Need tips on being a future Jiu-Jitsu school owner

I am 17, and am planning to attend college at a university this fall. I've been doing martial arts since I was 5, and began jiujitsu when I was 12. I've always known that I want to own my own school, and I LOVE teaching the art (my current job is teaching kids programs at the school I train at). However, being around the business for years, I understand that owning a school is not a very stable job and starting one requires certain funds. Given that I'm going to graduate high school this spring and attend college this fall, I would like to know what you guys think is the best route to pursue. As in, best college degree/best complimentary second job to have along with owing a school (to ensure financial stability, as this is my biggest concern)/how to attain the required funds in starting my own school. Thank you for your help, I'm just very concerned for my financial future yet I refuse to give up my dream of helping spread this amazing art.

Open martial arts school is like opening a restaurant. First you don't make money, be prepared to spend 6-12 month of your own money, and just do it.

As far as what college courses would be beneficial, I would think business classes. Not that I necessarily suggest a business major.

A lot of guys that are moon heads actually succeed better when they ditch the 2nd job.
I read this article recently and I feel like it relates :)

http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/8-habi...ul-people.html

1. They don't create back-up plans.

Back-up plans can help you sleep easier at night. Back-up plans can also create an easy out when times get tough.

You'll work a lot harder and a lot longer if your primary plan simply has to work because there is no other option. Total commitment--without a safety net--will spur you to work harder than you ever imagined possible.

If somehow the worst does happen (and the "worst" is never as bad as you think) trust that you will find a way to rebound. As long as you keep working hard and keep learning from your mistakes, you always will.

2. They do the work...

You can be good with a little effort. You can be really good with a little more effort.

But you can't be great--at anything--unless you put in an incredible amount of focused effort.

Scratch the surface of any person with rare skills and you'll find a person who has put thousands of hours of effort into developing those skills.

There are no shortcuts. There are no overnight successes. Everyone has heard about the 10,000 hours principle but no one follows it... except remarkably successful people.

So start doing the work now. Time is wasting.

3. ...and they work a lot more.

Forget the Sheryl Sandberg "I leave every day at 5:30" stories. I'm sure she does. But she's not you.

Every extremely successful entrepreneur I know (personally) works more hours than the average person--a lot more. They have long lists of things they want to get done. So they have to put in lots of time.

Better yet, they want to put in lots of time.

If you don't embrace a workload others would consider crazy then your goal doesn't mean that much to you--or it's not particularly difficult to achieve. Either way you won't be remarkably successful.

4. They avoid the crowds.

Conventional wisdom yields conventional results. Joining the crowd--no matter how trendy the crowd or "hot" the opportunity--is a recipe for mediocrity.

Remarkably successful people habitually do what other people won't do. They go where others won't go because there's a lot less competition and a much greater chance for success.

5. They start at the end...

Average success is often based on setting average goals.

Decide what you really want: to be the best, the fastest, the cheapest, the biggest, whatever. Aim for the ultimate. Decide where you want to end up. That is your goal.

Then you can work backwards and lay out every step along the way.

Never start small where goals are concerned. You'll make better decisions--and find it much easier to work a lot harder--when your ultimate goal is ultimate success.

6. ... and they don't stop there.

Achieving a goal--no matter how huge--isn't the finish line for highly successful people. Achieving one huge goal just creates a launching pad for achieving another huge goal.

Maybe you want to create a $100 million business; once you do you can leverage your contacts and influence to create a charitable foundation for a cause you believe in. Then your business and humanitarian success can create a platform for speaking, writing, and thought leadership. Then...

The process of becoming remarkably successful in one field will give you the skills and network to be remarkably successful in many other fields.

Remarkably successful people don't try to win just one race. They expect and plan to win a number of subsequent races.

7. They sell.

I once asked a number of business owners and CEOs to name the one skill they felt contributed the most to their success. Each said the ability to sell.

Keep in mind selling isn't manipulating, pressuring, or cajoling. Selling is explaining the logic and benefits of a decision or position. Selling is convincing other people to work with you. Selling is overcoming objections and roadblocks.

Selling is the foundation of business and personal success: knowing how to negotiate, to deal with "no," to maintain confidence and self-esteem in the face of rejection, to communicate effectively with a wide range of people, to build long-term relationships...

When you truly believe in your idea, or your company, or yourself then you don't need to have a huge ego or a huge personality. You don't need to "sell."

You just need to communicate.

8. They are never too proud.

To admit they made a mistake. To say they are sorry. To have big dreams. To admit they owe their success to others. To poke fun at themselves. To ask for help.

To fail.

And to try again.







Then again. I'm an optimist and believe anything is possible

I'm a realist, get a business degree, start 2 other businesses first ,that will most likely fail within first 3 years, then start your BJJ school. You will know you really want to be a small business owner and have learned some valuable lessons from your mistakes. Or you can just crush in comps like Marcello and be a legend, then your school should be fine also. Or have enough capitol to support yourself and the school for 3 years when you start.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Brent Smith

A lot of guys that are moon heads actually succeed better when they ditch the 2nd job.
I read this article recently and I feel like it relates :)

http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/8-habi...ul-people.html

1. They don't create back-up plans.

Back-up plans can help you sleep easier at night. Back-up plans can also create an easy out when times get tough.

