I'm opening a dojo right now after 20 years.
Have lots of spare money
Do a business plan
do a profit and lose
Have double the money you "think" you need for marketing
for every person that says they will join count one 1 in 20
have a partner that you can count on
plan not to pay yourself for the first 2-5 years
Know the LAW in your city, town, state, country........
get insurance
get insurance
get insurance
know 100% than you do right now before you state to teach
teach at someone Else's dojo for at least 5 years on a daily or weekly bases
pick the best location possible that has parking
good location to transit it that is used in your town, country
have a teaching plan for each group and ages
have a back up teaching plan
have 5 other back up teaching plans to your back up teaching plan
be open to change you are not all knowing and can always learn from a new student
have a wife girlfriend or a person you trust and KNOWS your dojo plan and Can talk well to the public to meet everyone that comes in
DO NOT push the new students to hard to soon, special in a new dojo where their are no linage of students to talk and show the new students
work with everyone no matter how poor they may seem today, you never know.....
have patches and uniforms already in the dojo before you open
In fact have everything you plan to sell before you open, but don't buy to much at first.
BE HONEST to your students, your help and yourself!!!
Never ask your students to do something you never did or could do. They are not their for your pleasure they are their for theirs...
Never think someone else can show you how to do things.
Teach offense before defense... teach the punches and kicks before the blocks so the student knows what they will be blocking. everyone knows how to punch and kick maybe not good but they know...
OK that is the first 1/2 hour now the next 6 months plan and fully understand not what the other dojo's are doing now. But what they did when they first opened!!!
Talk to others dojo owners in your area on what marketing worked best, how they did this or that everything from a-z.
Only 2 things can happen they either tell you or they don't. But you'll never know unless you ask.
Have faith in yourself!!
Good Skill
Mark
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