Opening a Martial Arts School: How Much Does It Cost?

If you’re considering opening a martial arts school, you know it’s going to be an investment. But how much are you going to need to invest? There are many different factors that go into this number, but as a starting point we’ve put together some ballpark figures for common expenses so you can get an idea of what your costs might be.

Cost of renting a location

The cost of renting a location is usually the biggest cost you’ll have to consider when starting a martial arts school. The size of the space you need will depend on how many students you expect to have and can range from around 100 square metres for an average size dojo, to over 1000 square metres for larger facilities.

One way to reduce this cost is by sharing kitchen or toilet facilities with other tenants in the building. If this isn’t possible, then consider renting a smaller space that already has these amenities – although this can be more expensive than having your own dedicated area with no sharing.

The cost of leasing office space in Perth CBD averages around $600 per square metre and many businesses find it difficult to afford such prices due to their lack of high demand among customers (especially compared with other industries like banking). But if there are other tenants who share these costs with you, then perhaps it wouldn’t be as much as what’s shown here; this figure could even decrease further if you were to choose a location outside of the CBD, such as a suburban or industrial area.

Start Up Costs

The start-up costs for a martial arts school are considerable. You should budget at least $5000 for floor mats and wall padding. There are different variations in quality for flooring with different costs, but you can expect to spend up to $10 per square foot on a premium martial arts studio flooring system. Wall padding is another significant expense; it might cost as much as $40 per square foot.

You’ll also need some furniture, including chairs and desks for students and instructors, punching bags of various sizes (those will run you about $300 apiece depending on the quality), mirrors (which usually come standard when you purchase your first batch of wall padding), lockers or cubbies ($200 each), punching pads ($100 each) and other items specific to your style’s curriculum.

Ongoing Costs

Ongoing costs are those that you’ll have to pay for each month. These include:

Insurance and registration fees.
Utility bills (electricity, gas).
Salaries for instructors, staff, and administration.
Marketing costs (advertising).
Rent or leasing costs on the building itself. It’s important to note that some of these ongoing costs may be hard to predict in the short term, so try not to be overly optimistic about how much money you think you’ll make each month—it could end up being more expensive than anticipated!

Overall, you should budget around $5000 per month depending on the size of your gym, the number of students, and the cost of staff.

Marketing costs

Flyers
Social media (Facebook, Instagram, etc.)
Online ads
Business cards and promotional materials to hand out at events or place in local businesses.

All of these marketing methods are important for spreading the word about your school. Marketing costs should be a small part of your budget, but it is an important part of getting new students into your school.

Insurance costs

Insurance costs for a martial arts school vary greatly depending on the size of your facility, how many students attend regularly, and the type of insurance you need. Insurance companies offer different plans based on these criteria, so it’s important to do your research and find the best option for your business.

Martial arts schools should ideally purchase general liability insurance in addition to other niche policies like property damage coverage or personal injury protection (PIP). General liability insurance can cover all injuries sustained during classes or tournaments at the school and protect against legal fees if someone files a lawsuit against you as a result of an injury. This policy also covers bodily injuries outside of normal class time including when students are practicing at home with their friends and family members who aren’t part of official training sessions at your location.

Visit Combat Sports Insurance to get a quote, or to find out more information on getting covered as a martial arts school by reading our blog: “Everything you need to know about martial arts club insurance”

Looking to start up a martial arts school?

We hope that this article helped you better understand the costs involved with opening a martial arts school, and got you excited about starting your own business. One thing to keep in mind is that there are so many variables that can affect these costs. For example, if your location needs renovations then they will add on significantly to these numbers.