Last updated on February 21, 2024
Between scheduling, contracts, billing, creating packages, and all of the other administrative tasks that it takes to run a successful coaching business, it’s a wonder we have any time for the work at the heart of our business—the actual coaching of clients!
If you’re searching for a solution to win back your time (and save you money!), an all-in-one software is the answer. We’ve tried out a number of programs that claim to be the best software for life coaches, but in our opinion, none can compete with Paperbell.
In this article, we’ll tell you about the program’s features, pricing, pros and cons, and, of course, the all-important Paperbell reviews from other users so you can make an informed decision about whether this revolutionary software is right for you.
Table of Contents
About Paperbell
Paperbell got started when founder Laura Roeder (a coach herself) was searching for a do-it-all software for her coaching and consulting business. When she couldn’t find one that suited her needs, she decided to create it herself!
Paperbell boasts more than 14,000 customers using its platform to manage the “business” side of their coaching practice. We’ll dig deeper into their feedback a bit later on, but for now, just know that they’re an extremely satisfied bunch of clients!
What Does Paperbell Offer a Coaching Business? [Features]
Paperbell is an all-in-one online tool for coaches that handles payments, contracts, scheduling, and administrative tasks.
The genius of this software is that it replaces the piecemeal method of admin that many coaches are currently using (and takes away the frustration!) by offering a one-stop-shop platform. Rather than subscribing to multiple programs or apps for scheduling, billing, and signing contracts (and losing valuable time learning the ins and outs of each one), Paperbell offers a single portal that’s intuitive for coaches and clients alike.
So what can Paperbell do? Here’s a quick summary:
- Payments
- Scheduling
- Billing
- Contract/E-Signatures
- Client Management
- Custom Landing Pages
- Digital Downloads
- Client Portal
- Custom Shop Page
- Group Coaching
- Intake Surveys
- Reminder Emails
- And more!
Watch this 5-minute video for a quick overview, and then dive into the details below:
Payments
Paperbell simplifies the process of taking payments. Paperbell can direct payments from credit and debit cards, Paypal, Venmo, and bank transfers all into one streamlined payment system. Clients pay when they schedule, so you won’t have to broach the subject during a session or chase someone down afterward.
Packages and Pricing Structure Options
Pretty much any pricing structure you can think of, Paperbell can handle. Monthly subscriptions, packages of sessions, free discovery sessions, group coaching, purchases of digital content… it’s all there. You can create discounts and coupons, adjust sliding scale rates, take deposits, and more. You can even create customized packages that are sent privately to those clients who need something more personalized.
Scheduling
Paperbell’s scheduling software is just as powerful as tools like Calendly or Acuity, but now you won’t have to hop between scheduling tools and other programs.
Clients can self-schedule in the times you make yourself available, or you can book them yourself. You can customize your availability for different offerings (group coachings only on Thursdays, for example), automatically insert a buffer between appointments (coffee break!), and restrict last-minute bookings to the window of time you’re comfortable with.
The software syncs with Google Calendar, Outlook, and iCal (no double-bookings!) and adjusts for the client’s time zone. There are so many great features, we can’t cover them all in this article—read up on them here.
Paperwork: Intake, Contracts, Client Notes, and More
Tired of sending endless “reminder” emails to get clients to sign contracts? Onboarding documents all over the place? Once again, Paperbell is the answer to having it all in one place and making the paperwork part of your business a breeze.
Contract Signing
Paperbell’s integration with HelloSign means you get the security of legally-binding confidential documents without clients having to leave their Paperbell portal. You can use Paperbell’s contract template or upload your own custom version, and the signed document is always available for both coach and client to reference later.
Client Management Dashboard
Forget navigating between multiple tabs, spreadsheets, and note-taking programs (you can throw out the Post-It Notes as well!). Paperbell’s client management dashboard is a holding space for every detail you could want to access about your work with a client. From intake forms to payment history to session notes to upcoming appointments, it’s all organized in one place.
Integrations with Other Software
Will Paperbell work with your preferred calendar program and meeting software? Likely so! Here’s just a sampling of the programs that get along with the platform:
- Google Calendar
- Outlook Calendar
- iCal
- Zoom
- Google Meet
- Paypal
- Stripe
- Zapier
Customization, Branding, and Website Integration
How does Paperbell look from the client side? Paperbell automatically creates a landing page for each of your offers (individual sessions, packages, retreats, digital content, etc.). There’s also a “shop” page (here’s an example) where clients can browse all the products you offer.
Maintaining your branding across all aspects of the client experience is a must for a professional look and feel. Paperbell allows you to customize the look of your offers page and add your logo to maintain consistency. Or you can take the leap of integrating Paperbell into your own site like in this example.
Other Features
Ask pretty much any “Can Paperbell…” question you can dream up, and you’ll find that the answer is, “Yes!”
There are too many outstanding aspects of Paperbell to list them all here, so go to their site to get the full list.
