchasing the Field Guide gives your client a one-year membership to the Organized & Profitable® online community and provides them with access to an online version of the Field Guide through our App.  The book is to be paid at the beginning of the coaching engagement. The cost is $197.00. Clients wishing to stay in the community after the first year pay $97.00 per year.

This transparent fee structure empowers coaches to retain their own revenue from 1:1 coaching, providing flexibility to set fees according to the specific market requirements.

If we provide you with clients, the fee for the first month of such client’s engagement is 50% of all fees charged to such clients, and 30% of all fees charged to such clients for each subsequent month.

We support our coaches with the technology, services and structure to be able to offer and manage group coaching for a nominal per client fee.  Coaches can also purchase our business plan, business development and other courses at a deeply discounted rate on behalf of their clients.  Our motto when it comes to pricing is “Everyone needs to win” 

Full terms and conditions are outlined in the Certified Systems Business Coach® agreement. In order to start the Small Business Coach Training Certification Program, you must agree to the terms laid out in the Certified Systems Business Coach® agreement.

You can enrol in the Foundations program without a licensing agreement.

You choose how much to charge your clients and when you want to work.

For example: Working 4 days a week (I like to take Fridays off and a month in the summer!), with two client meetings per day you can earn $115,000.00  – $150,000.00 USD per year. Makes for a perfect part time or semi-retirement job.

Bump that up to 12 clients a week and only work 10 months a year, you can earn $144,000.00 – $204,000.00 USD.  Add in group coaching for another $60,000 – $72,000+ per group per year. All while giving your clients an AFFORDABLE and HIGH VALUE fee.

These are just examples. Market conditions around the world are different , again, you decide how much you want to charge your clients. 

Partner with us to tap into global government economic development contracts to earn even more. 

Our proven method of business development, both lead generation and lead conversion will help you get clients. So yes, we help you get clients by teaching you what we already know has been proven to work in this market.

Certified Systems Business Coaches® are featured on the SBC website and have access to marketing resources.

We do not guarantee that taking either of these courses will get you clients.  As will all personal coaching products,  it is up to you to prospect, nurture and retain relationship with clients. 

You will have access to social media graphics, webinar keynote slides to use as lead magnets, program outlines, and proposal documents.

Our extensive library of small business related graphics makes creating Social Media posts easy and effective.

Your success is our success.

With a dedicated team for administration and marketing, we offer assistance to our coaches in navigating and capitalizing on market opportunities. This includes, but is not limited to, help in responding to and completing Request for Proposals (RFPs). Our aim is to simplify this process for our coaches and to enhance their chance of securing new business.

Beyond this, we also provide tailored support for client small business training and public/private events. Whether it’s specific courses, workshops, or other coaching and training activities, we work closely with our coaches to customize these services to meet the specific needs of their clients. This ensures that they are fully equipped to deliver the highest quality of coaching, and that their clients receive value that is specifically designed for them.

Small business owners, when they do well, are the most generous people on the planet. They are responsible for 7 out of 10 jobs in the world.  Take a moment to consider that statistic. 

Sadly, they are also the least supported. Only 4% of businesses will make it to their 10th birthday. Coaching has proven to dramatically improve those statistics. Behind every small business failure are families and lives in ruin. 

Coaching Small Business owners is the one place where you can use your skills to have a dramatic impact on your client AND all the people around them. 

How cool is that?

Beverlee Rasmussen, the founder of our organization, is both a small business coach and a relentless researcher. She committed an astounding 12,000 hours to creating the Small Business Field Guide, a testament to her dedication to integrating and synthesizing the most effective systems in small business development.

This comprehensive resource is an amalgamation of wisdom from renowned scholars and thought leaders. It incorporates insights from the likes of Edwards Deming, a pioneer of lean/six sigma methodologies; Peter Senge, known for his influential work on systems thinking, shared vision, personal mastery, team learning, and mental models; Michael Gerber and Donella Meadows on systems thinking; and over 1800 other distinguished authors in fields such as leadership, operations, finance, human resources, and marketing.

The Small Business Field Guide, therefore, is a book like no other. It provides your clients with guidance through 52 core competencies essential for small business success, fortifying their operations and strategy.

As a coach, it also offers you an invaluable roadmap to navigate any challenges your clients might face. The guide effectively equips you to coach your clients, helping them to build an organized and profitable businesses

The Systems Business Coach® 52 Small Business competencies are broken down into five categories; Leadership, Operations, Finance, Team and Marketing. At some point, all small business owners will need to put systems in place in each of these areas. Here are all 52 competencies visually represented on the Small Business Gameboard:

We believe that the client is the boss of their own learning journey, and only the client can decide what’s best for them. You can use this board as a way to help your clients visualize and decide what they need to work on next. It acts as a success map for both you and your client.

We offer Certified Partnerships tailored to your company, non-profit, or agency. 

