Wednesday, 6 June 2012

Starting Your Martial Arts Business | Skag Way

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You?re a black belt in the martial arts and you?re interested in starting up your own martial arts business. You see yourself as owning and operating your own dojo. You want to teach, to pass on your knowledge to students, to be a mentor.

This can happen but how do you go about starting your own martial arts business?

Teaching at a Community Center

Offering to teach a class at a community center, such as a local recreation facility or YMCA, is a terrific way to establish yourself as a professional of your art and an authority. It is also a good way to get experience operating your own class, devising your curriculum, teaching methods and style, while still having the support of the community center staff to handle registration, marketing, and cash receipts.

You must find out who to contact at the community center, perhaps a sports director or recreation manager. Then you should present yourself to that person as a professional capable and ready to run a class. A resume and references will be necessary, and having a written class plan and curriculum ready to present are good ideas.

Assisting at Another Dojo

The best way to gain experience in teaching is to become an assistant instructor at the school you train in. However, if you are unable to this you may need to gain experience by going to other schools. The key point here is to select a good mentor, a master of his art, as well as a reputable and ethical school.

You trained long and hard to become a master of martial arts. It is just as important to train to become a dojo master. Learning and practicing the art of teaching and running a business from an experienced master is invaluable.

It may be long odds to be hired as an assistant instructor by a martial arts master who has never met you or heard of you. In order to secure this type of position, you may have to join the school as a student as well as an assistant.

Launching Your Own Dojo

Are you ready to take the big leap? This is a huge step to take, betting your money, time, and reputation by launching your own school. The martial arts business, like so many businesses featuring recreational activities or sports, can be precarious.

Do your homework. Research business models, make sure you understand the level of investment needed, how to recruit and retain students, and study the market.

The first months, in fact the first year, of running your own dojo will be one of the hardest-working years of your life. You will need to do everything and be everything for your school. Instructor, salesperson, accountant, registrar, and spokesperson ? you will take on all of these roles.

You will need to manage your students, manage your money, and manage your image. This is no small task.

The reward for all this hard work is a thriving dojo that is the embodiment of your martial arts philosophy and vision and a venue through which you can finally become what you intended to be: a mentor to the new martial arts student in your own martial arts business.

Tags: CasaleArgs, cash receipts, community, dojo master, long odds, martial arts business, recreation manager, school

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