Jeff Gonzales, FTA Founding Member and President of Trident Concepts, goes over things new instructors need to prepare for in order to properly manage a training course. "As a new instructor, there are a lot of things that you need to think about and some of the mistakes I've seen are just not paying attention to some of the detail work that goes into setting up a class."

Posted: Thursday, October 11, 2018

As instructors and business owners, tools such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat offer us unprecedented access to our audience. Along with that access comes an unprecedented amount of daily interaction that is required from the modern entrepreneur. To have a successful small business today, entrepreneurs must personally interact with their customers on a regular basis. We no longer live in the era of marketing when you could print business cards or a tri-fold brochure and consider your marketing plan complete. Marketing today is much more complex and also potentially much more rewarding.

Posted: Thursday, October 4, 2018

Ken Hackathorn, Instructor at Aztec Training Services and FTA Founding Member, talks about common complaints that firearm instructors get in response to a class and things you should be aware of to help prevent negative feedback from occuring.

Posted: Thursday, September 27, 2018

Operational rules are a sound practice and, over the years, I have created some I use in my classes. Recently, a student said, “You should write those down and give them out to students.” As I sat down to create the list I thought, “Maybe others would like to read them.” Well, here they are. As a side note, while I was trying to come up with a “tactical” title, I considered “Spaulding’s Rules of Conflict,” but then realized that they can be applied to many situations—not just combat. I don’t claim to be their originator, but I have used them regularly with great success, as have my family and students.

Posted: Thursday, September 20, 2018

Larry Vickers of Vickers Tactical, and Founding Member of the Firearms Trainers Association, breaks down three quality handguns that he considers to be reliable choices for CCW and self-defense.

Posted: Thursday, September 13, 2018

FTA Founding Member Jeff Gonzales shares what things you should look for and keep in mind when selecting an ideal firearm for concealed carry. Things like magazine capacity, caliber, accuracy and more.

Posted: Thursday, September 6, 2018

Ken Hackathorn, Instructor at Aztec Training Services and FTA founding member, talks about the demographic changes in those seeking firearms training. The professional trainer needs to not only be aware, but also prepare for the these changing demographics.

Posted: Thursday, August 2, 2018

Ken Hackathorn, legendary firearms trainer and FTA founding member, talks about FTA Protect and the need to have good liability insurance for firearms instructors. Ken has served as a US Army Special Forces Small Arms Instructor, Gunsite Instructor, and NRA Police Firearms Instructor. He is currently an FBI Certified Firearms Instructor, Certified Deputy Sheriff with Washington County SO, Ohio, and a SRT member and Special Response Team trainer.

Posted: Thursday, July 26, 2018

Director of Training at SIG SAUER Academy and FTA founding member, Scott Reidy, discusses how tasks, conditions, standards (TCS) drills help to measure students to determine their skills and turning it into a performance based drill.

Posted: Thursday, July 19, 2018

Scott Reidy, Director of Training at SIG SAUER Academy and founding member of FTA Protect, talks about why he is apart of the FTA and how you can protect yourself and your business by joining.

Posted: Thursday, July 12, 2018

The decision to leave your day job and pursue your passion as a firearms instructor is an important decision. Turning your avocation into your vocation can be the first step to achieving career satisfaction or the beginning of a nightmare. Here are some important factors to consider before taking the plunge.

Posted: Thursday, July 5, 2018

Being able to identify the mission or goal of your class is an important step in determining what gear to have on hand for your students. FTA Founding member Jeff Gonzales, of Trident Concepts, talks about what supporting equipment you should have when teaching concealed carry.

Posted: Thursday, June 28, 2018

We asked Dave Spaulding, owner and chief instructor of Handgun Combatives and founding member of FTA Protect, to pass on his suggestions and tips for new firearms instructors. In this video, Dave talks about the importance of being engaging and how to deliver information in a way that it is engaging and entertaining to your students.

Posted: Thursday, June 21, 2018

Dave Spaulding, owner and chief instructor for Handgun Combatives, and founding member of the FTA, talks about how the FTA benefits firearms instructors and students.

Posted: Wednesday, June 13, 2018

Cancellations can kill a class, weaken a relationship with a range host, and impact your bottom line as a business. Developing cancellation policies in advance is critical to mitigate a student form signing up, then not showing up. FTA Founders have different ways of handling this. Here are some options for you to enact cancellation policies that can be worked to suit your own personal comfort level.

Posted: Monday, June 11, 2018

Why establish an LLC to run your training business through? There are many reasons, but here are the ones that make the most sense for trainers. You know that carbine you need for a new class? Or, that fancy scope your have been eyeing? These are not just luxurious purchases. They are legitimate business expenses that allow you to perform your job effectively. Likewise, forming a corporate structure such as an LLC allows you to shield personal assets, separate personal from company finances, in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, provide a highly flexible management structure, and flexible tax reporting options.

Posted: Thursday, May 31, 2018

Jeff Gonzales provides some tips for instructors on how to manage student anxiety, particularly those students new to firearms. We all have anxieties, but students coming in at the entry and basic level have very little knowledge and their anxiety about carrying everyday is high. Jeff suggests recognizing the risk involved but help them understand the benefits of everyday carry.

Posted: Thursday, May 24, 2018

Jeff Gonzales of Trident Concepts, and one of the founding members of the Firearms Trainers Association, talks about why we created FTA. Jeff heads up the staff of diverse trainers and instructors for Trident Concepts, LLC, a reality based company specializing in personal protection tactics and training for armed and unarmed conflicts. Their motto is “Concepts that meet reality”. Jeff was a decorated and respected US Navy SEAL and has worked in a variety of environments and capacities through out the globe. He brings to the company not only his hard & soft skills, but also his ability to manage and exploit the staff to best serve the interests of the company and their clients. Their goal is not simply to train you, but to better prepare you for the worst-case scenario.

Posted: Thursday, May 17, 2018

Larry Vickers of Vickers Tactical, and one of the founding members of FTA, walks you through his carbine setup. He breaks down every component of his Bravo Company AR-15, including stock, sights, red dot, charging handle, sling, foregrip, muzzle brake, light, and magazine. If you are looking to set up an AR, then be sure to check out this video!

Posted: Friday, May 11, 2018

Larry Vickers, from Vickers Tactical, and founding member of the Firearms Trainers Association, gives his real world version of the 4 safety rules of gun safety popularized by Col. Jeff Cooper.

Posted: Thursday, May 3, 2018