Martial Arts School Holiday Gift Guide
It’s the holiday season and the perfect time to ask for gifts (or gift yourself!) so you can upgrade your aesthetics, better integrate with Kicksite’s tools, and improve your overall business functionality. Here’s a handful of recommendations our team put together along with examples of each so you can put your wish list together just in time for Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales! No affiliate links here – we just want your academy to be the best it can be. Prices shown below reflect cost at time of publishing, they may have changed since.
2D Barcode Scanner
A simple 2D barcode scanner is a great low cost item to add on your school’s holiday wishlist. The scanner can help students check in to class more easily and make the arrival process more streamlined for everybody. Connecting a barcode scanner to your device and turning on barcode checkin within Kicksite is incredibly simple, and allows students to pull up a mobile barcode in the Kicksite Member Portal, scan it, and get checked in! We highly recommend getting one that is freestanding or includes a stand so it’s truly a hands free experience.
Examples:
Symcode Omnidirectional 2D Hands-Free USB Barcode Scanner ($44.09)
AMBIR DB100 Omni-directional Desktop USB 2D Barcode Reader ($99.95)
Tablet
A nice tablet can serve a very similar purpose as the 2D barcode scanner, providing another way for students to check into class. When you launch Kiosk Check In mode within Kicksite, your tablet serves as an easy, self-service attendance station where students simply enter their PIN number to check into class. Additionally, that tablet can serve other purposes for your business, including displaying landing pages and offers for walk-in signups. Refurbished devices are a great way to save a bit of money, but make sure to check out our Knowledge Base guide noting which devices operating systems are no longer supported by their manufacturers to ensure Kicksite compatibility.
Examples:
10.9″ Samsung Galaxy S9 FE (Starting at $329.99)
Apple iPad 10th Generation (Starting at $349)
Tablet Accessories
If you’re investing in a tablet, we HIGHLY advise also picking up some accessories to keep it safe and keep it clean (especially if there are going to be a LOT of student hands using it to check in). At the top of the list would be a case and a screen protector. You’ll want to search for cases and protectors that are specific to the type of tablet you purchase, because screen sizes and shapes may vary. Many screen protectors are anti-fingerprint and anti-microbial, so look for those callouts as an added layer of protection.
Printer
A compact printer can be another versatile addition to make to your business better and streamline your drop-in and walk-in processes. After creating a landing page in Kicksite you can generate a QR code for it and in turn, drop that QR code onto a simple flyer. New or visiting students can scan that QR code using their phone, drop their information into the landing page, sign an agreement, pay any necessary fees, and they’re immediately funneled into your system without you having to lift a finger. Check out how to use Kicksite’s QR feature to make flyers HERE.
Example:
Canon PIXMA TR150 Wireless Portable Printer ($149)
Gym Timer
A compact printer can be another versatile addition to make to your business better and streamline your drop-in and walk-in processes. After creating a landing page in Kicksite you can generate a QR code for it and in turn, drop that QR code onto a simple flyer. New or visiting students can scan that QR code using their phone, drop their information into the landing page, sign an agreement, pay any necessary fees, and they’re immediately funneled into your system without you having to lift a finger. Check out how to use Kicksite’s QR feature to make flyers HERE.
Examples:
Synergee Programmable Interval Gym Timer – Medium ($89.95)
Rogue Echo Gym Timer 2.0 ($195)
Low-Profile Clothing Racks
While you are buying gifts yourself, your students are shopping too and may be interested in picking up school apparel as a potential gift item (especially if you’re running holiday deals!). Clothing racks can take up a lot of valuable real estate, but it’s helpful to put things on display so people can see what you have to offer. There are some lower profile merchandise display options you can check out that don’t eat up floor space. Consider a collapsible clothing rack or a grid wall affixed with hooks/hangers to put your shirts, gis, etc. on display, and easily stash them away when not in use!
Examples:
BOQORAD Wall-Mounted Collapsible Clothing Rack ($42.99)
GRID 3-Panel Retail Unit ($89.95)
Disinfectant Sprayer
It’s always important to keep your school clean, but as the holiday season nears, so do increased germs, viruses and under-the-weather students. Make sure you’re prepared for everyone to be safe and healthy and avoid some of the more back-breaking cleaning work by investing in a sprayer for your school’s mats. There are a variety of options including more affordable sprayers that you carry around as you clean, or fancier wheeled sprayers that help save you a bit of physical labor. Wouldn’t it be nice to say goodbye to mopping?
Examples:
MATGUARD Industrial Sprayer ($60)
Kennedy Industries Spray N Roll II Sprayer ($212.47)
Stackable Storage System
Tired of flip-flops, shoes, keys and other items cluttering up your gym space? Having a dedicated place for students to put their belongings is a small but impactful way to improve your school. We’re partial to a modular, stackable system that allows you to customize exactly how the storage bins are laid out. And we definitely recommend choosing one that’s made of plastic so it’s much easier to clean and disinfect. Our recommendation below even has small doors for each storage cube so that dust stays out and items are a bit more secure!
Example: