The Profit Motive In Running A Martial Art School

Only Businesses That Turn A Profit Stay In Business, And Martial Arts Business Is No Different

It always makes me laugh when I see someone criticize an instructor who is running a martial art school for having a profit motive.

Or, as one entrepreneur put it, “A business that’s about making money? What a shocker!”

Yet, that mentality pervades much of our popular culture, as well as the martial arts business world. Many times we may even subconsciously internalize this mindset, which in turn can lead to self-sabotage in our business.

That Stinking Thinking

If your internal dialogue is telling you that making money is bad, or that getting paid well to teach martial arts is bad, or that rich people are greedy, or that successful people got where they are by cheating people…

I could go on and on in this vein, but you see what I’m getting at.

So, if this sort of thinking is running through your skull while you’re trying to build a successful martial art school, guess what? You are going to be tripping yourself up at every step.

This is especially true when it comes time to ask for money. If you feel guilty about getting paid for your time and effort, you are going to hesitate, to trip over your words, or just plain avoid asking for a check.

What a shame.

A Change In Perspective

But, if you struggle with this issue, let’s look at it from a different perspective and see if it helps you improve your outlook toward making money…

I assume you go to work everyday, right?

Let me ask you this:

If your boss suddenly walked up to you and said, “You know, since you appear to love your job so much, we’ve decided that you should do it for half the money you’re currently getting paid. So, starting tomorrow, your pay and benefits will be cut in half, and you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing you’re working here because you love your job, and not for the money.”

So, how long would you stick around at that job after that little conversation went down? Not very long, I’m sure.

The Proper Attitude About Profit When Running A Martial Art School

Well, YOU are your own boss in your business, and that’s the exact internal dialogue you’re having when you allow yourself to feel guilty about charging a decent fee and getting paid well to share your hard-earned knowledge with others.

So, how do you feel now about raising your rates to the national averages? (Note: They’re about $170 a month in larger cities, and $140 a month in smaller towns, based on the feedback I’ve been getting from school owners across the country.)

Stop feeling guilty about making money, and stop letting others make you feel guilty about it. Good clients expect to pay you a reasonable fee for your time and expertise – so let them!

Then, you can have the satisfaction of doing what you love, helping people improve their lives, and getting paid well for it to boot.