You'll work a lot harder and a lot longer if your primary plan simply has to work because there is no other option. Total commitment--without a safety net--will spur you to work harder than you ever imagined possible.

If somehow the worst does happen (and the "worst" is never as bad as you think) trust that you will find a way to rebound. As long as you keep working hard and keep learning from your mistakes, you always will.

2. They do the work...

You can be good with a little effort. You can be really good with a little more effort.

But you can't be great--at anything--unless you put in an incredible amount of focused effort.

Scratch the surface of any person with rare skills and you'll find a person who has put thousands of hours of effort into developing those skills.

There are no shortcuts. There are no overnight successes. Everyone has heard about the 10,000 hours principle but no one follows it... except remarkably successful people.

So start doing the work now. Time is wasting.

3. ...and they work a lot more.

Forget the Sheryl Sandberg "I leave every day at 5:30" stories. I'm sure she does. But she's not you.

Every extremely successful entrepreneur I know (personally) works more hours than the average person--a lot more. They have long lists of things they want to get done. So they have to put in lots of time.

Better yet, they want to put in lots of time.

If you don't embrace a workload others would consider crazy then your goal doesn't mean that much to you--or it's not particularly difficult to achieve. Either way you won't be remarkably successful.

4. They avoid the crowds.

Conventional wisdom yields conventional results. Joining the crowd--no matter how trendy the crowd or "hot" the opportunity--is a recipe for mediocrity.

Remarkably successful people habitually do what other people won't do. They go where others won't go because there's a lot less competition and a much greater chance for success.

5. They start at the end...

Average success is often based on setting average goals.

Decide what you really want: to be the best, the fastest, the cheapest, the biggest, whatever. Aim for the ultimate. Decide where you want to end up. That is your goal.

Then you can work backwards and lay out every step along the way.

Never start small where goals are concerned. You'll make better decisions--and find it much easier to work a lot harder--when your ultimate goal is ultimate success.

6. ... and they don't stop there.

Achieving a goal--no matter how huge--isn't the finish line for highly successful people. Achieving one huge goal just creates a launching pad for achieving another huge goal.

Maybe you want to create a $100 million business; once you do you can leverage your contacts and influence to create a charitable foundation for a cause you believe in. Then your business and humanitarian success can create a platform for speaking, writing, and thought leadership. Then...

The process of becoming remarkably successful in one field will give you the skills and network to be remarkably successful in many other fields.

Remarkably successful people don't try to win just one race. They expect and plan to win a number of subsequent races.

7. They sell.

I once asked a number of business owners and CEOs to name the one skill they felt contributed the most to their success. Each said the ability to sell.

Keep in mind selling isn't manipulating, pressuring, or cajoling. Selling is explaining the logic and benefits of a decision or position. Selling is convincing other people to work with you. Selling is overcoming objections and roadblocks.

Selling is the foundation of business and personal success: knowing how to negotiate, to deal with "no," to maintain confidence and self-esteem in the face of rejection, to communicate effectively with a wide range of people, to build long-term relationships...

When you truly believe in your idea, or your company, or yourself then you don't need to have a huge ego or a huge personality. You don't need to "sell."

You just need to communicate.

8. They are never too proud.

To admit they made a mistake. To say they are sorry. To have big dreams. To admit they owe their success to others. To poke fun at themselves. To ask for help.

To fail.

And to try again.







Then again. I'm an optimist and believe anything is possible

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I think I love you.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Chris Ludington

I think I love you.

---

Haha!

I think you would need a good location where the real estate is affordable and not too close to obey competing schools.

Next, I would assume you need to have good instructors so that when you advertise and market your school, you've got credible guys. Next, marketing your business is huge, spreading the word, offering free trials, or introductory classes at a discount.

Thanks for posting that Brent, I read every word and bookmarked the link. It's completely on point.

as far as university degree go to complement your school, do what you love. if its sport that you love, study something like physiotherapy or sports psychology or something like that. go to business seminars and you can learn from them but in my opinion, running a business is a lot more to do with jumping in and doing it than spending years studying how to. it wouldnt hurt if you did a business degree, but its opportunity cost as well. you lose the chance to study something else in the same time frame.

look at gyms that are already successful and figure out how they did it. ask them questions.

a good way to start with tenth planet is of course getting a hot box set up and working through affiliations. as a hotbox you will have someone with a moon already up and running who can help you out and get things going. it also means that you will be training under them and can use some of their noteriety to help you out.. ie saying to someone "i train under eddie bravo." people might not know how legit you are, but they will know eddie and they can trust him.

also as brent said, try and expand what you offer. a lot of the moons are jumping on board with BANG muay thai. another legit fighting system. you could also train gi aswell, maybe under marcelo garcia. then when you can offer no gi under 10th planet, muay thai under the BANG system and bjj under MG then that will help you through a lot of the bad times at the start.

and one thing everyone says thats completely true. you have to live and breath what you do. if you want to own a school, you have to be more technical, stronger, faster, smarter than anyone else. you try harder for longer. lead by example and earn respect instead of expecting it.

good luck

This is a sensational website for general business education: http://personalmba.com

Definitely read up on how Crossfit gyms do promoting and scheduling. You might not be interested in their workout methods, but their business methods are solid gold: http://board.crossfit.com/showthread.php?t=62019

A good perspective on business/business school from Tim Ferris: http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2010/06/28/mba/

If you go the biz school route, make sure you pick up a few marketing courses.

