It’s National Simplify Your Life Week! In honor of this week, we decided to put together a list of 8 ways you may be overcomplicating your martial arts business. The day to day tasks of managing your business can feel overwhelming, and sometimes it may feel like your focus is just trying to stay afloat and “put out fires”. We encourage you to take a step back, reevaluate, and discover ways to simplify the management of your martial arts business.
Here are 8 Ways You Could Be Over Complicating Your Martial Arts Business:
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No Realistic Goals
The most successful BJJ gym owners or martial arts teachers have clear-cut goals for their business. Having goals help give you direction and a set outcome in mind. But are your goals realistic? Start with 3 major goals that you would like to achieve in the next year. From there, put together the actual tasks you need to do to achieve those goals and delegate them to the appropriate person. Then, set reminders for yourself each month to review how you’re tracking toward those goals.
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Communication Isn’t Automated
Are you sending your billing statements and class reminders to students one by one? Are you sticking post-it notes on your computer to remind yourself to follow up with a potential new gym member or student? If you are, it’s time to set up an email system that automates for you. By setting up email automation, you can proactively communicate with your gym members or students when they are absent, have an expiring membership, upcoming birthday, or when their monthly membership dues need to be paid. To learn more about email automation, read about our lead management tool.
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Setting Unrealistic Expectations
Many Taekwondo or BJJ businesses don’t see a return on their investment for a few years. If you just started your school, stay patient with the process. Many gym owners make the mistake of underestimating how much it will cost to get their business running and off the ground. Don’t lose hope or set unrealistic goals for yourself in the first few years.
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Not Sticking To The Marketing Plan
Many business owners create a marketing plan, but the most successful stick to it. Making sure to stay in alignment with your marketing plan will give you a clear picture of your prospective students and how to grow your BJJ gym or Karate school. Make sure you refer to your marketing plan every month. By sticking to the marketing plan you will be on your way to achieving your goals.
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Aren’t Using A Martial Arts Management Software
There are a plethora of management software companies that can help you manage your business, but many fail to focus on what martial arts business owners need most to run a successful gym. Make sure to choose a management system that is focused on the martial arts industry. Software companies focused in martial arts understand your business and have features built into the system to help your business thrive, like automated billing, rank promotion, a member portal, attendance tracking, and lead management. To learn more about our management software, view our features page.
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Offer Too Many Discounts
Initially, offering discounts sounds like a great way to bring in more students, but in the long run, it will only hurt your business. If you give a student a discount for a few months, then bump the price up to its normal cost, they may lose sight of your value and become unhappy with what they are spending. Make sure the price of your classes reflect the value of your instruction and be cautious to offer discounts.
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Failing To Run The School On Your Terms
Your BJJ gym or Taekwondo school was built from the ground up because of your dream to teach and change the lives around you. Don’t forget that you created this dream and are still in charge of it. The needs of your family and personal health must always come first, so setting your teaching schedule for what works best for you is the key to a balanced work life. Don’t let other people or students in your class dictate your schedule and how you run your gym. Be aware of the karate students that slow you down or take time away from doing what you love most.
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Not Having Enough Fun
Take a step back and remember why you started this business. You love martial arts, and you’re passionate about teaching it to your community. There’s nothing more special than having a job that you love, so make sure to have fun!
