Steps to take to open up a submission wrestling school?

[makosub-wrestling]

I wrestled in Jh and highschool and now I am close to getting my blue belt in BJJ But my dream is to open up a submission wrestling scool. I love teaching more than training and was getting my degree in education untill I found out I could make more money cleaning swimming pools in Florida than teaching and do it with out parents calling a lawer because little jonny didn't get an A in history. My 5yr plan is to get at least my purple belt and compete in tourneys for proper experience then look deeply into the buisness side. Any advice from people who run submission wrestling school and other teachers would be greatly acepted.

[AndrewGreen]

Start saving now, don't plan on making any money at it for a few years.

Best to get some students BEFORE opening a commercial space, so that when you do you at least got part of your rent covered.

Find a partner, or someone that will rent the space from you when you are not using it. Piltes, Tai chi, dance, doesn't matter. Anytime your space is going unused is bad.

[Jane Doe]

First you are on the right track with getting some experience in competition and setting goals of a BJJ purple belt. It is hard to sell parents and students on your skills if you have no official training or track record to back it up.

Second, make sure you have things such as first aid certification, insurance and good references from your instructors...these are all things potential students will be interested in.

Make sure you have a solid business plan and have studied the demographics of the area you plan to open up in. Making sure you have done your homework will make things easier for you.

You do not have to have a flashy strip mall location, most guys (your target demographic) are okay training in warehouse space as long as it has a washroom and a place to change and is heated/air-conditioned. Showers are a nice add on, but some of the most succesful gyms have had their starts without them. You will find most guys who train submission grappling are the least prima donna like of all martial artists. They usually just want to train hard with a good instructor and the extras aren't that important.

Clean, affordable and quality instruction are the most important things.

Start saving now for things such as mats and other equipment...they are expensive. If you lay the groundwork now and even start training informally with some others you will have a nice base of students to start off with. If you set it up right and grow yourself a good reputation on the tournament side people will be eager to train with you. It is possible, especially in BJJ, to run a fairly profitable school fairly early on if you have done your homework and lay the groundwork. The difference between winners and losers is that winners do what the losers aren't willing to (quote from Dr. Phil).

[Du Hast]

I love teaching more than training and was getting my degree in education untill I found out I could make more money cleaning swimming pools in Florida than teaching and do it with out parents calling a lawer because little jonny didn't get an A in history.

I'm not sure what pool cleaners make in Florida, but teaching doesn't pay so bad. I'm all for teachers making more money, but it's not like they are that badly paid. There are some benefits to teaching - 2 months off in the summers, unless you are taking a professional development class or two. Also, pretty decent health insurance. Good job security. Regular raises every year. Pay increases for increased education.

I doubt the legal concerns for teachers come close to the legal concerns for opening a martial arts school!

If you want to open a grappling academy, more power to you. My advice would be for you to contact one of the larger, well known chains (lloyd Irvin for example), and see if you can be an "affilliate" or something like that. Opening a business is very, very tough. Be prepared to not make money for the first 2 years. Most businesses fail (I think MA schools are more prone to it that anything else!), so you need to prepare for the eventuality that it might not work out.

[shogeri]

Continue building your skillset, working on principle and technique.

Also, begin teaching privately in your spare time.

This will build a small network of personal references, which are valuable come opening a school to the public.

Have a five year plan. Ask questions, and learn from those who have gone before you, in a successful manner.

Good luck!

[Balrog]

I cannot emphasize how critical a solid business plan will be. You will need to do a ton of homework and learn about advertising, floor space rental, etc. etc.

I strongly recommend that you attend one or more new business startup seminars. These are usually offered through local colleges and/or the SBA. It will be money well spent.

[Sensei Rick]

YOU could be the one that rent's space in another school. Find an upright fighting school that is ego free and mat equipped. Start building your mat collection with used gear. go for a tuition split with a cap, to start. You will not get the choice hours but it's great to start. And you can work out a deal to train his student's for a smaller fee. Remember, build slow and be consistant with your landlords. No matter how nice they are and how goood they seem to you, Write it out and sign your final agreement. I've done this for years and it's really been great. "Your" school looks good if they have bags and other things you need for training, and your clients will enjoy that. Good luck.

[gojupralgo]

I see some good advice here. Sensei Rick has a good idea about getting into an upright fighting school. At our school, we always like to have a second atr such as JJ, Aikido or JUDO. Why not wrestling?