Post by R. Devane on Nov 5, 2013 12:07:02 GMT
Choo Choo! Everytime I log onto facebook it feels like some type of new training course/club has just opened up. I do think that this recession has given many people the bright idea that it's easy to make money in the health & fitness industry. The part that I do object to is that I know for a fact that some of these new experts have been fast tracked without any proper qualifications. Some of these new business owners are even ex-students of mine (and not good ones either!).
What does hurt the industry is that majority will only be open short term. Many people have been made redundant during the downturn so they give fitness/martial arts/training a punt (rent is very cheap at the moment so it's cheap to give it a crack - don't get any bright ideas!). When times are better for them (when work opportunities increase and they can go back to doing what they did previously) or when they realise that the health & fitness industry is too saturated or that they can't build a solid business, they will close and take everyone's money with them. Many clubs masquerade as full time professional places but they only open in the evening because the owner is concentrating on their main career which guess what? It's not in the health & fitness industry.
During the good times this is what we wanted to do. We didn't set up MAI in the downturn because we had no other options like so many others have. During the bad times nothing has changed - this is definitely what we want to do. We own our locations and we are going nowhere. We've been around for 13 years now (December 2000 we received the keys to our first club). All of our black belt instructors have trained for years & years and continue to train hard. There's no weekend instructor qualification courses here.
I do think that I must
a) make it look too easy
b) make it look too fun
c) make it look too financially rewarding
otherwise, how do I manage to keep motivating other clubs & instructors to set up? I do know that when they review the above their business model will fall like a stack of cards.
I love what I do. I was born to do this. This is all I've ever done. That is the gravy. There's no gravy train either. You have to hoof it
Thanks as always to all the MAI instructors, helpers and members that make Martial Arts Incorporated Dublin 7 & Dublin 15 what it is today - Ireland's Premier Martial Arts Training Studios
What does hurt the industry is that majority will only be open short term. Many people have been made redundant during the downturn so they give fitness/martial arts/training a punt (rent is very cheap at the moment so it's cheap to give it a crack - don't get any bright ideas!). When times are better for them (when work opportunities increase and they can go back to doing what they did previously) or when they realise that the health & fitness industry is too saturated or that they can't build a solid business, they will close and take everyone's money with them. Many clubs masquerade as full time professional places but they only open in the evening because the owner is concentrating on their main career which guess what? It's not in the health & fitness industry.
During the good times this is what we wanted to do. We didn't set up MAI in the downturn because we had no other options like so many others have. During the bad times nothing has changed - this is definitely what we want to do. We own our locations and we are going nowhere. We've been around for 13 years now (December 2000 we received the keys to our first club). All of our black belt instructors have trained for years & years and continue to train hard. There's no weekend instructor qualification courses here.
I do think that I must
a) make it look too easy
b) make it look too fun
c) make it look too financially rewarding
otherwise, how do I manage to keep motivating other clubs & instructors to set up? I do know that when they review the above their business model will fall like a stack of cards.
I love what I do. I was born to do this. This is all I've ever done. That is the gravy. There's no gravy train either. You have to hoof it
Thanks as always to all the MAI instructors, helpers and members that make Martial Arts Incorporated Dublin 7 & Dublin 15 what it is today - Ireland's Premier Martial Arts Training Studios