So, we've established that getting new students is only the first half of growing a dojo. The second half is keeping them, what's often referred to as "retention strategies" in our industry.

I've covered specific retention techniques in my book, The Profit-Boosting Principles, so I'm not going to go into those techniques here. Instead, I'm going to cover aspects of growing a martial art school that are rarely discussed.

Specifically, developing an overarching strategy for growing your dojo.

Strategy Separates The Amateurs From The Pros

Ever watch a championship fight or a pro match and see one fighter just dominate the other fighter... even though they both seem to have similar skills and techniques?

Often, the reason one fighter dominates another is because they have a superior strategy. Perhaps they've studied the other fighter, and they developed a gameplan to counter their strengths and capitalize on their weaknesses. 

Or, perhaps they've simply studied their craft to a greater extent, and instead of relying on raw talent, they have learned how to deal with a variety of fighters and body types.

Regardless, because they have a plan, they can dominate their opponents.

Similarly, having a gameplan in your dojo will allow you to crush the competition. How? Because every action you take will have a purpose, and that's to take you closer to your intended goal.

Know Your Goal

Every once in a while, I have to remind my coaching group members and clients what I teach in the Small Dojo Big Profits system, because I want it to be a good fit for my clients.

The formula is simple:

1. Low overhead, maximum profit in a small footprint studio.
2. 150 to 200 students, so you can manage your studio without a lot of staff.
3. Working extremely hard for one to two years to get to this level, so you can hire and train a few solid staff members and cut your hours in half.
4. Systems in place for everything, so your studio can run just fine when you're not there.
5. Integrity and professionalism in everything you do.

Many people each year are introduced to the system, who then receive coaching, and eventually achieve this level of success in their businesses.

But sometimes, people reach a certain level and then are frustrated by the fact that I refuse to coach them on how to get 300 or 1,000 students, or how to run multiple schools. 

But that's not the goal of the SDBP system.

The goal is just what I wrote above in those five points.

And I don't teach what I haven't practiced or done.

Now, the interesting thing is, every school owner who is at 30, 40, or 50 students needs to learn how to get to 150 or 200 before they get to 300 or 1,000.

And trust me, it's okay to take small steps on the way to achieving your overarching goal.

For this reason, I welcome everyone and encourage all my clients to follow the system until they get to 150 or 200 students. And then if running a larger studio or multiple locations is their next goal, I suggest they go find a mentor who is doing that and learn from them how to get there.

This is exactly what I'll tell you to do if you tell me you want to grow your business to 1,200 students in four locations. And in the past, I've sent clients to other people who teach that, so they could learn how to get where they want to be.

Why? Why send business to someone else? 

Because I want my clients to succeed, regardless of their goals.

What Applies In Small Matters...

One last thing about this, because I think it bears mentioning.

I have an acquaintance who owned 9 schools. We talked at length about how he ran each school. Basically, he ran each one like an SDBP school. His target enrollment was around 175 students, he ran them with just enough staff, and maximized his profit margins.

At his peak, his schools were grossing close to $3 million a year combined. Recently, he sold off all his schools and semi-retired.

So, don't write off what you learn from me after you move on. Much of it will serve you well beyond the single-school operator level.

The First Step: Metrics and Stats

Metrics are the numbers you use to measure your business performance. Often, in our industry they are referred to as "stats."

You must track your stats, regardless of which business model or growth strategy you choose (and I will cover several over the course of this series). The reason is because your numbers are the only empirical measure of your success in reaching your goals.

They are also the only way to determine if you're not reaching your goals. So, you should track the following religiously in your dojo: