What is your student turnover rate?

[Spartacus Maximus]

Those numbers are a great start for a single year. A dojo that manages to maintain between 20 and 30 regular members is usually on the right path to success from a service business point of view.

[Luther unleashed]

So, I contisuosly update the first post with my numbers . Part of the reason I do it is that I'm so bad at bookkeeping that for a while this was the only record lol. The other, is that I think it's a cool thing to share with the karate forums community, to watch the progression from day one on. It's putting my business out there a bit, and sometimes in doing that it's hard because not everything is everybkdies buisness BUT I always like to push myself to be open about things. 34 students, I'd like to see 40 at this point but I'm thankful for my success thus far so I'm not complaining , just pushing.

• 1st month - 7 students

• 2nd month - 14 students

• 3rd month - 20 students

• 4th month - 20 students

• 5th month - 21 students

• 6th month - 31 students

• 7th month - 26 students

• 8th month - 33 students

• 9th month - 37 students

• 10th month - 31 students

• 11th month - 34 students

You should be very proud of these numbers!! You're showing increases more than you're showing decreases; which of course, is normal to expect...but you're student body is growing.

Do you have a number in mind that you'd like to reach??

Yes thanks. I am proud but still want more lol. The last program was there 9 years and held between 30 and 33 very often so I'm doing ok . I'd like about 50, I do 4 classes so that's just over 12 in each so not a crazy figure.

An thanks sparticus maximus also, I work really hard for those numbers. I am constantly trying to revamp my program to make it better while trying to keep the integrity of it and stay consistent.

I have worked out a couple deals for some women self defense classes, this is a first time thing for me. I have always been very self defense minded when it comes to martial arts as I got my start wanting to learn it because of the area I lived in, so I'm hoping to be successful with the women's self defense enough so that it will offset some of the pressure on my karate teaching.

[Spartacus Maximus]

After building up a consistent regular student base, there is more time to concentrate on publicizing. An opening anniversary event where students are encouraged to invite friends or family members to join training for a limited time discount might be effective.

[sensei8]

Please don't ever forget about "Word of Mouth" advertising! It's free; costs you nothing. Albeit, it can hurt you too if the school...students...the CI...the assistant instructors...and so on and so forth is spoken about in a negative tone!

Word of mouth sits right on the line of it being good OR bad!!

It's risky, but that's one of my primary means of advertising, and I was quite successful that way. This was also the most effective way of both my Soke and Dai-Soke to advertise; they refused any other avenue.

[bushido_man96]

Word of mouth is great, as it speaks to the school's reputation. So, its important that the instructor makes sure that the students are carrying out good news when they spread the word. This keeps the instructors accountable.

[Luther unleashed]

I started a "bring your friend" day. It's the first day of the month every month. This is an incentive to create more attention to the program.

Word-of-mouth specifically is a bit tougher because all you can do is sort of hope that they put your name out there, every few months I send out an email that says small businesses dry on reviews and word-of-mouth so please spread the word. Your right though, word-of-mouth is incredibly important.

[Luther unleashed]

• 1st month - 7 students

• 2nd month - 14 students

• 3rd month - 20 students

• 4th month - 20 students

• 5th month - 21 students

• 6th month - 31 students

• 7th month - 26 students

• 8th month - 33 students

• 9th month - 37 students

• 10th month - 31 students

• 11th month - 34 students

•12th month - 34 students

So December I had a fair amount of students say they were taking the month off for holidays and trips to other states and things of that nature, considering that 34 is a great number for me personally. It is my hope that next year now that we have a very strong core group who come every month, that when we get the influxes that our numbers will grow into the 40s or 50s. Only time will tell but this is my hope.

[sensei8]

• 1st month - 7 students

• 2nd month - 14 students

• 3rd month - 20 students

• 4th month - 20 students

• 5th month - 21 students

• 6th month - 31 students

• 7th month - 26 students

• 8th month - 33 students

• 9th month - 37 students

• 10th month - 31 students

• 11th month - 34 students

•12th month - 34 students

So December I had a fair amount of students say they were taking the month off for holidays and trips to other states and things of that nature, considering that 34 is a great number for me personally. It is my hope that next year now that we have a very strong core group who come every month, that when we get the influxes that our numbers will grow into the 40s or 50s. Only time will tell but this is my hope.

The bold type above tells it all!!

