These are important questions you must ask yourself before you take the step of opening your own school.
COMMUNITY
IS THERE A DEMAND FOR A NEW SCHOOL IN YOUR AREA?
How large an area are we talking about and how many schools are already established? Are we talking about just one other school or are there like four other schools in your city? What’s the distance between schools that makes your school a more convenient location for that part of town? Back in NYC, there are 3 Starbucks within viewing distance from each other, each a single block apart.
WHAT CAN YOU OFFER THAT IS DIFFERENT FROM OTHER SCHOOLS?
How is your spot going to differ from the schools that are already established. Space? Price? Instruction? Vibe? Affiliation?
WHAT IS YOUR GOAL AND MOTIVATION?
What are you interests in opening a new school? Money? Demand? Difference in school of thought? None in your area? No body likes you at their gym, JK?
WILL THE NEW SCHOOL ADD TO THE COMMUNITY?
With a larger body of practitioners, the larger and broader the competition spectrum can be. Would this be part of your goal and point of participation in the community? Again this reflects back to whether there is a demand for the new school.
HOW CAN YOU WORK TO COOPERATE WITH OTHER TEAMS TO MAINTAIN POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS?
How can you work with the existing teams to help each other and maintain positive relationships? How do the teams there support each other in the events put on the for the local scene. Does everyone show their support at the local tournaments?
BUSINESS
HOW WILL YOU SECURE A LOCATION?
A jiu-jitsu family needs a home and consistency in location is a big part of that. How will your facilities/space supply the current demand and will things have to change as your school grows? How do provide a space that is both conveniently located and not too close to other schools?
WITH NO EXISTING STUDENTS, HOW WILL YOU PAY RENT + UTILITIES?
Do you have enough start-up capital to cover the expenses before you can host paying students?
HOW WILL YOU PROVIDE STABILITY FOR THE STUDENTS?
Will you be there in person at the scheduled time so that students can always expect someone to be there to help them. How well can you keep to the promised schedule? Also what are you doing to help promote enough students to be there to help each other with training?
INSTRUCTION
HOW WILL YOU SECURE A QUALIFIED INSTRUCTOR? SALARY?
BJJ aint’ cheap and neither is instruction. What are your options locally and how might this effect the interest at you school? It’s not mandatory that you have a black-belt but what else can you offer so that qualified instruction is there from time to time if not full time?
HOW WILL THE CLASSES BE LEAD IF NO INSTRUCTOR?
What are your options? DVD night?
AFFILIATE & NON-AFFILIATE
I’ve used the terms ‘affiliate’ and ‘non-affiliate’ in previous posts and in describing the new academy. I should more appropriately describe what I am working to be as ‘independent’ with an ‘open-door policy’. All this in an attempt to avoid politics and even that word can be taken differently depending on what situation you and your school may be in. My aim is to create an environment where people can develop and improve their jiu-jitsu, share with like-minded people and support the community that we are a part of. This is separate from the loyalties/responsibilities that I have to those that have invested themselves in me. I believe I can still have a deep respect for the source of my teachings and its lineage while being open to learning from others outside of my immediate training family.
We can play the ‘what if game’ but that just takes time away from training. I will do what I think is best without compromising my principles when that time comes.
