Business Plan for Jujutsu Studio

Discussion in 'General Martial Arts Discussion' started by hardball, Oct 10, 2012.

  1. hardball

    hardball Valued Member

    Anyone have any experience with a business plan for a martial arts studio that will offer Ju jutsu as it's primary art? The problem with internet samples is that most are gear towards tae kwon do schools.

    Have you ever done one? Do you have any suggestions? Do you have a link?

    Moderators, sorry if this is the wrong forum. I understand if you have to move this thread.
     
  2. Caleb Demarais

    Caleb Demarais Valued Member

    Can you not adapt one of the TKD ones for jujutsu? Thought the only real difference would be the material you teach.
     
  3. LilBunnyRabbit

    LilBunnyRabbit Old One

    Business plans are pretty much universal. You're going to need the same details whether it's a tae kwon do school, a jujitsu school, or a pancake van.
     
  4. Alansmurf

    Alansmurf Aspire to Inspire before you Expire Supporter

    As above ..


    Just ensure you are selling what it says on your can ....

    SMURF
     
  5. Rhea

    Rhea Laser tag = NOT MA... Supporter

    Moved to general for more response :)
     
  6. mattt

    mattt Valued Member

    What is the difference/problem you mention when mentioning the TKD one Vs JJ? What are you looking for from this?

    Are you seeking to use it is an external or internal document?

    Personally, I think that business plans are overrated - if you look at VC lending they don't do it on a business plan, they do it on a track record of success by the author of the plan. It is too easy to get wrapped up the plan and forget the realities of business, or also create numbers that are unrealistic in order to make things balance on paper.

    The best way for going live with any project is through some sort of organic growth - you current teach in your basement, there should be enough need from that service that your current space simply cannot keep up with it, any less and you are over extending yourself.
     
  7. Caleb Demarais

    Caleb Demarais Valued Member

    Mmm... pancakes!
     
  8. righty

    righty Valued Member

    Free pancake with every lesson. Sounds like a sucessful plan to me.
     
  9. ap Oweyn

    ap Oweyn Ret. Supporter

    Just curious Hardball. Where's this studio going to be in Maryland?
     
  10. JKDbyNik

    JKDbyNik Valued Member

    Recently I wrote an e-guide for the people in my association who want to open a martial arts studio...of whatever discipline. This isn't a business plan, but things to consider before going out and dumping a bunch of money in the wrong places. Here are some key points from it....

    1) First thing to always realize is that martial arts is a "labor of love." We do it because we love it, and there is money to be made, but it's never gonna be an overnight success. But with hard work, it can be a good earner and VERY fulfilling. And you might be an excellent practitioner/instructor, but that is simply not enough to drive new people to your business. Your quality will only help retain existing clients. And the "business" side of martial arts isn't in teaching, it's in having a clientel to teach to! Teaching is just the end result and joy.

    2) Profit vs. Overhead. Most martial arts gyms go under within the first 9-12 months because we all have dreams of having a martial arts megaplex! We spend all our money upfront and leave nothing for more important things like marketing. Start small, and learn to utilize your time slots properly! No need to have a shopping mall sized gym with 3 octagons. Get what you really need and save your money! PLUS, with so many gyms constantly closing, you can get a lot of stuff used but in great condition. Money saved is money earned, so don't just focus on more profit, establish a good base by driving the overheads LOW LOW LOW!!!

    3) Get out of the house! Admittedly, when I started my own business, it started out of my house. I turned my entire basement into a gym, mats, heavy bags, speed bags, etc. But ultimately, that is only good for training a few buddies, not many NEW clients are comfortable training from someone's home. Also, stay away from the "back of the industrial park" warehouses. They are cheap, but have no street presence. If you have 200 clients, then you can think about giving up street locale for a more hidden but larger spot.

    4) Sharing is Caring. After leaving the house, I rented space from a gymnastics studio. It gave me a little more exposure, an actual location, and was dirt cheap!! Check your local gyms, martial arts schools, park districts and see if you can get in. It will help you develop some more clients, and you don't have to spend a pile of money. Negotiate properly and you'll just be giving them a percentage of your earnings, or a cheap flat rate.

    5) Website: Probably the most important aspect of your business toolbox! A good website requires a few things. It must be visually appealing and professional. It must have some good info but not flooded. It must have an easy way to contact you, and it must have a "call to action." Nothing kills a business more than a crappy website. Pay attention to details, and look at other websites for some good ideas! But the real secret in websites is in the backend part, keywords, metatags etc. It takes time to rank well, but utilize tools like Google Analytics and you can really hone in.