Do you know what businesses like to do? They always compare last year numbers with current numbers to see if they're increasing. Most retail stores do what's called an X Reading of the registers once every hour, and write the numbers in a log book that also shows numbers from last years date and time for comparison, with a final Z Reading for...yes...comparison. Don't reach expectations, then their DM will be calling and offer some advices as to how they can pass expectations. This also allows the DM and the Store Manager to come up with a plan as to what might've caused the low numbers, and in Retail, it can be as simple as Presentation of an End-Cap or a section up to an entire whole isle. Shoppers are visual, and are drawn to pictures, and not drawn into reading what is on the shelf. Presentation where consumers have to read all of the time, well, they're numbers will be lower than the store that planograms so that consumers see the pictures before the written words.

I ran those figures for the entire time I owned and operated my MA Retail Store in the front of my dojo...X/Z Readings, the whole thing because it was RETAIL, but as far as the main dojo ratios, I ignored them after some time because it started to run me, and not me running the dojo. Not good for any CI...I'm there to teach, and I couldn't teach by looking at the student turnover ratios. Students deserved much more than that from me!! But that's me!

Starting out, I'd do exactly what you're doing, and I'd graph it as well...visual realization can get you right in the P&L [Profit and Loss Statements], more than one can appreciate.

You've got to build up the student body to cover the months when students life's prevent some from attending...summer...baseball/football/sports...holidays, especially Thanksgiving and Christmas...etc!!

[Luther unleashed]

• 1st month - 7 students

• 2nd month - 14 students

• 3rd month - 20 students

• 4th month - 20 students

• 5th month - 21 students

• 6th month - 31 students

• 7th month - 26 students

• 8th month - 33 students

• 9th month - 37 students

• 10th month - 31 students

• 11th month - 34 students

•12th month - 34 students

So December I had a fair amount of students say they were taking the month off for holidays and trips to other states and things of that nature, considering that 34 is a great number for me personally. It is my hope that next year now that we have a very strong core group who come every month, that when we get the influxes that our numbers will grow into the 40s or 50s. Only time will tell but this is my hope.

The bold type above tells it all!!

Do you know what businesses like to do? They always compare last year numbers with current numbers to see if they're increasing. Most retail stores do what's called an X Reading of the registers once every hour, and write the numbers in a log book that also shows numbers from last years date and time for comparison, with a final Z Reading for...yes...comparison. Don't reach expectations, then their DM will be calling and offer some advices as to how they can pass expectations. This also allows the DM and the Store Manager to come up with a plan as to what might've caused the low numbers, and in Retail, it can be as simple as Presentation of an End-Cap or a section up to an entire whole isle. Shoppers are visual, and are drawn to pictures, and not drawn into reading what is on the shelf. Presentation where consumers have to read all of the time, well, they're numbers will be lower than the store that planograms so that consumers see the pictures before the written words.

I ran those figures for the entire time I owned and operated my MA Retail Store in the front of my dojo...X/Z Readings, the whole thing because it was RETAIL, but as far as the main dojo ratios, I ignored them after some time because it started to run me, and not me running the dojo. Not good for any CI...I'm there to teach, and I couldn't teach by looking at the student turnover ratios. Students deserved much more than that from me!! But that's me!

Starting out, I'd do exactly what you're doing, and I'd graph it as well...visual realization can get you right in the P&L [Profit and Loss Statements], more than one can appreciate.

You've got to build up the student body to cover the months when students life's prevent some from attending...summer...baseball/football/sports...holidays, especially Thanksgiving and Christmas...etc!!

I get what your saying. I like what you said about consumers and not wanting to read haha, I like it because it's a smart observation. I also hear what you mean about the numbers running you, my numbers have me out of breath at the moment. I could stop with numbers, but maybe my cardio is not up too far haha

[sensei8]

I think that you've hit a home run in 12 months...SOLID! How so? Well, in your 12th month you did what? Your numbers didn't grow, which speaks about stability, AND, you didn't shrink at all either, which speaks about, again, stability.

Have you yet figured out what would be an acceptable decrease on EACH quarter, that wouldn't affect your bottom line?

I ask that, because, as you know, life can get in the way of the dojo/dojang, as it's expected. Baseball/football, school activities, vacations, etc affect the bottom line.

With 34 students, for the moment, if it was me, I'd be within tolerances with 5 students at a time, per month, that weren't on the floor. However, and I'm dead against this, contract students must pay whether they're on the floor or not. Those 5 off the floor are about a 15% decrease, and anything above that would affect my bottom line. Nonetheless, those moments when life gets in the way, the other months overshadow those "slow" months, and therefore, responsibilities are still being meet.

That's when I'd plan seminars and the like in the hopes of recouping finances during those months when the dojo/dojang are the last place in their plans.