Who here owns their own school?

Withers M.A.A. · Brown Belt

I'm just curious who owns a school on this forum. I'm in the process of opening one in August. I have most of my equiptment already except mainly mirrors and stuff. What advice can you offer me to help get my school up and running and to be successful? I appreciate any input.

Thanks,
Pete

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2nd Degree black belt in Kenpo Karate and Tae Kwon Do. 1997 NASKA competitor-2nd place Nationally in Blackbelt American Forms. Firearms activist!

Iron Arahat · Red Belt

I have run my own school for three years now. My best advice is have fun and teach because you love it, not for profit.

As soon as money becomes the focus, you loose the people over profit.

Don't become a McDojo.

Good Luck.

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ad · Brown Belt

i understand what your saying iron,
this topic really has questioned me for sometime, and the fact that me wanting to open a martial arts school later on would be one of main wishes,
however i would imagine that you would need time and money to start up, and that money would thus need to be repaid off from student hire, i know making profit wouldnt be desirable,
but i guess everybody wants to make some cash on the side
dont we?

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Withers M.A.A. · Brown Belt

My main objective is to teach what I've learned and be able to pass my knowledge on to others. I want to help people better their lives. However, at the same time I DO want to make money. To say I'm only opening the school to teach my style would be only 1/2 true. I want to make money and to have a job that I love but I do want to make a living like anyone else. I think if you only focus on the teaching and not making money you will only be 1/2 as happy as you should.

Pete

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2nd Degree black belt in Kenpo Karate and Tae Kwon Do. 1997 NASKA competitor-2nd place Nationally in Blackbelt American Forms. Firearms activist!

Mamutti · Yellow Belt

"Teach it and they will come" and stay. As students we all see through the instuctor whose first passion is not to teach. When you are a good or great teacher and you help make people lives better, students like the ones who roam this forum, will drive long distances and remain loyal. Just like the film "Field of Dreams" good things come to the character who relies on his passion first. The brother-in-law who places all his concerns on the finances loses in all ways. Okay I am an English teacher who loves metaphors, but I believe in all my teaching experiences, karate and others, that good teaching attracts good students, and good students will pay. I currently manage a karate school and hope to be part of operating one some day. Keep us posted as to how it goes. Good luck and have fun.

Taikudo-ka · Green Belt

" i know making profit wouldnt be desirable"

Actually, making a profit IS probably desirable, indeed necessary.

Your teacher needs to eat, and he can't live of a diet of kata and boiled obis.

The recent dot.com bust saw many passionate, enthusiastic people lose out, losing money, failed businesses, etc (myself included), while many greedy money changers reaped in big profits (brokers, lawyers, insolvency administrators, people building and listing dodgy companies just to flog them off for a fortune before the bubble bursts.) The real world is not always a Ron Howard movie...

There is another thread that discusses this topic, and I've posted some basic business advice there.

Of course you need the passion and ability to run a good school. I can't tell you that, but I assume you already have it. I don't think profit=mcdojo - a dodgy school could indeed run at a loss due to bad business practises. A good school should be able to make a profit through good business practise and basically being aware of income and expense.

Or do you think your teacher should pay for the privilege of teaching you?

G95champ · Black Belt

If you can afford to only take students of your picking I say do it. I have had way to many guys come and go and not care anything about the art but about the strong attacks. In each case I told them to leave as soon as I became aware of their actions. However you are faced with the question of money vs. morals.

Also holds true for young kids. YOu can make tons of money on small kids but do you really teach them anyting.

Next thing is to be careful who you give black belts to. You will want to give them but you want people that you can trust and represent you and the club well. This also holds true for those you allow to teach other classes.

Sort of like the person posted above don't let money mess up the love.

Best of luck to you.

Mamutti · Yellow Belt

Yes, Taikudo-ka,
I agree with you; you must make a profit to survive and you must have passion for teaching. I was just trying to make a point about the difference in perception from a student point of view. Also, that I admire the courage it takes to start such an endeavor.
You also have to check out your popululation. YOu can't have a school full of children and not create a program for them. Dealing with parents is a tricky part of it. When do you, as a business person, respond to the requests of the parents-customers-even if you don't agree totally with what they want? You don't want to sacrifice your beliefs/standards as a martial artist, but there are times this seems to come into conflict. I would think this is a problem for many people trying to run a school as a business. How do you decide what is important to you and how do you keep people happy enough to keep coming? I would like to know the answer! Parents are generally really happy at our school, but then there is group who get upset when I tell them it is time to renew their memberships or that they owe money for a test fee. I have never been upset by paying my karate dues; I would pay double. Some people want something for nothing. sorry a bit rambled

Withers M.A.A. · Brown Belt

I agree with what everyone here has said so far. Esp. the part if you are good they will come. I mostly agree with that because the school I was training at while I was competing I travelled 50 miles each way to my dojo. That is 100 miles per day and I trained there 6-7 days a week. My passion for the Martial Arts is stronger than anything else in my life. WHen I teach, which I have been for 10 year now, I put 100% effort into making whoever I train the best they can possibly be. I'm a tough instructor and very demanding. I'm also not an instructor with an ego who doesn't want his or her students to be better than they are. I'm the total opposite, I want my students 100 times better than I ever was. That is my goal.

HOwever, to say I'm not trying to make money that would be a lie. Noone would start a new job and tell their employer that don't need to get paid. As stated previously, I do need to eat and pay bills like everyone else in this world. Just know that if you come to my school to train I will do everything in my powers to make you the best you can be.

Pete

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2nd Degree black belt in Kenpo Karate and Tae Kwon Do. 1997 NASKA competitor-2nd place Nationally in Blackbelt American Forms. Firearms activist!

KickChick · Black Belt

I was wondering if Withers M.A.A. had in fact opened up his new school this past August.

Maybe since we have had a new influx of members we can ask this question again .... and to see if you all can contribute some new subjects to this newer forum "Instructor Central"

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