Start an aikido club in a hired hall

Adults, teenagers and parents of children who want to learn a martial art for fitness, confidence and enjoyment.

Monthly membership or pay-as-you-go session fees, plus grading fees, seminars and club kit sales. Hall hire is your main running cost.

• Solid aikido grade and teaching experience
• Clear, safe and patient instruction
• Welcoming manner with beginners
• Basic organising and bookkeeping

• Public liability and instructor insurance, often available through an aikido association
• Safeguarding: check DBS requirements and policies before teaching children or vulnerable adults
• First aid training and an accident record for injuries on the mat
• Hall hire terms, including whether mats can be stored there
• Affiliation rules of your association on grading, lineage and use of its name

Estimates suggest startup costs are typically around £500 to £3,000, depending on whether you buy or borrow mats and what you spend on insurance, first aid training and marketing.

Estimates suggest monthly revenue of typically around £200 to £1,500, depending on how many classes you run, how many members you attract and what you charge per session or per month.

Check public liability and instructor insurance, which an aikido association may offer. Also check DBS requirements and safeguarding policies before teaching children, first aid training, hall hire terms including mat storage, and your association's affiliation rules.