Opening dojo

[Zen Kamikaze]

I'm thinking of opening a karate dojo in my town and except from the technical stuff, i would like to know as much information about the other requirements that have to do with bureaucracy.

[Wastelander]

I'm thinking of opening a karate dojo in my town and except from the technical stuff, i would like to know as much information about the other requirements that have to do with bureaucracy.

Well, I haven't opened my own dojo but I've been involved in discussions about it with the head instructor at my old dojo, so my thoughts on it may not apply. As long as you notify your organization of your plans and your rank is legitimate I don't think you have anything to worry about from that point of view.

I am not a lawyer, but there are some legal things you need to cover. You will need liability insurance and waivers to protect yourself from lawsuits by people if they get injured. You will need to be compliant with all local and federal laws in regards to what is required to run a gym/sports center/recreation center/athletic service because they will likely classify a dojo as something like that--I know that some places REQUIRE places in those types of categories to have contracts and there may be special taxes involved.

As for the dojo itself, you will need a building, obviously, and you will want to make it look inviting and professional without looking gaudy. A sign that specifically says the name of your dojo and not something generic is always a plus. For purposes of marketing it is a good idea to start the name of your school with the first letter of the alphabet so that it comes up first in the phone book and alphabetically-ordered searches online. Getting a commercial spot on the radio isn't a bad idea, especially if you can't afford a television spot. Word of mouth will obviously be a big generator of students so you will want to be sure you teach the material well and have a good report with your students. It also wouldn't hurt to have a referral program.

Just my thoughts on the matter

[GeoGiant]

I'm not sure this is what you're looking for but...

First, before you rent, buy or lease a space check to make sure the space is zoned for what you want to do - check with your local or county zoning office. If your looking in a commercially zoned area, this shouldn't be a problem.

If the building has been vacant or a year or longer or if the building was never used as a commercial space, you will need to have the space inspected by a building inspector - zoning office should be able to help you out here. I would recommend getting a copy of your local zoning ordinance because all the other "things" (access, parking, signage, lighting) will be outlined in the zoning ordinance.

Keep in mind that I'm outlining what happens in Pa, it may not be the same everywhere.

[sensei8]

Negotiate, negotiate, negotiate!! I can't emphasis that enough.

Negotiate the rent! Negotiate each and every controllable, no matter how trivial it might be.

Usually you can't control the utilities, but you can to a point. Still....negotiate your rate without reservation, but once its done, pay it or teach in the dark. Ever so often, revisit the powers that be at each of your utilities and re-negotiate the rates in your favor. With utilities, it's the old saying....if you want fruit, you better go to the fruit vendor.

As a owner of a school of the martial arts, you have to know exactly what is a controllable, and what is a uncontrollable.

Some of the uncontrollables in business are...the climate, the culture, competitors, government and policies. After that, forget the P&L, concentrate on becoming one of the best schools of the martial arts, if not in the world, then in your little pond.

Just one quick thing about the P&L Statement. In the martial arts, you're a master, well, as far as the P&L is concerned, you better master the P&L before it masters you.

Now...go get 'em and good luck!!

[isshinryu5toforever]

Think about economic viability as well. Where is your school in relation to other schools? Is it a high traffic area with a lot of residences? What kind of funds do you have available? How big of a loan will you need? Do you have the liquid assets (or a side job) to support the school before it starts to make money. Remember that most small businesses bleed money for a few years or more before they can stand on their own.

That's a huge reason why small business venture fail. They have enough initial start-up capital (money), but they fail to take in the big picture. You could be looking to lose small or large amounts of money over a multi-year period. Can you handle that?

The biggest piece of advice I can give you is to be honest with yourself about everything involved, time, money, personal relationships, etc. If you're married or in a relationship, remember the other person. Make sure they are ok with this too, and that they know it will be a lot of stress.

[Zen Kamikaze]

The biggest piece of advice I can give you is to be honest with yourself about everything involved, time, money, personal relationships, etc. If you're married or in a relationship, remember the other person. Make sure they are ok with this too, and that they know it will be a lot of stress.

That's what concerns me most, that it will be tough in the begging, having my day job, not having much time to spend with people that i care such as family and friends and the process of bulding up the school, which needs a lot of effort and money. I know that in whatever you may do, starting is always the most difficult thing. I know that the school won't fail cause i've made a very serious and strict business plan in order to make little and carefull steps each time without any high risks envolved, cause we live in difficult times. But the social factor is that worries me and i don't know if it is possible to take that risk right now or in the near future.

[isshinryu5toforever]

If you're worried about family, they should support you, so should your friends. If you're in a relationship, that can be the biggest issue. Financial problems, even perceived not actual, have a habit of ruining relationships. If you're single, then there may be no time like the present to start your school. Especially if you have a solid business plan.

[sensei8]

This is cold of me to say, but...

Support from ones spouse/kids, family, and/or friends might be important, but, to me, it's just not that important. When I'm on the floor, that's where my full attention is/belongs. Nonetheless, when I'm at home with my wife/kids, family, and/or friends, then that's where my full attention is/belongs.

[JohnASE]

Zen Kamikaze, are you in Greece? Advice might be different for different countries.

Are you planning on selling merchandise? Uniforms or sparring gear? If so, here, in the U.S., you should have a resale license. Many dojos get by without one, but if you are a serious business, you need to keep things legal. Selling merchandise can be a pain and dealing with sales tax definitely is, but selling can also generate extra income to help support the dojo, and your experience can help students get decent quality gear at a reasonable price.

Oh, and yes, the hours can be brutal. Many dojo owners have a day job and teach after work. Some start their day job early, work a full day, then teach kids in the afternoon and adults in the evening. Many of them are really tired! Even when you love teaching, being busy from 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM several days per week can take its toll.

[Montana]

One thing I did was make a phone call to 752-7283 to see if anybody had that phone number already.

Why you ask?

Well, in Montana, where I was at the time, and in Flathead county (yes, that's really the name of the county), the vehicle license plates started with a 7 (ex: 7-12345), so if you spell out that phone number using letters from your phone, it spelled...

drum roll please....

7-KARATE!

An easy way for people to remember your number I thought. I lucked out and the number was available. Don't try calling it now as I haven't had that number in almost 20 years.