These are questions aimed at head instructors and/or owners of martial arts schools.
Main Question:
How did you get started setting up/running your martial arts school?
Possible ways of setting up:
Did your instructor pass on his school to you? Did you start teaching individually out of your garage/backyard first before expanding into a school? Did you seek for a loan or a grant to rent/buy a place? Did you start teaching at a community place first and then with enough students, move to a bigger place? Did someone decide to subsidize you (venture investment) into starting a school? Did you buy out a competitor's school and set up your own? Were you hired by the school to teach there and climbed the hierarchy to become the head instructor?
Second Main Question:
When you started up your school, how did you figure out whether you had enough capital to run the school?
Possible funding sources:
Your instructor already ran an existing school with its established income/expenses before you took it over. You saved up several months worth of money before starting your business. You took out a loan equal to the value of the place plus some extra for operating expenses. You wrote several grants and able to obtain sufficent money to establish a school. You talked to several well-financed friends about your goals and they were willing to invest in you and your prospective school. You started out very small with almost nothing, and along the way with students and saving up each time, earned enough money and a stronger student base to begin. You took out a business loan that would have been enough to run a school for three years on a shoe-string budget. You inherited a large sum from a relative. You won the lottery/sweepstakes. Insurance settlement gave you enough to begin a school.
Basically, I would like to know HOW did you start your school? What worked for you and what didn't?
The purpose of this thread is for those who may consider establishing a martial arts school and to be aware of the diversity of how schools start by sharing your real life experiences and advice.
Thank you,
- Ceicei
Main Question:
How did you get started setting up/running your martial arts school?
Possible ways of setting up:
Did your instructor pass on his school to you? Did you start teaching individually out of your garage/backyard first before expanding into a school? Did you seek for a loan or a grant to rent/buy a place? Did you start teaching at a community place first and then with enough students, move to a bigger place? Did someone decide to subsidize you (venture investment) into starting a school? Did you buy out a competitor's school and set up your own? Were you hired by the school to teach there and climbed the hierarchy to become the head instructor?
Second Main Question:
When you started up your school, how did you figure out whether you had enough capital to run the school?
Possible funding sources:
Your instructor already ran an existing school with its established income/expenses before you took it over. You saved up several months worth of money before starting your business. You took out a loan equal to the value of the place plus some extra for operating expenses. You wrote several grants and able to obtain sufficent money to establish a school. You talked to several well-financed friends about your goals and they were willing to invest in you and your prospective school. You started out very small with almost nothing, and along the way with students and saving up each time, earned enough money and a stronger student base to begin. You took out a business loan that would have been enough to run a school for three years on a shoe-string budget. You inherited a large sum from a relative. You won the lottery/sweepstakes. Insurance settlement gave you enough to begin a school.
Basically, I would like to know HOW did you start your school? What worked for you and what didn't?
The purpose of this thread is for those who may consider establishing a martial arts school and to be aware of the diversity of how schools start by sharing your real life experiences and advice.
Thank you,
- Ceicei