Tips to enrolling students ASAP

Withers M.A.A. · Brown Belt

Here is the deal. In August I will be opening my dojo. I'll need 30 students to cover my overhead. I have enough money to stay open for quite a few months but I need to enroll 30 students asap. What tips do you have in doing this? I have about 10 as of now but would like as many as I can as soon as I open.

Thanks,
Pete

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2nd Degree black belt in Kenpo Karate and Tae Kwon Do. 1997 NASKA competitor-2nd place Nationally in Blackbelt American Forms. Firearms activist!

G95champ · Black Belt

For that first month offer womens self-defense. Go to the local schools and get the female teachers to sign up. Alos talk to church groups and other groups like that which females would be in. I run a womens SD course about every 6 months It last one month and I alwasy have 10-15 sign up.

Along the same lines if you can teach something like aerobic kickboxing to women they really like that. Billy Blanks LOL.....

Also look to a kids class. If your like me you hate teaching that class but kids bring more kids and if you need some money to keep the dojo open this is where you need to look. Its still early enough to go to little league baseball games and talk to some of them. Most kids will not stick with it but a few months anyhow but they are always new kids wanting in class.

If you got the time you may want to look into offering private lessons to some people. You can charge a bit more for them.

One thing I would stress to the 10 you got signed up already. If they want to train you need members and it is up to them to keep at least 2 people each in class for say 3 months. We give this duity to our advanced students later on. We sort of use the mentor and apprentice idea. Allows the advanced kids to get a taste of teaching becasue when you teach you learn so much more then it keeps us in businesss as well and takes pressure off of me. Make it the students dojo not yours.....

Hope this helps.....

_________________
(General George S. Patton Jr.) "It's the unconquerable soul of man, and not the nature of the weapon he uses, that ensures victory."

Pacificshore · Black Belt

Have you offered any specials as of yet? Something along the lines of 30 days for $30 bucks deal.

Northren Ogre · Purple Belt

spinninggumby · Purple Belt

Northern Ogre, LOL. Yea, I'd hate to sound all pro-commercial and McDojo, but if business is what you really need, you want in-your-face advertising, you want to spread your name anywhere and everywhere you can, and to quote one of my friends who runs a successful online business, 'you convince people that they need you even before they realize that they need anyone of your expertise'. Good luck tho,

just my two cents

_________________
'Conviction is a luxury for those on the sidelines'

William Parcher, 'A BEAUTIFUL MIND'

ckdstudent · Green Belt

Kids amount to private gold mines, not only do they bring in kids but they also bring in women who wouldn't come to a class with only men (because of the image it projects), or the men who don't want a savage class.

Look into running short courses at the local schools after school and plug your dojo there. Buy advertising space in local newspapers. Look into advertising on local radio. Find somewhere, as many places as you can, to do demonstrations. Run a couple of leaflet drops. Mention to your current students that they should try and bring their friends down.

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Pil Sung
Jimmy B

Withers M.A.A. · Brown Belt

I work at as a computer programmer for a printing company right now so all my fliers are gonna be free. We are working on one right now to pass out on every house in the town. Thanks for the great advice,
any more????

Pete

_________________
2nd Degree black belt in Kenpo Karate and Tae Kwon Do. 1997 NASKA competitor-2nd place Nationally in Blackbelt American Forms. Firearms activist!

Bon · Black Belt

This one's pretty obvious, but care about your students, not their money. If you care about the students, the money should come rolling in.

Do you do some sort of promotion where the price decreases the more you train ?

Free trial classes for a few lessons maybe ?

_________________
It takes sacrifice to be the best.

There are always two choices, two paths to take. One is easy. And its only reward is that it's easy.

SBN Doug · KF VIP

How long have you had the first ten? If you have a little experience in there, you could put on some demos at local schools, summer camps, fairs, etc.

I plan to offer discounts to local law enforcement, and multiple students from the same family.

Iron Arahat · Red Belt

Good looking ladies don't hurt...funny as it may sound. Guy's will sign up, because a girl that is good looking and can kick your butt is appealing to most.

Second the intesity of work out you get from the males in your class will increase. The fragile male ego will work at all costs to impress the girl, even though she could probably careless.

I'd go to the local Hooters restraunt and offer them lessons for $5-10 per month (charge them something - or they might think your a perve). Target a modelling agency with the same strategy.

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