# Anybody else having a slow fall?



## bushidomartialarts (Oct 25, 2007)

My phones are dead, dead, dead.

Anybody else having this experience, or am I doing something wrong?


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## tellner (Oct 25, 2007)

Times are tough. People are cutting back. Luxuries like martial arts are the first to go.


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## terryl965 (Oct 25, 2007)

Yes we had one this year as well hoping Christmas is better.


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## newGuy12 (Oct 25, 2007)

I'm not a Teacher.  I am a senior student, though.  And I aim to employ guerilla marketing techniques to get some more students.  My school needs more students!

People will enjoy this TKD (and other Martial Arts).  They just need to be awakened to that.  They are missing out!  And we are missing out on them being students in our schools!

I wish to recruit my brother (he practiced as a child) and a good friend of mine (he needs the exercise badly).

I have the school patch and the flags flying on my myspace page.  There must be other ways to get the word out as well!


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## Drac (Oct 25, 2007)

tellner said:


> Times are tough. People are cutting back. Luxuries like martial arts are the first to go.


 
Tellner is correct, when times are tough the Gyms and dojo's suffer first..


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## Tez3 (Oct 25, 2007)

Tell me about it! my instructor is in a permanantly bad mood these days because the numbers aren't there. I'm planning to put ads in the local paers and put posters everywhere I legally can. We need some more in or close.


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## bydand (Oct 25, 2007)

Yeah we are a bit slow this Fall as well.  Haven't lost any "regulars" but a few fringe people have drifted away.  The kids classes are going like gang busters though, go figure.


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## blueninjaboy (Nov 1, 2007)

I had very little loss in my student classes and although smaller numbers I'm still getting 3 to 5 walkins a month. I know this will probably sound stupid and I'm new to this but my compatition is charging about 150.00 a month and has contracts to keep him afloat throw this time. I on the other hand, I have no contracts and charge a LOT less. My student tend to be at the lower income range but they're paying and coming in, despite the slow market. I also have more of them to make up the difference.  Way not lower your prices for a couple of months (interductery pricing) for new student, like they do with credit cards. And for the students on the edge, do to finances, cut them some slack for a month or two.(reduce their payment) I understand this a little difficalt if your using a billing company but they work for you not the other way around, right?.(just remind the student/parents not to share this info with others).


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## Rob Broad (Nov 8, 2007)

It is a slow year for most schools that teach anything thought to be traditional.  Mixed martial arts are the flavor of the month right now, and people seem to be flocking to those schools.

I suggest people try new ideas to attract students.


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## Tez3 (Nov 8, 2007)

Rob Broad said:


> It is a slow year for most schools that teach anything thought to be traditional. Mixed martial arts are the flavor of the month right now, and people seem to be flocking to those schools.
> 
> I suggest people try new ideas to attract students.


 
Our adults classes are MMA, our problem with adults is that they keep going out to Iraq and Afghanistan as we are in the middle of a Garrison. We have problems attracting civilians because they think it's for amy only.  We can cope with low adult numbers but the childrens classes have gone down. We need the children's classes so we can keep the club running sadly.
I thought of having a big open day after the New Year ( I don't think now is the right time as people will be thinking about fininaces for Christmas) and really pushing what we can do for people. I thought I could invite just about everyone I can think of, schools, firemen, gyms, scouts well anyone I can think of! I'll set up static displays as well as demos from all the sections, I'll even serve tea and coffee if that will help! People know we are here I think I have to really sell them the ida that the need to do martial arts!
When peoples finances are tight the first things to go are the sport/leisure type activities. Strangly enough the housing market in America has affected us over here, we recently had the first run on a bank here in 100 years! the Northern Rock a local bank had lent money in America for mortgages and rumours had it they'd run out of money so people were queing for hours and hours to get their savings out! Not good!


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## bushidomartialarts (Nov 8, 2007)

wow.  got more calls in the last three days than in the entire month of october.

anybody else having _this_ experience?

anybody got a guess as to why?

J


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## MarkBarlow (Nov 8, 2007)

We recently moved to a higher traffic area and invested in some advertising and have almost doubled our membership.  Of course, being a tradition-based Jujutsu system, we still only have about 50 folks.


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## terryl965 (Nov 8, 2007)

bushidomartialarts said:


> wow. got more calls in the last three days than in the entire month of october.
> 
> anybody else having _this_ experience?
> 
> ...


 

We have in the last week signed up 6 new childern and three teenagers and five adults. That has been more than the previous three months. Some advertising in targeted area's has paid off for us.


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## Brian R. VanCise (Nov 8, 2007)

I really have not noticed any downswing at all.  Since I keep my class sizes small and choose students (at least adults) those classes always are pretty full to the size I want.  The kid's classes are usually as busy as I would like as well.  

However, I employ one very effective strategy.  I offer a current student a month off if they bring in a friend who signs up for a month.  Of course the friend must be compatible with the group and have been vouched for by the student but this always keeps new people coming through the door. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 (best of all my *long time students* benefit the most and if we find a suitable training partner for all of us that is cool as well 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




)


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## Brian R. VanCise (Nov 8, 2007)

terryl965 said:


> We have in the last week signed up 6 new childern and three teenagers and five adults. That has been more than the previous three months. Some advertising in targeted area's has paid off for us.


 
Excellent Terry!


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## setboy (Nov 14, 2007)

Fall started good and then started to fall off. It looks like it's picking up a bit now.


Raphae


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