Affordable Aikido Insurance Built to Meet Your Needs
We may be called KarateInsurance.com, but don’t let the name fool you. We provide quality insurance to martial arts schools of all shapes and sizes. If you run an Aikido program we can develop an insurance package that fits your needs at an affordable rate.
We Know Aikido (No Really, We Do)
Karate Insurance is owned and operated by Don Baldwin, a long time Aikido student. Don began his Aikido journey in Colorado and it helped guide his business practices when developing KarateInsurance.com. As such, Don has unique insight into how Aikido programs operate and what kind of insurance is needed for a happy and healthy school.
Since it’s inception, Karate Insurance has helped many Aikido clients and has developed a track record of success in developing insurance coverage that is complete but not excessive, making it perfect for the program on a budget.
How We Determine Your Insurance Needs
In order to determine your needs we start off with a broad assessment. We take your potential number of students as well as geographic location to determine a baseline of what a generic policy will cost you. In some cases, this initial quote is dead on and no more complex work is needed. In other cases there are special considerations like equipment and building protection that will affect the final number.
For individuals curious about what their baseline quote might be, we have developed free software to determine that number. Click here for your free quote.
After the initial quoting process we will work with you personally to determine your specific needs and get you a hard number for monthly payments. Throughout the process we will answer questions and concerns that you have. We truly believe that with good customer service this can be a pain-free process!
Tips for Preparing for Your Insurance Purchase
We often find it useful to give school operators as much info as we can before they begin the insurance process. This help streamlines the time investment needed and takes some of the mystery out of how we determine your rates. Answer the following queries:
- How many students do you have or predict you will have when your program launches?
- What is the square footage of your facility?
- Do you own your own building or do you rent?
- What is the rough estimated value of the equipment you have in your facility (if you own said equipment)?
- What’s the geographic location of your program?
- Will you be hosting tournaments or seminars? Roughly how large will they be?
- Will you have other teachers operating under you that might need their own policies?
If you get these tidbits of info together you will be way ahead of the game. Also, if you have any questions you can call us toll free at 888·868·1164 or utilize our contact form. We are happy to help and we hope to hear from you soon!
Martial Arts Insurance For Instructors
Martial arts instructors have a lot to think about. First and foremost, they have to establish a gameplan for what they are going to teach and who they are going to teach it to. Next, they have to secure a location in which to operate or connect themselves with an existing school. Finally, they have to clear up administrative matters such as stocking the appropriate gear, setting up student payment, and the like.
One thing that tends to be way down on the list is insurance needs. However, if you’re here that means you’ve arrived at the moment when you realize you need to good coverage to stay in business.
Why Purchase Insurance as an Instructor?
One of the most frequent questions we get is simply why should an instructor purchase insurance for his program? If he is the owner of the facility the answer is simple – any and all injuries that occur on his/her property will be his/her responsibility. One bad slip-and-fall or injury on the mat could doom the business without any insurance. However, if the instructor operates under a bigger umbrella they may suspect the school will cover any possible liability. This is true in some cases, but facility owners may not always be generous enough to get in front of injury situations. They may instead try to pin it on negligence by the instructor.
In cases like this, when either the facility owner or student attempts to come directly at the instructor, good insurance is critical.
Is Insurance For an Instructor Expensive?
Insurance is much more affordable than most people assume. Small programs can get by with a plan that goes as low as $30 a month. The bigger the school the more expensive the plan, but those numbers constantly counter-balance. Insurance rates don’t go up until the student count does, and therefore the profit level. Insurance for an instructor is definitely affordable and can prevent full on financial disaster in the long run.
How Do I Buy a Policy and File a Claim?
Buying a policy is simple stuff. If this is your first time securing business insurance we recommend you use our free estimate tool to get an idea of what you will be spending every month. After that, if you’re ready to buy you use our secure online submission tool to fill out the needed information. We take it from there! You will always receive personal customer service from us as you go through the process, so if you have any questions just reach out and ask.
If you arrive at a moment where you have to file a claim you’ll notice a suite of tools in our top menu bar located under “current client services”. Whatever you need to do, just follow the steps we lay out and you’ll be on your way.
Get Started!
If you’re ready to get started click here! We’ll guide you through the purchase process.
Martial Arts Business Tip: Have Waivers at the Ready!
One commonly overlooked aspect of day-to-day martial arts operation is the utilization of waivers. Although most instructors understand the value of running a safe class, injuries are never predictable and should be kept in mind at all times. Also, don’t overlook the possibility of new students looking for a chance to sue an unsuspecting business.
Waivers might seem like a damaging business idea at first. After all, if you are making a new potential student waive liability wouldn’t it make it seem like you are EXPECTING trouble?
Ignore that thought when it pops into your mind. The usage of liability waivers is not only standard but also critical to insuring safety and longevity for your program. If a student is so gun-shy that a waiver scares them off then martial arts may have not been in their best interest anyway.
You can consider developing your own liability waiver (and in time it will become obvious if you should or not), but in the meantime you can use our sample products. Hop over to our forms page and download waivers for a variety of topics including injury liability and background check affidavits.
Grab some sample waivers here.
Some studios will insist on having a waiver signed even before prospective students step onto the mat for their free trial class. You should consider adopting this habit as it sets a precedent of good business practice and accountability both for the school and student.
One final note about waivers. Don’t feel as if you need to get bogged down in legal jargon. Sure, it’ smart to have a legal professional look over your waiver material but that doesn’t mean it should be completely unreadable by normal folks. Say what you mean and mean what you say. It can be that simple to keep your program safe!
How Much Does Martial Arts Insurance Cost?
most martial arts instructors understand the need for insurance. Very few businesses will encounter the same kind of intentional physical contact that occurs in the dojo. Most instructors also realize that we live in a litigious society, which is why they have new students sign a waiver. Unfortunately, waivers are rarely enough to protect school owners from financial ruin.
If you are a martial arts instructor and you found your way to this blog post, it probably means you realize the inherent risks of operating a dojo. What’s less clear cut is how to proper insurance without spending way too much (or getting too little coverage).
Let’s take a look now at the variables to consider, and how much your insurance might cost.
Variables When Considering Coverage
No two schools are exactly alike, but there are brackets that schools may fit in which will help determine the cost of their coverage. Two of the major factors for determining cost are as follows:
- Number of students
- Location of school
Some owners fail to realize that the size of a school is more than just square footage. When the number of students goes up, so does the liability potential.
The location of the school can also be a factor as different states have different methods of handling insurance policies.
How Much Will Insurance Cost?
If you are looking to estimate how much cost you will incur, a good estimation to start with is about $8.95 per person per year. Karateinsurance.com provides coverage for instructors at no extra cost, but that is not a standard policy.
The minimum premium a school can purchase is $450 a year. That means the cost if you have one student is essentially the same as if you had 10 students. Once you get into the 50+ range you start to see an increase in costs.
Cost can also fluctuate based on the exact kind of coverage you want. To learn more about that, continue reading here.