Letting Others Talk You Out Of Martial Arts Business Success

Posted by Mike Massie on March 11, 2010

Want To Fail Fast? Make Every Decision Based On What Other People Think…

Nope, I can't do it... but that doesn't mean I'm going to criticize someone else for doing it if it makes them happy and successful.

This morning on our forums, one of our members who is just getting started asked if she should start teaching three year olds.

Apparently, she is good at it and likes teaching that age group. And, there’s a demand for it in her area.

Here’s the thing… she was worried about what other people would think if she started teaching that age group. Of course, this created doubt in her mind regarding the best course of action for her to take in her business.

Thankfully, one of the members of the forum who has been in business for a few years stepped in and told her not to worry abut what other people think.

And I agree with what he said, completely. Running your business according to what other people think is the surest path to failure of any that I’ve seen in over two decades of teaching.

You may disagree with me in this particular instance, but bear with me… I am going to use it as an illustration of why you need to make business decisions based on your own judgment, and not on the opinions of others.

Getting Back To The “Teaching Three-Year-Olds” Dilemma…

Here’s the thing about this particular example – it just makes good sense from a business perspective for her to start this class.

For starters, she is just starting out. In this economy, and especially when you’re launching your school, you just can’t afford to turn away business.

Also, there’s a serious lack of competition in this niche. Think about it – no one wants that age group, and I mean no one.

And the best part is that it’s a hot market if you can handle it and you enjoy doing it.

Personally, I tried running a three and four year old class, and I hated it. But, that’s because I wasn’t good at it. I had plenty of interest though, and if I happened to be good with three-year-olds, I’d have stuck with it.

Would some instructors look down on me for it? Sure, but they aren’t paying my bills.

And, I’ll tell anyone – although I suck at working with three year olds, I greatly enjoy teaching the slightly older 4-6 year old group. In fact, they’re my favorite age group to teach.

So what if other instructors think I’m doing a romper room routine when I run that class? I could care less. I am doing something I love, providing enjoyment for those kids and their parents, and making a living doing it.

Let me tell you – there is NOTHING wrong with that.

Besides, It’s All Relative

When you think about it, anything under age 7 or 8 is just prep for the older kids classes, and any classes from ages 7-8 to teen is just prep for the adult classes. And, adult beginner’s classes are just prep for the advanced classes.

You know… where the “real” martial arts instruction takes place. 

It’s all relative… so who said you have to meet someone else’s standard of what a “real” martial arts class is in your school?

Don’t get caught up in that – it’s the quickest way to worry yourself out of business.

Who Makes The Rules On What A “Real” Martial Art School Is, Anyway?

Ten years ago, you’d have never seen a BJJ or MMA school with a kids program.

Now, every serious full-time BJJ or MMA school has some sort of kids program. Why do you think that is?

Obviously, it’s because we all deal in the same reality when it comes to running a business. What goes up must come down. The sun comes up in the east and sets in the west. Hot in summer and cold in winter. Businesses operate on cash. It’s just common sense.

Personally, if I want to learn combat sports or self defense, I am going to find the most qualified person around to train with. Then, I am going to try a few classes to see if I like that person… if I “click” with them, in other words.

If they are a world champion jiu jitsu player and a good instructor, what the heck do I care if they run a three and four year old class or an after-school pick-up program in the afternoons to make ends meet? How is that any different from them working a part-time job outside of the school to help pay their bills?

Personally (and professionally as well) I think it makes more sense for them to be making that extra income in their school rather than by working a part-time gig.

Why? Because that means their focus isn’t split – and that is going to make the school better because they are going to be able to be 100% committed to running that school.

So Before You Pass Judgment – Check Yourself

So, before you go passing judgment on a martial art school owner for teaching a program that you wouldn’t touch – let me give you some advice… check yourself and remember that you aren’t paying their bills.

Besides, someday you may be in their shoes… and you’d be surprised at how your opinions change when you have to make the rent on a full-time martial art school every month.

Should Demographics Dictate Your Martial Arts School’s Image?

Posted by Mike Massie on November 5, 2009

Know Thy Image

I fully expect some clown to start offering martial arts for pets or some such nonsense at some point - which would be an extreme case of trying to offer something for everyone... or every-pet, in this case.

Trying to be all things to all people is a sure-fire way to become nothing to no one. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t diversify into having multiple programs for multiple age demographics. Not at all… in fact, for most school owners and in most locations I think it’s a mistake to just go after a single demographic.

Know What Pays Thy Bills

However, I do think you need to know what pays the bills, and be practical about pursuing that demographic and making it the priority in your school. For example…

In my first school, I built the entire school on kids programs. That was my whole image, and even though I taught adult classes, fitness classes, and so on, my entire image was tied up in being a kid-friendly school.

But in my most recent school, I focused more on presenting the message that we had programs for the whole family. Still, I wanted to teach more adults, so I focused more on that.

The thing is, getting kids in your school is usually the easiest task. It’s the adults that are much harder to attract. That’s why I always go for the kid’s market first, then go after the adults once the kid’s programs are paying the bills.

Know Thy Demographic

What’s that have to do with image?

Well, all my ads are pretty much middle of the road as far as raciness goes. The raciest thing I’ve ever run was for my boot camp, and that’s because the model showed midriff and had a belly piercing (it looked good, though – the ads performed well).

Mostly, I’ve stuck with mom-friendly stuff, because in the areas I operated in most of my clients and decision-makers were moms.

Know Thy Target Market

Here’s something to consider, though…

Say you run a gym that’s MMA oriented, and your enrollment is mostly made up of the 20- and 30-something, tatted up, Affiliction-wearing guys.

Chances are good that your kids classes are going to be made up of kids from those households.

So, you’ll still get some “contact” enrollments just by virtue of farming your existing clientele – it’s just going to fall out that way.

But, that “bad boy” image isn’t going to go over well with families who just walk in off the street. Your average soccer mom is going to be turned off by it, and she’ll take her kids down the street to the plain-vanilla-typical-suburban-family-image school down the street.

This is just one example, and I think you can see the converse also applies. If your school is viewed as a “kiddie” school, chances are good that will work against you if you are marketing hard core MMA or adult self-defense programs.

Know Thy Image As It Applies To Thy Demographic

This is why it’s important to understand the demographics of your area… so you can make sure you don’t have an image disconnect between the image your marketing projects and your local market.

In more densely populated urban areas, it may be possible to pick and choose your ideal student by targeting a particular demographic. This is what you see advertisers doing in mass media marketing – the audience is broad enough to allow the advertiser’s to pick and choose their market to a certain extent.

However, your market reach is effectively only 5-10 miles from your location (ten being on the extreme edges of your market).

So, the demographic found in that geographical area absolutely dictates what your marketing image should be.

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