Pricing
Ready to try out Paperbell for yourself? You can, without any commitment—and without even whipping out your credit card!
Free Trial
With Paperbell’s free plan, you can access all the features of the full program for an unlimited amount of time. You can play around behind the scenes, customize your shop and offerings, upload the digital content you want to share with clients, and tailor the wording of contracts and reminder messages… all without ever making a payment.
Paperbell gives you no-limitations access “through your first client, however long that takes.” So if you’re just starting out (or just transitioning to online), this is the perfect scenario.
Explore and experiment to your heart’s desire, and then when you’re ready to invite your clients, you’ll be enrolled in Paperbell’s annual subscription plan.
Annual Subscription
If you’re like us, you’re probably thinking, “All of this in one software package—must be pricey!” But here’s the unbelievable thing about Paperbell’s pricing: most coaches can cover their entire annual payment by selling just one coaching package.
In reality, you can cut costs by consolidating your software subscriptions into one flat fee for CRM, booking, payment processing, and contract signing—and ditching all the other individual programs you used to use!
Billed annually, Paperbell’s current rate is $47.50/month for an all-inclusive package that can be used with an unlimited number of clients. By paying the one-time flat fee for the whole year, you save $114 over the month-to-month payment plan.
Paperbell Reviews
It seems that everyone is raving about Paperbell—and we certainly understand why! Even the ICF, the most recognized accrediting entity for coach certification, has recognized Paperbell as a trusted resource for coaching businesses.
We’ve collected a few stand-out reviews from around the internet and from Paperbell’s own testimonials page. We think you’ll definitely want to join this crowd of happy customers.
You can see the users are thrilled with the simplicity of setting up the software:
They’ve made it extremely simplistic which means that anyone — no matter how tech savvy you are — can basically jump in to this software and within 15 minutes to half an hour you could probably be up and running and sending your link out to clients. All the core features that most coaches want are in Paperbell: you’ve got your contracts, you’ve got your email sendings, you’ve got your CRM side of the software.
This is ultimately everything you actually need to run a business and keep everything centralized. Overall, I think Paperbell have done a fantastic job. And would I recommend them to a friend? Yes, I would.
Marty Englander, Software Reviews
And that Paperbell saves them time and money by consolidating everything into one platform:
If you are looking to scale your coaching practice and you care about seamless customer experience and accountability for your coaching client, Paperbell is the right solution for you. It’s super easy to use, intuitive, clean, and minimalistic, but a huge difference in keeping a coaching practice organized and optimized.
Before Paperbell, I had to use multiple systems to keep the coaching operations productive. I’ve been looking for integrated solutions for a while. I was thrilled to discover Paperbell
I highly recommend the tool to anyone offering coaching, mentoring, consulting, and similar professional services.
Svetlana D
Here Jody-Ann Rowe explains how Paperbell replaced other software she was using:
Even time zone conversion and niche features like private offers are getting lots of love:
I love that it converts times zones for clients to see my availability and that there are ways to make certain offers private. I love the follow up emails and reminders for clients too.
Jess L.
The last comment here from Capterra is really what it’s all about: leaving the coach to coach because the rest is taken care of:
I love that I can focus on what I do best, which is coaching, and the rest is taken care of.
What’s the downside of Paperbell? Well, even the “cons” segment of this review from G2 reads more like a “pro” to us:
I do have to rely on customer support a lot. I’m so grateful it’s there and I do know the fault is mine. I get confused because it’s a lot of decisions and it’s my first time. But with their generous support, I’m more and more confident.
And we’ll let Meagan S.’s review from G2 have the final word. She says,
If you’re on the fence, go for it. Totally worth the money.
Paperbell Alternatives
With such a huge following, it’s no surprise that Paperbell has numerous competitors. Each of them has their unique take on meeting coaches’ needs for software to manage a coaching business.
If all you need is simple scheduling software, Calendly and Acuity may be the best options for you.
If you’re looking for a more robust CRM (customer relationship management) program with invoicing, Honeybook is a viable option.
Coaches Console has many of the same features as Paperbell but is a bit pricier, and Satori offers a similar feature set (minus website building) but looks outdated next to Paperbell’s modern style. You can read up on the program in our thorough review.
Simplero, Delenta, CoachAccountable, and UpCoach are also on the list of software considerations, and we’ve analyzed each of them in our upcoming comparison article.
Conclusion
As you can see from these Paperbell reviews, this do-it-all software for your coaching business has the ability to simplify the business side of your coaching practice and will save you time and money. If you’re tired of paying multiple subscription fees, losing track of documents, and chasing clients with reminders for payments and scheduling, Paperbell is the solution to put those irritating tasks behind you so you can focus on what you actually want to do: coach your clients.
Since there’s no upfront cost or commitment, we suggest signing up for a free account with Paperbell to try it out for yourself.
The Life Coach Magazine staff is your team for high-quality content on topics from personal development, to coaching tips, to how to grow your coaching business.
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