| Friend,
So what are the "dojo basics"?
I'm not talking about how teach whatever martial art you practice. I'll just assume that you're a conscientious, competent instructor of a legitimate martial arts style, who takes pride in offering the best programs possible.
Instead, I'm talking about the basics of starting and running a profitable dojo. You know, the business stuff that most people don't think much about before they open the doors on their martial art school.
The stuff that becomes really important about the second or third month, when you realize that folks haven't flocked to your dojo, and you can't pay the rent.
Yikes.
That's the stuff I'm talking about when I refer to the dojo basics. And that's what I'll be covering over the next several days. So today, let's start with a broad overview of what you need to do to have a successful, profitable dojo.
The Steps
When coaching clients I typically walk them through six steps or stages every school owner must go through to build a successful, profitable dojo. They are: - Proper Set-Up - You must set your dojo up for success from the start... and by "success" I mean "profit." Failing to structure your business to maximize your profit margins can sink it before it ever gets off the ground. I'll discuss this more in tomorrow's email.
- Getting Students - This means marketing your programs. Marketing really isn't hard; however, what's hard for most instructors is admitting they know jack shit about it. If you want to succeed at this step, take off your black belt and put your white belt on again, and learn as much as you can from experts in the field of marketing and advertising.
- Keeping Students - No school will grow if the owner doesn't plug the holes in their student retention. So, keeping students is the next thing you need to figure out, once you get your marketing down. And once you have those two steps conquered, that'll bring you very quickly to...
- Hiring and Training Staff - Set your school up properly and you can get by with just one part-time employee when you launch. But once it starts to grow, you're going to need help, fast. This step is crucial, if you want to have a life away from your school... and if you want to grow your school past 80 or 100 students.
- Maximizing Profit - Wait a minute... didn't we do this in step one? Well, sort of--but what I'm really talking about here is finding all the ways you're letting money walk out the door, and fixing them. Also, this step involves adding income streams to your dojo by adding value for your clients. This step is what allows the small school owner to earn a comfortable living, and it's typically what separates the struggling school owners from those who have zero money worries.
- Planning for the Future - In this step, you are going to develop long-term goals for your dojo. You're also going to make sure you have an exit strategy. The thing is, plans and circumstances change, and you should always be ready for the unexpected. Maybe you run into health issues, or you need to move to another state to care for an aging relative, or perhaps you just get bored with running a dojo. Having a plan that goes beyond what you're doing in your dojo next month will prepare you, should you find that you are ready to move on.
Over the next several emails I'll cover each of these steps, discussing what you need to do at each stage. There's a lot of good info coming your way, so stay tuned!
Until next time,
Mike Massie MartialArtsBusinessDaily.com
Quick-start Guide to My Books and Resources: - Looking for a list of books and resources I've written? Click here! - Need business coaching to grow your dojo? Click here…
P.S. - *If you think "profit" is a dirty word, don't open a dojo, because once you open a dojo you are in business. And, the purpose of a business is to turn a profit. So, if you think making money from your art is dirty or unethical, then don't waste your time being a square peg trying to fit in a round hole. Instead, start a non-profit organization and teach free or low-cost classes. You'll be much, much happier in the long run.
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