    6) Blog!! I was never a big fan of blogging in the start. But I gotta tell ya, it's one of the best things I did. Not only does it help the audience get an idea of you, and your professionalism/knowledge...but as webcrawlers update, the more often you update your website the further up the ranks it brings you. PLUS, if you write organically, webcrawlers will find more and more keywords to better rank your site.

    7) Social Media. I never really cared for stuff like Twitter and Facebook...mostly because I don't really care for dumb posts like "Got a massive hangover from last nights drinking binge." But for business it's pretty good. It doesn't really drive new business though...but it is a great place to cater to existing clients. Stay away from making personal posts, but make good offers/deals, talk about what people missed in last night's class, post pics and vids of class...then ask your people to "Share." Just keep in mind, if they are on your FB page, they are already "friends."

    8)Referral Program: One of the most efficient ways of getting new people in the door is by having cheerleaders. Reward your clients for bringing their friends to sign up. It's better to have 10 people talking about your place, then just 1. Plus, it's my job to say that my place is the best...IT'S MINE!! But when someone else says my place is the best..that counts for something!

    9) Network: Luckily I got the chance to get to know so many martial arts schools all over the place. Stay on good terms with them whether or not they are in your area. Our group is constantly referring people back and forth. I don't have a kids program, so if people call me I refer them to nearby schools. If they don't have a women's self defense program or whatever, they send them to me. Having a good network is always a good thing!

    10) Market Properly! One of my biggest mistakes was my marketing. I would jam pack all of my flyers with so much info that it appealed to NOBODY! You can't market to teens the same way you do to adult males, or market to adult males the way you market to women. They all have different needs! Keep flyers simple and attractive, have a good headline, bullet points, and call to action. And keep track of what form of marketing has produced what and do a cost analysis. And DO NOT always put what you want to hear...this is what I mean... You and I might a place that will teach us how to kill someone with a straw 50 different ways, but to most people that is a turn off. Push the friendlier side...confidence, exercise/fitness, stress relief. Don't intimidate them before they even get in the door!

    11) Cheap isn't the best!! Know what you're worth, and compare it to the market value. If you're too cheap, people perceive it as being lack of quality. If you're too expensive, they simply think you're too much. Find a good average number. Sometimes you give away deals, but that is like an "intro" offer. And if you did your homework right and drove the overheads down, then you'll be just fine.
     
  11. Bruce W Sims

    Bruce W Sims Banned Banned

    Why is it that nobody EVER mentions Liability Insurance when talking about going out to the Public? If a person gets injured, you can't bet they will expect to be taken care of in the style to which they would like to become accustomed. This is particularly true is the clients you are teaching are children or adolescents. The is an old Business saw that goes to the effect that "Everybody is a friend until money is involved." Get a clue.

    Best Wishes,

    Bruce
     
  12. hardball

    hardball Valued Member

    Thanks to everyone who replied. This thread provided me with more ideas than I ever anticipated.
     
  13. hardball

    hardball Valued Member

    It's a long term project for when I retire. Maybe in 5 years. Probably will be in Baltimore County or Carroll County.Who knows, I heard some landlords offer free rent for the first couple of months. May have to go with the best deal. Location, location, location.
     
  14. hardball

    hardball Valued Member

    I like mine with sugar free syrup. LOL
     
  15. hardball

    hardball Valued Member

    I think that it's a "GIVEN" this day and age.
     
  16. ap Oweyn

    ap Oweyn Ret. Supporter

    I'd agree. I think everyone has the prerequisite clues here.
     
  17. Bruce W Sims

    Bruce W Sims Banned Banned

    Yes...I know....you'd really think it would be, wouldn't you? All the same when I was teaching out in the Community, the Health Club that I was at required that I have my own Insurance, while the MA club a few blocks away was only "looking into it" when I asked. There are also folks who teach in their house or garage and think that their Home Owners Insurance will cover "visiting guests". It doesn't where those "guests" are compensating the Homeowner. I've done quite a bit of research on Home-Based Businesses and I think that anyone who thinks about Teaching out of there home-----and not just MA---- needs to get up to speed on the current Laws and Regulations (IE. licenses, certificates, accessibility, utilization, etc etc). For instance, in Illinois its no longer possible to just pass the word around that you will watch people's kids in your home. There are very clear guidelines and limits to what a person can and can't do. The same goes for those "informal meditation groups" where they "pass the hat" afterwards.

    I'm starting to ramble a bit now, but I know that the day of just hanging a shingle out on the picket fence are gone. FWIW.

    Best Wishes,

    Bruce
     

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