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!