Learning Philosophy and Program Management Guide of Systems Business Coach Inc.® (SBC)

Systems Business Coach Inc.® (SBC) is grounded in a human-centric and business-focused approach, emphasizing empowerment, learning, and transformation. Our philosophy is rooted in the integration of adult learning principles, coaching neuroscience and human behaviour, systems thinking, pragmatic business principles, and the International Coaching Federation Core Competencies. We aim to provide the necessary tools and knowledge to small businesses, making quality coaching and training both accessible and affordable.

1. Application of Adult Learning Principles: We understand that adults have a unique learning style that stems from their wealth of life experiences. Our programs are designed to respect and encourage self-directed learning, allowing participants to bring their experiences into the learning process. They build on practical knowledge, encouraging participants to connect new information with existing understanding, fostering an environment of discovery and critical thinking.
2. Integration of Coaching and Neuroscience: We value the intersection of coaching, neuroscience, and human behaviour. Through this lens, we strive to enhance the engagement, performance, and overall effectiveness of business owners. We focus on developing a growth mindset, building resilience, and enhancing emotional intelligence, key factors in running a successful small business.
3. Adoption of Systems Thinking: We acknowledge that businesses are complex systems and understand the importance of seeing the bigger picture. Systems thinking informs our approach, enabling us to identify patterns, interdependencies, and leverage points. It helps our clients comprehend their business from a holistic perspective, promoting efficiency, adaptability, and sustainability.
4. Pragmatic Business Principles: Our programs are grounded in practical business knowledge, making complex principles easily understandable and applicable. We equip our clients with pragmatic strategies, guiding them with a coach approach through business planning, operations, and management, and empowering them to navigate the business landscape confidently and competently.
5. Implementation of International Coaching Federation (ICF) Core Competencies: We integrate the ICF Core Competencies into our model, ensuring our coaching is conducted ethically and effectively. This involves establishing trust, effective communication, creating awareness, and facilitating learning and results.
6. The Coach Approach: We believe in the power of a coach approach to all client interactions. This involves active listening, asking powerful questions, and providing feedback in a way that supports clients’ learning and growth. This approach fosters a collaborative and supportive learning environment, enhancing the overall learning experience of our clients. 

Our mission at Systems Business Coach Inc.® (SBC) is to revolutionize small business education by providing an organized, affordable, and effective coaching method. We are committed to helping small business owners surmount economic challenges and build thriving, profitable companies. Through our licensing program, we aspire to create a global impact, democratizing small business coaching and helping thousands of small businesses worldwide.

At Systems Business Coach® our promise is, “to listen and together find a way.”

What does that mean? No judgement.

Our clients represent all sectors of business from mortgage brokers and lawyers to online sellers of magic potions. We coach men, women, trans, non-binary people of all ages—from respecting the vision of a young teen starting a non-profit (www.adhdkidsrock.com) to helping people who decide to start a business at 70.

We want entrepreneurs to see themselves in our programs—both in writing and in images.  Recently, we hired a Florida University professor to edit our Small Business Field Guide (our 375-page, full-colour workbook) to ensure any BIPOC images were free of micro-aggressions. To include the LGBTQ+ community, we sought counsel from the LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce President in Toronto. From the discussion Ochre was “born”. They are a non-binary, blue-haired entrepreneur with very cool tattoos now on the front cover of our guide.

All of our materials were created to serve people with different physical, mental and learning abilities including clients with autism, bipolar and ADHD. In our most recent collaboration with a BC economic development agency (Community Futures), we supplied our materials, courses and coaching to help entrepreneurs with disabilities.

You know what population has a tremendous percentage of ADHD diagnoses? Entrepreneurs. Turns out the same kids who can’t sit still in an archaic schoolroom also don’t do well when shoved into cubicles. Those impulse spikes that teachers hate are actually fantastic leaps of insight that turn entrepreneurs into powerful innovators and community builders. Some of the most successful people in the world are neurologically atypical and have leveraged their unusual brain activity into incredible personal and financial success. At Systems Business Coach® we are here to help people with all brain styles every step of the way with no judgement of who they are and how they show up in this world.

We stand beside our clients and meet them where they are, not where others think they should be.

Systems Business Coach is a female-owned company with a management team led by women. Our team is comprised of people with different cultures, genders and nationalities. In our office, we have an inclusive and understanding work environment. Our team is comfortable asking for extended deadlines or afternoons off if they have family emergencies, or just need to take care of their mental health. We also actively hire students and people new to Canada to give opportunities to develop skills and increase job security.  Additionally, we seek opportunities to hire women and female-identifying contractors in emerging economies. This includes for the past five years, Angie in the Philippines, raising an autistic child on her own and supporting her widowed mom and younger siblings.  Pay equity is our policy. No matter the economic standard in another country, we pay women as much as men.

We support and train business coaches with varying beliefs and gender identities, from any race and any economic status.   We believe that with a diverse team of coaches, we are better suited to support small business owners who may want a coach who relates to the nuances of their experiences on a personal level. Certified Systems Business Coaches® are trained to embrace our clients however they show up, where ever they are on the economic scale and whatever business they have chosen to create.

