I'm no expert on this, but I will share what I have done.
Last year I started a motorcycle training course out here in Los Angeles, CA. Not the MSF. No I wanted something different. For the longest time I wanted to teach what I learned, enforcement style riding. Then I found out about Ride Like A Pro. So I met Jerry Palladino and started Ride Like A Pro West Coast.
The first year was slow, just trying to make a name for myself. I never ran a business before, so it was all seat of the pants so to speak. I started my own website:
www.ridelikeaprowestcoast.com, and registered my user domain name. This year I added training bikes. Not the small 125-250s the MSF uses, but full size 1000cc police bikes, the kind I learned on. Business is picking up slowly. Folks who take the course love it and say it's pure fun. They love learning on my bikes and not having to risk dropping theirs. They love the challenge, and I love teaching it. My big thing now is exposure. So I try to get in on dealer open houses, HOG meetings, and other rider groups. Last Sunday I did an open house at LA Harley. I only sold one DVD, but people were lining up to learn how to pick up an Ultra. I must have done that bike pick up demo a half a dozen times. After I did my short demo ride of full lock turns and figure 8s, folks came over took brochures, and showed interest in learning how to ride that way. Next week I will have a table at another dealership. I try to take care of the customers and offer incentives like group rates, and letting riders retake the course again at no charge.
In addition to needing to work on better promotion and exposure, I was also unprepared for the riders who "know how to ride". Meaning that whenever I tell folks I run a motorcycle course, a lot of them assume it to be the same as the MSF they took years ago. Same with the riders who say "Oh, I already know how to ride". Once I hear that I figure their head is closed to more learning. They have no idea that what I teach is different than what they learned in the BRC. Sadly a lot of them are the same folks that drag their feet in parking lots and walk the dog in traffic, and then spend $400 in chrome and clothing.
I was also unprepared for all the requests from a lot of riding groups asking me to travel to their state to hold the course. Sadly they are put off when I explain that the logistic and insurance challange to that would make the trip too costly for them. On the other hand I can write off just about everything motorcycle related. Gas, service, repairs, maintenence, parts, clothing, and accessories. My yearly ride with my buddy is now a "promotional tour". I'm loving that!
One thing I did start unexpectedly was my own version of the "Fly n Ride" program. The addition of training bikes brought forth several riders who wanted to fly in and take the course, and leave that same day. Since my house, the parking lot range, and the airport are all within 2 miles, I now pick up riders on the way to range, and take them back later that day.
My advice, in my limited history of doing this, is to find a niche. Jerry Palladino sells the RLAP DVDs, so I know I can't compete with him on that. While I do sell the DVDs, my primary focus are the training courses. So I work to make them unique and fun. In the motorcycle realm sometimes we see many versions of the same product repackaged and sold under a different lable. Try to come up with something different.
Good luck!