I live and teach in the Northern Lower Peninsula in Michigan, and I am really having a tough time filling my classes. I know there are around 700 other instructors here in the the state, just curious if others are having the same issue. I am posting classes about 2 months prior and rarely do I get a sign up through the USCCA website, I do have my own website, facebook page, business cards that a few local FFLs hand out. I have also tried flyers at local stores, to include Dunhams, Family Farm and Home, local grocery stores and I am just not getting any traction. I have tried giveaways for red dots, I even do free CPL courses once a year, and offer a veteran discount. What am I missing, or are there just people who dont want to get their CPL in our state?
Welcome to the community. Hope things start picking up.
I am not an instructor. I live in the Omaha,Ne. area and for the past 2-3 years to many times i am the only one in a class which is sad to see and this has been at 2 different ranges with different instructors. I look at this web page on a regular basis for some advanced training but never seem to find any with in a 50 mile range of my home.
I will be following close to see how this goes, I have a small company where I teach AHA BLS (CPR) AED, First Aid, and Stop the Bleed. I am attending my USCCA Pistol Instructor Course next weekend and plan to add this to my offerings. Would love to see the flyers and website you are using
Gerald
I am an instructor in the Muskegon, Mi area and have dealt with this also. My wife and I have tried all the things you listed and then some. Our local Dunhams dosnt let us put flyers up anymore. Throughout the year we vary in class size. As for a solution I don’t know. We get a lot of referrals but they don’t always turn into students. Unfortunately people don’t like to pay for the training. We also teach AED. stop the bleed, Ar15 and individual pistol classes. I will be trying to hire a marketing lady to do that and email blast for awhile to see if that work.
Kevin
K2 Defensive Solutions
Surprises me that folks here in MI dont want to go and get their CPL. Especially with the new law change that either a CPL or the # the sheriff’s give you to buy (register) a firearm.
You have to get your name out there. Some instructors I know got the “Refuse To Be A Victim” certificate and started selling themselves to women’s groups (YWCA, gyms, PTA, etc.). The ones who offered low prices ($5 vs $40) were able to build interest (in more lucrative classes) and managed to do OK. In this approach you take the class to the students. The rub is with shooting classes, because you need (duh) a range. This is going to cost you if you want to use someone else’s. If you are a CCW instructor find a range that does not offer those classes and work out an arrangement (they provide the facility, advertise, carry liability insurance, collect payment, rent firearms, sell ammo and pay you $X per head for those showing up for the the class). Be creative. If you want to teach self-defense you should be out there competing (action pistol, USPSA, etc.) and doing a lot of hand shaking. Good luck.
Just my .02 here…
There are also many instructors in my area. But there is really no place that rates these instructors, or where you can find unbiased reviews for them. Of course, the instructors themselves can provide customer reviews. But you have no way of knowing if those are unbiased.
As a result, I always sign up for any training through a local gun shop/FFL that I know and trust, regardless of who THEY have selected to instruct the class (who is almost always a 3rd party and not an employee). I trust them to select trainers that they believe in, if they are willing to put their name and reputation on the class.
Perhaps you can get yourself into a relationship like this with a local shop? If you can, your classes will probably always be full.
As a person on the other side looking for instruction. The biggest problem we have is finding any type of instruction that is not to get your carry permit or some type of first shots course. There are tons of these offered at every range within a 100 miles of me. This may be the reason you can’t fill classes. Everyone is offering the exact same classes. What I cannot find anywhere near me is training on becoming a better overall shooter or tactical shooting. Such courses are just not available in the Midwest without paying huge prices for 1on 1 instruction. I am not complaining that instructors are charging too much for 1 on 1, it needs to be worth their time to teach, but if a qualified instructor would take the time to build a client base of intermediate to higher level students, I think they could be very successful with it.
Welcome Gerald154. Interesting question. ducting and training ever so important.
I would not know why the low numbers. But from a naive view. Around what year or date did we see such a down turn in enrollment? Might spark controversy and debate, hope not.
Not my theory, but one I heard was:
Since November 5th 2024, some have become complacent, less fearful, due to harder on crime administrations.
Old cliche of inflation?:
A friend mine shared their Condo offered to reduce parking spots to newly buying owners by selling current spots used by owners for a 10 year period so if they sell the condo, they can add onto the sale price, the parking spot, so said new owner not have to wait years on a waiting list. This way, the condo association would increase revenue on the parking spaces sale. Sacrificing the ability for new owners to be put on a wait list. The need for revenue was directly due to a whopping insurance rate increase owed by the Association.
Why the insurance rate yikes? The natural disasters across the USA 2024/2025, storms and wildfires. I’m waiting to see if other areas of insurance premiums will increase as well.
Once when I had my own budget crisis, I had to let go of many non essential costs/expenses.
Interesting theory. I would say there is more truth to it than naivety.
I did my Instructor Certification course this weekend. GREAT Class, Steve Maduro was an excellent counselor!! Super-fast from USCCA, had my toolbox shipped the next day and also had my instructor number and access the next days also. I have set up several mini courses to dip my toe in the water.
I will let y’all know how signups go.
Scott
Congrats, Scott!
Instructor courses can be pretty pricey around here. $150 for a 2.5 hour group course at the local posh range, or $50 for 1.5 hours at the grungy range. But definitely worth it in the beggining and then again after you get comfortable and need to take another step forward.