Good evening, I am new to the area. I actually don't live here yet but I do work here and am planning to move here as soon as possible. I am considering opening my own business and am curious about the public's perception of it.
I am planning to open a martial arts school in Anna. I have looked at other areas but am still leaning towards Anna as I already work here and I like the town. I understand that it's not the largest town in Collin County but despite the horrible economy it still continues to grow. To my knowledge there are no other schools nearby unless you drive to Sherman or McKinney. However, I am planning to offer something that Sherman can't offer and even though McKinney does, I plan to do it closer and cheaper.
I'm not planning to make it rich by any means. This really does two things for me:
As a practitioner I belong to several organizations that recognize my training and credentials and they also dictate the requirements for me to advance. In order to advance in rank and continue in training, I need to teach! Teaching and practicing costs money. I would like to open a school that focuses on the traditional styles of teaching instead of the common (often overrated) black belt mill schools that teach styles that they are not trained in, award black belts to those who pay the most money, and focus on philosphies that will get you hurt or put in jail. I am planning to teach Hapkido and Tang Soo Do which I have over 20 years experience in. I have taught children and adults in the past but have never owned a school . I am hoping that after some time of doing this that I will able to afford to offer weapons techniques and even hire another instructor that might have experience in other styles.
I plan to offer classes to adults and children and can teach those with most physical handicaps. This type of training is not just for self defense but also for self discipline, health, focus, and is very good for stress reduction. I also plan to offer Ki Gong in the future which is somewhat similar to Tai Chi and is very good for the elderly and for athletes.
Obviously this will be a growing business because my main obstacle right now is that rental rates are very expensive and I am paying for this entirely out of my pocket.
What are your thoughts?
P.S. I also plan to speak to the schools to possibly start a program in the schools if they will allow it and all local law enforcement will have free memberships!
