How to Start a Self Defense Training Business

Part 1 - How to start a Self Defense Training business - Background

Unlike some other forms of martial arts, the purpose of self-defense training is to help people ward off an attack. Because of this, you may end up working with police officers, martial arts instructors, and assorted trainers and managers.

Our guide is in 3 parts:

• Part 1 - How to start a Self Defense Training business - Background
• Part 2 - Our planner tool to see if this idea is the right fit for you
• Part 3 - Action plan to get started

What are the costs involved in opening a self defense training business?

The cost of opening this business depends greatly on the location of where you conduct lessons. For instance, many self-defense instructors start out offering lessons out of locations such as their own home, clients’ homes, and public venues such as colleges and gyms (with the cooperation and compensation of the relevant administrators). If you go with route, you can start this business for less than $2,000; the majority of that money will go towards setting up a professional website (which may take about $500), printing out fliers and business cards to leave in the appropriate areas (this should cost $250 or less), and safety mats (which should cost $250 or less). The rest should be spent on advertising yourself via radio, newspaper, and possibly television, money permitting.

If you desire to have a standing space to conduct lessons, you should consider renting a studio apartment. It will provide the space you need for individual and small-group lessons, and you can typically get started with $3,000-$6,000 (this is assuming you have to pay first month’s rent, last month’s rent, and a security deposit; the exact cost will vary based on studio size and your region).

What are the ongoing expenses for a self defense training business?

The ongoing expenses of this business hinge on where you conduct your lessons. If you are conducting them from your home, clients’ homes, or public venues, then you have no real ongoing expenses except fuel, fliers, and business cards, and the cost for these will vary but should be under $200 a month. If you are renting a studio apartment to conduct lessons, you will pay an additional $1,000 to $2,000 per month on rent and another $200 or less on utilities. You should definitely consider getting liability insurance, which should cost less than $500 per year.

Who is the target market?

Some of your best clients will be young adults. Many of them may be living away from the support structure of their parents for the first time and are interested in actively managing their own safety. Such learners are typically receptive to your instruction and may stay students for many years.

How does a self defense training business make money?

A self-defense trainer makes money by charging students for lessons. You may ultimately charge different amounts based on the age of the student, whether the lessons are private or as part of a group, and whether it is part of ongoing training or a one-time session.

How much can you charge customers?

How much you charge customers varies based on certain factors. For instance, you may charge $40-$50 per hour for private lessons, or $10-$20 per hour for group lessons. You may consider charging more for an initial lesson (up to $180) and then less for follow-up lessons (such as $35 to $45 per hour), which provides incentive for purchasing ongoing lessons. You may also consider modified charges for longer lessons with children, such as $120 per 90 minutes to teach up to ten children.

How much profit can a self defense training business make?

How much profit your business can make is contingent on how many clients you have and what you are charging them. For instance, if you were able to conduct thirty-one private sessions in a week and charging $50 per session, then you could make over $80,000 a year, and it’s possible to do more sessions (this example is assuming approximately 31 hours of actual lessons per week). Keep in mind that the potentially very low overhead of this business means that the vast majority of what you make is pure profit for you.

How can you make your business more profitable?

Don’t be afraid to raise prices (within reason) as your business thrives. Once you have a steady stable of clients, bumping the cost of lessons up by $10 can move the needle nicely on your profits. Consider diversifying the kinds of self-defense classes you teach and reaching out to certain niche audiences to increase your revenue streams. Finally, always be researching and integrating that research into your advertisement: when groups like college students know the risk that may be at late at night and you have statistics to back it up, they are much more likely to see the usefulness of what you offer.

Day-to-Day and Growth

What happens during a typical day at a self defense training business?

The bulk of any given day may be occupied by preparing and conducting lessons for your students. You may also spend time prospective for future clients, communicating with existing clients, reading current self-defense literature and advertising your business.

What are some skills and experiences that will help you build a successful self defense training business?

Previous training in martial arts, law enforcement, security, and/or self-defense are all helpful in establishing your business. Existing connections with law enforcement, college, gym, and high school administrators can also help you establish yourself more quickly.

What is the growth potential for a self defense training business?

While the most recent data for self-defense trainers is not available, the job growth of this field is modest, with the adjacent fields of fitness instructor projected to grow by 13% and kickboxing instructor projected to grow by 8% between 2014 and 2024.

What are some insider tips for jump starting a self defense training business?

Don’t forget the importance of branding. Spend some time coming up with an interesting business name and having a logo designed. Don’t be afraid to observe other instructors and reach out to them for tips on what mistakes to avoid when you are first starting out. Finally, make sure you have an active presence on social media: while this is important for most modern businesses, your young adult clientele will be particularly active on social media.

How and when to build a team

Most fitness instructors work alone. This often makes it easier to operate and reduces your overhead. However, there are some scenarios where you may want to build a team. This may include more people wanting private lessons than you have time to conduct, or maybe a desire to expand your brand into neighboring cities. You may also want to bring people on board so that you can offer certain niche services (such as women’s self-defense courses).

Part 2 - Is a Self Defense Training business the right fit for you?

Part 3 - Action plan to launch your Self Defense Training business in 90 days