tradrockrat
2nd Black Belt
It took three years and a move from LA to Austin TX, but I'm opening my School
The paperwork and name search is underway for a LLC and my business plan is all but completed.
I have read all I can find about running and operating a MA school and I have plenty of experience teaching MA, Self Defense classes, and in fact I am a Special Education teacher in a local High school. The teaching part of the school is taken care of, I believe. Also, my wife and partner has taken business management classes and accounting classes in preparation for the school, and she is a former police officer and is certified to teach several law enforcement type seminars and classes (for example - she is a certified Tazer instructor). There are a lot of options we have as far as a focus to our school, but we have decided to be a family oriented school and offer traditional Bando for adults, An adapted Bando blend with Jiu Jitsu and TKD for youth / children (curriculum is already developed), Self Defense classes (including a woman specific class), Cardio Kickboxing, and a program for special needs students with motor impairments. My youth classes will be allowed as substitutions for high School PE classes / credits.
I want to make a living teaching MA in my school - full time.
I will be on the boards a lot more often now that I have committed to the school, but I have some questions that I hope a commercial school owner can answer for me.
Can anyone answer these questions for me?
1. Is there any reason why I should not retain my high school teaching job while I build my student base?
2. At what point should I give up my teaching job? How many students? Cost to income ratio? number of classes?
3. For those that opened full time schools - what kind of start up capitol did you have? I have only 15 K to invest myself, but am wondering how much more I should be looking for from loans or investors - 6 months operating costs? 2 years!?!? There are a lot of differing opinions in the literature I have read on it.
4. Location, location, location right? Well really good locations in Austin / Cedar Park area are several thousand a month after triple net and all the rest - WAY out of my budget. So what would you look for in a building?
Thanks to all who take the time to help out a new school owner set up his school for success.
The paperwork and name search is underway for a LLC and my business plan is all but completed.
I have read all I can find about running and operating a MA school and I have plenty of experience teaching MA, Self Defense classes, and in fact I am a Special Education teacher in a local High school. The teaching part of the school is taken care of, I believe. Also, my wife and partner has taken business management classes and accounting classes in preparation for the school, and she is a former police officer and is certified to teach several law enforcement type seminars and classes (for example - she is a certified Tazer instructor). There are a lot of options we have as far as a focus to our school, but we have decided to be a family oriented school and offer traditional Bando for adults, An adapted Bando blend with Jiu Jitsu and TKD for youth / children (curriculum is already developed), Self Defense classes (including a woman specific class), Cardio Kickboxing, and a program for special needs students with motor impairments. My youth classes will be allowed as substitutions for high School PE classes / credits.
I want to make a living teaching MA in my school - full time.
I will be on the boards a lot more often now that I have committed to the school, but I have some questions that I hope a commercial school owner can answer for me.
Can anyone answer these questions for me?
1. Is there any reason why I should not retain my high school teaching job while I build my student base?
2. At what point should I give up my teaching job? How many students? Cost to income ratio? number of classes?
3. For those that opened full time schools - what kind of start up capitol did you have? I have only 15 K to invest myself, but am wondering how much more I should be looking for from loans or investors - 6 months operating costs? 2 years!?!? There are a lot of differing opinions in the literature I have read on it.
4. Location, location, location right? Well really good locations in Austin / Cedar Park area are several thousand a month after triple net and all the rest - WAY out of my budget. So what would you look for in a building?
Thanks to all who take the time to help out a new school owner set up his school for success.