Starting and Running Your Own Martial Arts School

Rating:
Summary: Marketing for Martial Artists
Review: As a part-time martial arts instructor who makes a living with his business degrees, I gotta tell you that this is a really well written text. Karen Vactor is a well-rounded martial artist with a business degree who has built three successful karate schools. Susan Peterson, Ph.D. is a professional writer as well as an accomplished martial artist as well. The two have teamed up to create a comprehensive work which, while overly pithy in some areas, is really quite good. Be warned, however, that this book is all about creating and running a commercially successful school. Not all martial artists will agree with the authors' philosophical approach but none can argue with the quality of the materials they provide.

Chapter one covers marketing your identity, whatever it is that makes your school unique and interesting to potential students, including how to choose a name that reflects your image. Chapter two covers the business groundwork, something that very few martial artists really understand how to do properly. It covers advisors (e.g., attorney, accountant) that you might need and how to develop a business plan. Rule number one in retail is location. So is rule 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6... you get the idea. The next chapter not only covers how to find a good location, but also how to figure out what it will cost you, how to negotiate a lease, and how to layout your dojo floor space. Chapter five covers essential legal administrivia like insurance and regulatory compliance.

Chapter six covers student contracts, fee schedules, and hiring employees. Not sure I entirely agree with the author's philosophy here, but the advice is sound nevertheless. Chapter seven covers advertising tools such as brochures, business cards, flyers, and your entrance signage. Chapter eight comprehensively covers basic marketing such as mass mailings, yellow pages ads, etc. Chapter nine goes into more detail on the same subject. Once marketing brings perspective students to your door, chapter ten deals with how to "close the deal" and sign them up. Chapter eleven covers attendance, student tracking, and payment tracking. Chapter eleven covers the how to keep track of your cash flow and create basic financial statements. Chapter thirteen is a good overview of strategies that keep students motivated and interested in coming back. Chapter fourteen covers how to place and sell products associated with your training (e.g., uniforms). It covers the basics of pricing, costs, profits, inventory tracking, and display. The final chapter is a "troubleshooting guide" that can help you solve problems such as high drop out rates, attendance problems, "closing" problems, etc. The glossary of business terms is a great overview for folks who don't really understand all that stuff.

Lawrence Kane
Author of Martial Arts Instruction: Applying Educational Theory and Communication Techniques in the Dojo


Rating:
Summary: Well thought out book
Review: This book is well thought out for anyone who wants to start and run their own martial arts school, regardless of style. Topics are kept brief, but are easy to read and relate.

Rating:
Summary: Well thought out book
Review: This book is well thought out for anyone who wants to start and run their own martial arts school, regardless of style. Topics are kept brief, but are easy to read and relate.

Rating:
Summary: Good Book by Smart Writers
Review: While not as detailed as similar titles, this is a good overview of running a school.
There is a lot to learn in these pages.