While in school live as cheaply as humanly possible. Every dollar you have in debt is a dollar that can not go towards building, growing or promoting your school.

Brent has got it right.

If you train hard, roll hard, compete hard, love training hard, love rolling hard, love competing hard and most of all genuinely love teaching and coaching AND try to be as honest as possible with everyone you meet, AND doing the right thing at all times then it's gonna be really hard not to succeed :-)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Brent Smith

A lot of guys that are moon heads actually succeed better when they ditch the 2nd job.
I read this article recently and I feel like it relates :)

http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/8-habi...ul-people.html

1. They don't create back-up plans.

Back-up plans can help you sleep easier at night. Back-up plans can also create an easy out when times get tough.

You'll work a lot harder and a lot longer if your primary plan simply has to work because there is no other option. Total commitment--without a safety net--will spur you to work harder than you ever imagined possible.

If somehow the worst does happen (and the "worst" is never as bad as you think) trust that you will find a way to rebound. As long as you keep working hard and keep learning from your mistakes, you always will.

2. They do the work...

You can be good with a little effort. You can be really good with a little more effort.

But you can't be great--at anything--unless you put in an incredible amount of focused effort.

Scratch the surface of any person with rare skills and you'll find a person who has put thousands of hours of effort into developing those skills.

There are no shortcuts. There are no overnight successes. Everyone has heard about the 10,000 hours principle but no one follows it... except remarkably successful people.

So start doing the work now. Time is wasting.

3. ...and they work a lot more.

Forget the Sheryl Sandberg "I leave every day at 5:30" stories. I'm sure she does. But she's not you.

Every extremely successful entrepreneur I know (personally) works more hours than the average person--a lot more. They have long lists of things they want to get done. So they have to put in lots of time.

Better yet, they want to put in lots of time.

If you don't embrace a workload others would consider crazy then your goal doesn't mean that much to you--or it's not particularly difficult to achieve. Either way you won't be remarkably successful.

4. They avoid the crowds.

Conventional wisdom yields conventional results. Joining the crowd--no matter how trendy the crowd or "hot" the opportunity--is a recipe for mediocrity.

Remarkably successful people habitually do what other people won't do. They go where others won't go because there's a lot less competition and a much greater chance for success.

5. They start at the end...

Average success is often based on setting average goals.

Decide what you really want: to be the best, the fastest, the cheapest, the biggest, whatever. Aim for the ultimate. Decide where you want to end up. That is your goal.

Then you can work backwards and lay out every step along the way.

Never start small where goals are concerned. You'll make better decisions--and find it much easier to work a lot harder--when your ultimate goal is ultimate success.

6. ... and they don't stop there.

Achieving a goal--no matter how huge--isn't the finish line for highly successful people. Achieving one huge goal just creates a launching pad for achieving another huge goal.

Maybe you want to create a $100 million business; once you do you can leverage your contacts and influence to create a charitable foundation for a cause you believe in. Then your business and humanitarian success can create a platform for speaking, writing, and thought leadership. Then...

The process of becoming remarkably successful in one field will give you the skills and network to be remarkably successful in many other fields.

Remarkably successful people don't try to win just one race. They expect and plan to win a number of subsequent races.

7. They sell.

I once asked a number of business owners and CEOs to name the one skill they felt contributed the most to their success. Each said the ability to sell.

Keep in mind selling isn't manipulating, pressuring, or cajoling. Selling is explaining the logic and benefits of a decision or position. Selling is convincing other people to work with you. Selling is overcoming objections and roadblocks.

Selling is the foundation of business and personal success: knowing how to negotiate, to deal with "no," to maintain confidence and self-esteem in the face of rejection, to communicate effectively with a wide range of people, to build long-term relationships...

When you truly believe in your idea, or your company, or yourself then you don't need to have a huge ego or a huge personality. You don't need to "sell."

You just need to communicate.

8. They are never too proud.

To admit they made a mistake. To say they are sorry. To have big dreams. To admit they owe their success to others. To poke fun at themselves. To ask for help.

To fail.

And to try again.







Then again. I'm an optimist and believe anything is possible

---

I have a business degree (and now run a small business of my own) and honestly - your post was more realistic, useful, helpful and truthful, than my entire University degree course. I'm being 100% serious here. The psychology of success - that's something strangely missing in schools (at least in my country).

Great advice Brent! Finding a mentor and role model is huge! I'm a small businesse owner on my second businesse and you can learn by trial and error and you will but with the help of someone who has been there and done that you'll be far better off!

Brent annihilated every other post.

Beat a Gracie....