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At a glance: money to start · hours · how fast it pays · how much you keep · how much it can earn. Taller bars are better; the dashed line is halfway.

Corporate training: what it really costs to start

Starting a corporate training business in Europe costs €1,000–€8,000 in 2026, with first income after about 16 weeks and earnings of up to €7,000 a month working full time.

Last updated: September 2026 · sources at the bottom of the page

Workshops delivered to companies.

Corporate training in numbers
Money to start €1,000–€8,000 What you spend before the first customer pays: kit, stock, licences, launch.
Hours a week 12–35 What it takes to run it properly, from part time to full time.
Weeks to first income about 16 How long you pay in before any money comes back. You still need to live in those weeks.
Kept of every €100 €85 What stays with you after running costs, before you pay yourself for your hours.
Most it earns a month €1,500 part time · €7,000 full time + A realistic ceiling for you running it. It can grow further, but only by hiring or adding units.
Competition medium Some competition: running it well is what decides.
Licence or qualification not usually Beyond registering the business and insurance, nothing specific in our research.

This maximum is not a wall

The figure above is what this earns in the shape described: you, running it. Past that it keeps going, but by hiring people or adding units, not by you working more hours. That is a different job from the one you would be starting, and worth knowing before you start it.

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What nobody usually tells you

The highest margin in this database: the materials are built once and a training day bills €900-2500. Getting through a company's door takes months and credibility you cannot buy, so the ramp is long and quiet.

The route, in five steps

  1. Sell one workshop on one problem, not a catalogue
  2. Price per day, €900-2500, never per attendee
  3. Your first three clients come from people who already know you
  4. Build the materials once and deliver them thirty times
  5. HR budgets reset in January — sell in the autumn

What you'll need to buy

These are the categories this business pays for in the first month. We go through the software side on the tools page.

slide and workbook productionprofessional insurancewebsitetravel

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Common questions

How much does it cost to start a corporate training business?

Between €1,000 and €8,000 to begin. That covers slide and workbook production, professional insurance, website and the rest of the setup. It does not cover your own living costs during the 16 weeks before the first income arrives, which is the cost most people forget.

How long after starting a corporate training business does the first income arrive?

Around 16 weeks to the first euro. Reaching the realistic maximum of €7,000 a month takes considerably longer, and assumes 35 hours a week.

How much can you earn a month if you start a corporate training business?

Up to about €7,000 a month working full time, or €1,500 part time. Of every €100 it takes, about €85 stays with you after running costs. Past that it can grow, but by hiring people or adding units rather than by working more hours.

Can you start a corporate training business alongside a job?

Yes, at a cost. Part time it realistically tops out around €1,500 a month, against €7,000 working full time, and it needs 12–35 hours a week.

Is there a lot of competition?

Competition is medium. Neither crowded nor protected: winning comes down to how well you run it rather than whether you can enter.

Similar businesses to compare

Sources

Where these numbers come from. Figures are rounded ranges for European markets; check the ones you are about to spend money on. Last checked September 2026.

  1. TrainingZone — Going freelance as a trainer (day rates and fee-earning days) what it earns · time to first income
  2. RapidBI — Going freelance as an independent trainer what it earns · time to first income · hours

Does it fit you?

These numbers are the average case. Whether this business clears your target depends on your money, your hours and how long you can wait. Put them in and see.

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