Lots of business owners will at some point struggle with time management. It’s understandable, but it’s especially common with those who run martial arts clubs.
You have to spin many plates; bring in new members, expand the club, deliver lessons to a high standard and then worry about managing the dojo. It’s a lot of responsibility and it’s normal to feel like the business is running you, instead of the other way around.
Today we’re exploring how martial arts club owners can better manage their time, reduce stress and concentrate on the tasks that matter.
Prioritise and Delegate.
One of the keys to effective time management is understanding your priorities. First, identify tasks that require your direct attention and those that can be delegated to others. Delegating responsibilities not only lightens your workload but also empowers your team, fostering a sense of shared ownership in the success of the club.
Consider assigning specific roles to your instructors, such as handling registrations, holding inductions for new students, or organising events. This gives you the time to focus on more high-priority tasks like curriculum development, student engagement, and strategic planning.
Lean into automation.
Next, think about whether certain admin processes can be automated. A simple example that we see a lot is sending out email confirmations for class bookings. If you have twenty students in a class, that’s a lot of emails to type out and send. Investing in martial arts club management software means you’ll be able to automate that process.
Automation can be a bit daunting if it’s something you’ve never used before but don’t make the mistake of ignoring it. You could automate waitlist bookings for cancellation spaces, the chasing of missed payments, attendance tracking – the possibilities are endless.
Don’t get pulled into tedious work.
Another tip is to avoid spending too long on small tasks. Some of you will want to make sure your flyer is perfect before it goes to print or spend hours writing and rewriting your email templates. While that’s important, there comes a point where perfectionism takes over and those “final tweaks” are no longer productive uses of your time.
The same goes for spending too much time on payment chasing and organising member data. They’re important tasks that require your attention, but there are more efficient ways to tackle them; for example, log member data in a system that automatically reconciles their payments so that you don’t have to spend hours matching up the member to the reference on your bank statement.
To recap, the first step in managing your time more effectively is understanding what tasks are costing you the most time. Then, you need to prioritise, delegate and automate wherever you can and learn to recognise when your time could be better spent elsewhere. Consistently apply these tips and you’ll be well on your way to mastering time management at your martial arts club.
ClubRight is the go-to martial arts club management software for hundreds of dojos across the UK. It’ll help you take care of everything from managing memberships and billing to class bookings and online joining – plus a whole lot more. Give us a call today on +44 (0)203 884 977 or book a free online demo with one of our product experts to find out why we’re trusted by more than 800+ businesses worldwide.
Image Source: Canva
