| One rule of design that most guys don't know is | | | | affordable - even in more affluent towns, which is |
| that, when you hang a picture, you want the | | | | great news for your cash flow. Cost of living |
| picture to complement the frame and the frame | | | | tends to be significantly less too, so you can live |
| to complement the room. Though this article is | | | | comfortably on far less. In fact, in comparison to |
| not about school design, this example illustrates | | | | large cities, what might buy you a high standard |
| the three elements that must work together to | | | | of living in a small town might not even get you a |
| make a picture work. The three parallel dynamics | | | | small apartment in a large city. |
| that must work together for a martial arts school | | | | The Small City |
| to have a chance in any location are the area, the | | | | The city with a 50,000-100,000 population range is |
| rent, and the space. | | | | a sweet spot for many schools. These areas can |
| If you are in the wrong area or in the wrong part | | | | be gold mines for a well-positioned school. These |
| of a good area, you will not generate the traffic | | | | are often predominately middle-income areas with |
| you need regardless of your space. If you are | | | | pockets of high and low income. Because they |
| paying way too much rent, you will start each | | | | share many of the advantages of the smaller |
| month scrambling to survive the next one. This | | | | town, it's easier to build your name and less |
| kills cash flow. | | | | expensive to market to, and rents are lower than |
| Too often, new owners build their school as the | | | | those in the bigger cities. Also, because the area is |
| over-large and over-built Fantasy School they've | | | | larger, you will have more potential locations from |
| always dreamed of. This is a classic case of Black | | | | which to choose. |
| Belt Eyes. We are building the school for our black | | | | The Medium City |
| belt buddies and ourselves, instead of our target | | | | The city with a 100,000-250,000 population may |
| market. | | | | be more expensive and not as easy to penetrate |
| The area you choose for your martial arts | | | | as the smaller markets. But the increased |
| business must match the market you want to | | | | population density and the larger number of |
| reach. There is a big difference between the | | | | potential locations make these great markets for |
| most appropriate areas for an adult kickboxing | | | | an organized school. Competition will be more |
| school, a kids' school, and a school that caters to | | | | plentiful but, odds are, if you are a MATA |
| wealthy executives. The kickboxing school would | | | | member, you will have what it takes to be top |
| do best surrounded by condos and apartments. | | | | dog within a couple of years. Even if you don't |
| The kids' school wants to be triangulated by public | | | | make it to number one, there is plenty of |
| schools in single-family home neighborhoods. The | | | | business to go around. |
| guy teaching wealthy executives might need only | | | | The Large City |
| a room in a health club in the downtown business | | | | To paraphrase the song, "If you can make it |
| district, provided there are enough potential | | | | there, you'll make it anywhere...." Large cities have |
| executives to support the idea. | | | | their own set of advantages and disadvantages. |
| Let's look at some markets and what kind of | | | | Competition will be stiff and rent high. If you can |
| school best matches that market. Keep in mind | | | | find the right space at the right rent, and you are |
| that there are exceptions to every rule, and | | | | a good teacher with a strong business system, |
| these are general rules of thumb. | | | | the high population density can work as an |
| The Small Town | | | | advantage to get you profitable. |
| Small towns are about 50,000 in population or less. | | | | The biggest I've seen is the Tiger Shulmann |
| If you are good at developing a name, it's much | | | | school in downtown Manhattan. It is a 20,000 |
| easier to do so in a smaller town like these than in | | | | square-foot prime location with three training |
| larger, more competitive areas. In some rural | | | | floors and a cafe. Neither Billy Blanks' school in |
| areas, there is not as much for kids, families, and | | | | Ventura, California nor the main Krav Maga school |
| adults to do as in larger cities, so your school can | | | | in Los Angeles, California, are nearly as big as |
| become a recreational and social center of the | | | | Tiger's, but both have great locations and are |
| town. | | | | packed with students. Billy has to have a valet |
| Also, martial arts schools in smaller towns don't | | | | parking system because he is busy all day. A |
| have much competition. There may be a class at | | | | couple of years ago, I took a Tae Bo class there |
| the YMCA or a part-time school, but often these | | | | at 10 a.m. with 67 other people, mostly women. |
| are run like hobbies by black belts who enjoy | | | | The class after ours was taught by Billy and had |
| teaching but have no immediate prospect as a | | | | more than 100 students lined up for it. This was all |
| full-time professional. | | | | before lunch! |
| Some areas, like the town where I live in Florida, | | | | I use these examples not to imply that you have |
| are small towns as defined here, but they are | | | | to have a location and school like any of them. I |
| surrounded by more densely populated small | | | | just want you to know what the highest level of |
| cities, which expand the potential market | | | | competition is in the biggest metro areas, Los |
| considerably. In these areas, the rent is usually | | | | Angeles and New York City. |