Focus on the joy, forget about the junk

It would be easy to make an entire website full of posts about the problems that arise in a martial arts academy (or any small business for that matter), but that wouldn't give a true picture of how we owner/operator types spend our time.  I've compiled some mostly-accurate, fully-unsubstantiated statistics about how things really are.  Understand that these are ratios only, and can be extrapolated to encompass larger, multi-site operations.  Enjoy:

-For every grumpy-butt who complains, there are 22 people who want you to keep doing exactly what you do, 9 who absolutely adore you as a person, 17 would wish they had your life, and 3 who think you're hot.


-Every time you change a product, service or schedule, you make 18 people's lives better and easier.

-The amount of each bill you receive in the mail is equal to 1/5th of the amount of income you'll receive that same day, but only if you do the money dance when you first open it.

-For every day that a staff member messes up, there are at least 19 other days that same month that he didn't mess up.

-Each time you write a pay-check, you immediately wipe the slate clean and you and that staff member are even again.

-Any time a student quits, he makes room for 5 more students who really want to be there.

-Every time you teach a great class, you burn an average of 7,500 calories, per class.

So there you have it.  And that's just the tip of the iceberg.  Clearly anyone can see why it is that we keep these small businesses open.  You just can't get a return like that from a "normal" job.  There is truly no substitute for knowing that you built, and maintain, a fully functioning martial arts academy.  All the people who contribute to its success do so because they carry a piece of the same dream that you have, and I can't imagine going to work along side any other team.