Together we believe that by supporting small business owners, we can bring peace to communities.

It’s our goal that every individual in our global community feels seen, heard and understood.

Diversity is a fact. Inclusion is a choice.

Every day at Systems Business Coach, we chose inclusion.

Complaint/Grievance Policy for Systems Business Coach Inc.® (SBC)

At Systems Business Coach Inc.® (SBC), we highly value the experiences of our students and treat any feedback, including complaints, with utmost seriousness. Being an ICF-accredited coaching education provider, we are obligated to adhere to a strict Code of Conduct.

We recognize the rights of students to lodge a grievance concerning presentation or content, facilities, or instructor behaviour. Our commitment is to address such complaints swiftly and efficiently, ensuring we not only investigate and resolve but also learn from any issues.

Thus, we strive to ensure that:

• Lodging a complaint is as simple as possible;
• Any complaint is treated as a clear expression of dissatisfaction with our services, warranting an immediate response;
• Complaints are handled promptly, politely, and confidentially, when appropriate;
• The response is appropriate – offering an explanation, or an apology in instances where we have faltered, along with information on any remedial action taken;
• We utilize complaints as learning opportunities, using them to enhance our service, and conduct an annual review of our complaints policy and procedures.

Process

Initially, students should attempt to address the issue directly with the respective educator, staff member, or fellow student. If students are uncomfortable with direct confrontation, they may proceed to step 1 outlined below.

If the students are uneasy about addressing the individual, or if the complaint cannot be resolved informally, the following steps should be followed:

1. Students should submit a written complaint to Systems Business Coach Inc.® (SBC). 
2. SBC investigates the matter, keeping the concerned parties informed and ensuring consistent communication throughout the process.
3. The complaint investigation may also involve seeking assistance or input from relevant parties (e.g., ICF, Coaching Supervisor).
4. Complaints will be acknowledged within 48 hours, aiming for resolution within 3-5 business days whenever possible. If the complaint requires a more comprehensive investigation, we will agree on the extension in time needed.
5. The complaint is addressed with agreed-upon next steps, and any necessary learning and improvements are implemented.

If a complaint remains unresolved, SBC will guide the complainant on their options for further recourse, such as approaching the ICF Independent Review Body (IRB). We are dedicated to ensuring a satisfactory and fair resolution for all parties involved.   

For all participants:

Participants agree to be recorded.

• All classes are recorded for ongoing training of Systems Business Coach instructors, make-up listening for the Participants, and content refinement.
• Participant agrees to video and audio recording and permits unlimited use of their content for internal use by Systems Business Coach and submission to International Coach Federation (“ICF”) for ongoing accreditation renewals and audits.
• Live in-class peer coaching is also recorded but will not be distributed beyond what is specified above.

Participants agree to participate in a peer coaching group outside of classroom attendance.

• Participants may be assigned a peer group.
• If assigned to a peer group, Participants agree to cooperate, as their schedules allow, to meet the stated coursework objectives and peer group availability.

Participants agree to partake in live in-class coaching.

• Participants will occasionally coach in the classroom.
• Participants agree that they may sometimes be called upon to coach at the last minute.
• Participants agree to serve as clients.
• Participants consent to have these sessions recorded for future training and accreditation purposes.

Participants agree to accept constructive feedback.

• Participants consent to receive feedback from peers and the instructor in the classroom.

Participants adhere to the Participation Policy.

• Arrive punctually for all sessions.
• Make every effort to attend all sessions (classroom and mentor coaching).
• For live virtual instruction, cameras should be enabled.
• Prepare in advance for all sessions.
• Engage in conversations with integrity and honesty.
• Eliminate distractions such as cell phone usage out of respect for other Participants and instructors.

Participants agree to complete asynchronous work requirements.

• Participants will receive assignments in each course that need to be fulfilled outside of the
• classroom, and Participant agrees to complete these requirements.
• Participants agree to the Attendance Policies.
• For Accreditation Level 1, Participants may miss up to 6 hours of live training.
• For Accreditation Level 2, Participants may miss up to 9 hours of live training.

Participants agree to allow use of personal contact information for internal communication only.

• Participant’s personal information will not be sold or distributed.
• Participant’s email and phone number will be used to contact Participants directly relating to
• coaching education.
• Participants may occasionally receive email updates regarding the program/cohort they have
• been assigned to or for future training opportunities within Systems Business Coach.
• Participants consent to release email and phone information to other Participants in the
• Participants may opt-out of this at any time after completing the program.

For Participants seeking ICF credentials:

Completion of education requirements is mandatory but does not guarantee a Participant will pass an internal oral evaluation.

If the goal of the education is to gain credential recognition from the ICF it will include the following:

• Participants must fulfill the internal education requirements of the program.
• Participants must complete the asynchronous portion of the education requirements.
• Participants must comply with all policies related to absenteeism and make-up assignments.
• Participants must pass their oral assessment submitted to Systems Business Coach for review.