Live Training with an Instructor
Advanced Certificate in Small Business Coaching
The Complete Systems Business Coach®
Training Program
ICF Continuing Coaching Education Aligned Training
The Advanced Certificate in Small Business Coaching (ICF Level 1 ACC) is a training program to build advanced coaching and business skills that strengthen the small business sector, improve productivity, and support long-term economic sustainability.
The Advanced Certificate is accredited through the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and meets the education requirements for the ICF Associate Certified Coach (ACC) credential at Level 1. Graduates also become Certified Systems Business Coaches® as part of the Advanced Certificate training program.
Our Effective Business Coaching Method is a holistic approach that combines a coach approach with systems thinking, appreciative inquiry, and pragmatic business tools. Coaches learn to recognize patterns, identify leverage points, and support sustainable change, so clients can optimize operations, make stronger decisions, and build resilient businesses over time.
What’s included: Dual Certification
Coaching Bootcamp (6 weeks), learn a clear, practical coaching method you can use immediately.
Small Business Coaching Foundations (8 weeks), coach real small business challenges using tools and business context that fit.
Become a Certified Systems Business Coach® (12 weeks), earn your Systems Business Coach® certification with licensed access to SBC tools, techniques, and strategies.
Five observed coaching sessions, required for the ICF Level 1 credential pathway.
Mentor Coaching (90 days), feedback and review aligned with the ICF Core Competencies and performance requirements.
ACC Level Performance Evaluation completed as part of the program, with guided preparation and support.
Experienced ICF-credentialed faculty and a supportive small-cohort learning community.
Live, interactive classes, theory, skill practice, and real client fieldwork.
Additional requirements for ICF ACC:
100 coaching hours (75 paid)
ICF ACC Exam
More than a Course:
You graduate with a complete, ready-to-deliver small business coaching toolkit, including tools, programs, slide decks, and presenter notes.
Licensed access to SBC’s complete tool suite, ready-to-use templates, diagnostics, planning tools, and coaching resources built for 1:1, group coaching, and business planning programs.
Digital copy of the Successful Small Business Systems Field Guide, your core framework for coaching across the full business system.
Done-for-you program assets, including slide decks, presenter notes, and fully developed sessions you can deliver in your community without spending years building curriculum and tools.
Featured on the Systems Business Coach® website as a Certified Systems Business Coach®.
Join the global community of SBC coaches, connection, collaboration, referrals, and ongoing support.
Ongoing training and updates, so your skills and tools stay current as the small business landscape changes.
This program is ideal for:
- You are considering small business coaching as a profession and you want to do it right.
- You are already a coach and you want to add small business coaching to your practice.
- You already work with small business owners and you care deeply about their success, and you know advice alone is not enough.
- You want a structured, ethical, proven coaching approach that helps clients get results, and gives you the confidence, credibility, and systems to support them well.
- You want your work to feel measurable, energizing, and sustainable, and to expand your professional impact.
- If that sounds like you, you are in the right place.
COURSE FEE
Participant Reviews
Frequently Asked Questions
Are you exploring how to become a small business coach? You’re in the right place. Systems Business Coach® offers one of the only ICF-accredited coach training programs in the world dedicated exclusively to coaching small business owners. Unlike generic leadership or executive coaching programs, our training is built for helping professionals who work with entrepreneurs and business owners of companies with fewer than 100 employees, the segment that makes up 95% of all businesses globally.
Learn how to coach with confidence, earn your ICF credential, and support business owners where it matters most: leadership, finance, operations, team, and marketing.
How do I become a small business coach?
The Advanced Certificate in Small Business Coaching provides everything you need to become a successful small business coach:
- Credibility from two coaching certifications (ICF ACC and Systems Business Coach® Certification)
- Access to licensed, ready-to-use Systems Business Coach® coaching tools, marketing and business development support, and a global community of peers.
- A proven, structured coaching framework built from over a decade of real-world experience by a leading authority on small business coaching.
Systems Business Coach® also offers other training programs as pathways to becoming a small business coach.
Who is the Advanced Certificate in Small Business Coaching for?
Business Coaches & Other Professionals Supporting Small Businesses
- Current business coaches, consultants, marketing agency owners, and advisors who want a complete, ready-to-deliver package of proven tools, programs, and resources you can put into immediate use with small business clients.
ICF Credential Seekers
- Those who want to complete ICF Level 1 training toward the ACC credential while focusing on coaching small business owners and teams.
Aspiring Small Business Coaches and Career Changers
- Aspiring small business coaches beginning their coaching journey and seeking multiple coaching certifications.
- Career changers with business experience looking to start a new chapter after leaving a corporate role, navigating a layoff, or retiring from a successful career.
What is the benefit of earning ICF credentials AND becoming a Certified Systems Business Coach®?
While both are globally recognized coaching certifications, they have distinct benefits. The Advanced Certificate in Small Business Coaching is a small business coach training program that combines the benefits of both certifications.
Certified Systems Business Coaches®:
- Gain access to licensed, ready-to-use coaching tools, marketing and business development support, and a global community of peers.
- Are trained specifically to support small business owners using a proven, structured framework built from over a decade of real-world experience by a leading authority on small business coaching.
ICF-Credentialed Coaches:
- Hold credentials recognized by the world’s leading independent coaching federation, signalling adherence to ICF coaching competencies and ethics standards.
How long does it take to complete the Advanced Certificate in Small Business Coaching?
The Advanced Certificate in Small Business Coaching requires a minimum of 9 months to complete. Your commitment to completing coaching hours affects the overall program duration.
To graduate from the training program, there are two parts to complete:
6 months: If you stay consistent with your coaching hours throughout the training program, you can be ready to apply for your Associate Certified Coach (ACC) credential.
12 weeks: The Systems Business Coach® Certification section of the program.
How do I know if the Advanced Certificate in Small Business Coaching is the right course for me?
If you’re unsure where to start or want to know how your unique experience and situation fit into a professional coaching career, schedule a free call with us.
We’ll walk you through what it takes to become a small business coach and help you decide if training with Systems Business Coach® is right for you.
What small business coaching courses are included in the Advanced Certificate in Small Business Coaching?
The Advanced Certificate in Small Business Coaching includes:
How soon can I start coaching small business owners?
During the Advanced Certificate in Small Business Coaching, you can begin building your coaching practice and gaining real-world experience while working toward your coaching certifications.
This small business coach training program prepares you to start coaching small business owners in as little as 12 weeks while you continue your training.
What are observed coaching sessions?
Through observed coaching sessions, our ICF-credentialed faculty observe your coaching to provide written feedback. Observed coaching sessions are required for the ICF Level 1 (ACC) credential.
What is the ACC Exam?
To earn ICF Level 1 (ACC) certification, you must achieve a passing score on the ACC Exam.
The ACC Exam is knowledge-based, covering three broad domains: Coaching Ethics; Definition and Boundaries of Coaching; and Coaching Competencies, Strategies, and Techniques.
Help Small Business Owners Build Their Dream Business, while You Build Yours
Our Foundations course is designed to help you deeply understand small business dynamics and learn to effectively coach small business owners towards success.
Get the skills to build trust, establish rapport, challenge business owners, and implement foundational strategies for small business success.
