Parkour Business

[pdashby]

Hello,

I am new to the forums and planning on starting a business. I've been looking into it quite a bit already.

Here's my story.

I am a 20 year old college dropout. (not cause I'm lazy, the USAF kinda screwed me) I started parkour as a senior in high school and have been training for 3 years. I want to start a business teaching parkour. I know I need an instructor's certification, and I know where I can do that and how much it costs. My issue is the funding really. I intend to have a friend/business partner of mine certify with me, and we'll need about $2000 total. This includes the costs of the certification and any travel expenses.

I don't need any facilities, it can be done outside anywhere, and I have the entire University of Missouri at my disposal as far as marketing.

I'm sure there is plenty that I am missing, but I can't think of it. Any help is appreciated.

Thanks

[billbenson]

Never heard of it so I had to look it up:


Parkour (abbreviated PK) is a physical discipline which focuses on efficient movement around obstacles. Developed in France by David Belle, the main purpose of the discipline is to teach participants how to move through their environment by vaulting, rolling, running, climbing, and jumping. Parkour practitioners are known as "traceurs".

Source Parkour - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkour)

It looks kind of interesting for certain types of athletes. Normally new posters aren't allowed to post links. Hopefully one of the moderators will see this and allow you to post some video links so we can better understand the sport to help you. I'd really love to see some video's to see what a workout and the skills involved. From there we can look at marketing.

[mhovingh]

I'm sure there is plenty that I am missing, but I can't think of it.

It is a bit early for this type of thinking, but I will give it a shot. Two things come to mind that you might want to make sure you have yourself covered on.

The first is in regards to...


it can be done outside anywhere

No matter where you do it, someone will own the property. If you are doing it on someone else's property (public parks may be open to the public, but it is still owned by someone such as local or state government), make sure you have permission in writing to teach your class there, and that the property owner understands what you are teaching. Getting in touch with a lawyer on this matter, and to make sure you have proper legal forms for your students in order, is probably a very good idea given the risk that can come with what you are teaching.

The other thing you will need to look at is getting insurance to specifically cover injury happening during your class, beyond any insurance for injury occurring on the property where your class will be taking place. Not only is it a good idea to make sure you are covered if someone gets hurt, but I am fairly certain it would be a requirement by your state for you to have liability insurance. Talking to a lawyer about this would be a good idea and you may also want to see if you can talk a bit with a local martial arts school as what you are doing should be similar, from a legal standpoint, to what they do. Speaking to someone who is experienced in a related field can provide good information that comes from experience.

You may also want to plan out a budget for some safety equipment, such as body pads, helmet, mouth-guards, and even wrestling mats that can be placed underneath areas where your students will be elevated. This stuff can get pricy, but should be used to ensure the safety of your students. Regardless of whether there is some law requiring it, or whether or not any insurance you would get requires it, it should be something you personally require and your students will probably expect it in most cases.

[KristineS]

First of all, congratulations on starting a business.

Second, I have to ask, how do you have the University of Missouri at your disposal as far as marketing? Do you mean you have the students at the university as people to whom you can market? Or do you mean the University will do your marketing for you? Because those are two different things. Having a body of people to whom you can market is great, but you still have to create the marketing material and get it in front of your audience.

[Dan Furman]

I congratulate you on looking to start a business. But a few things spring to mind about what you are looking to do:

* The business itself... is there *really* a market that is willing to pay for this? That last part is key.

* Unless you are in mad good shape, Parkour is generally a young person's thing. You have a pretty small market (and one that doesn't really like to pay for stuff like this). Yes yes, I know there's the exception of some 38 y/o dude who's excellent at parkour. But you aren't going to get soccer moms and dads lining up for this.

* Like already mentioned, yes you can do it anywhere.... but somebody owns the property. That's going to be a constant issue.

* Insurance is going to be very costly.

* Lastly, what is "certification"? Does the state require it? If the state doesn't, it's likely prettymuch meaningless, and probably a cash cow for the people offering it (kinda like "certifying" depressed, middle-aged housewives to be life coaches and mystery shoppers)

I don't mean to throw cold water on you, but the above are serious concerns.

Oh, one more thing - 2 grand really isn't a "funding" roadblock. I know it sounds harsh, but truthfully, anyone who can't come up with 2 grand isn't going to make it. Get a credit card.

[billbenson]

I'll compare it to someone I know who opened a karate school. He was world famous but never really intended to make it his living. People kept asking to train with him. He kept saying no. Eventually he started training a few students in a park or at the beach. It eventually grew to a garage then a dojo.I don't know that insurance is that much of a killer, but you have to sign a waiver.

To make money, you need a kids program unless you are very well known or lucky. Obviously kids are taught differently than adults. Most parents are really looking for a type of day care. You need to pick them up and lug them around as well.

You might get some hard core adults or teens interested, but if you don't make a name for yourself in it somehow, I don't see you making much money. Maybe my martial arts comparison isn't valid either?

[mhovingh]

A few ideas regarding who to market to popped into my head earlier today and I hope you get something from them.

While safety might be a very big issue with this group, athletes (high school and college) might be a great group to market to. Focus on how Parkour works all the major muscle groups, promotes flexibility, helps develop agility, and can improve balance while moving. Especially since you mentioned you are in the area of a big university, this could be a great group to go after.

Have you happened to see the TV show Doomsday Preppers? Survival training, self defense, and firearms training are all staples for a group that is rapidly growing. Parkour seems like it would be a natural fit for many of the "preppers" who can physically handle it. It seems spot on for those who have (or want to have) bug out plans where they are moving on foot and need to be able to handle terrain that isn't ideal, especially in cities with blocked up roads and alleys. This is a group of people that take things seriously when it comes to preparing (they are called preppers for a reason) and they can be willing to drop quite a bit of money in pursuit of their survival preparedness goals.

As Dan Furman said, Parkour is for the young and physically fit. Can you adapt Parkour in something that those who are less physically fit, either due to being out of shape or age, can do? If you can take the enjoyment (and trendiness) of Parkour and develop a course that the soccer mom's and 40-something guy's (who are constantly thinking about how much more they could do when they were 20) can do, you might have something great on your hands that you can really build up and grow beyond just a few small classes per week (think Tae Bo).

[pdashby]

Okay, Wow. Haha. I haven't been on here in a while. Thank you to all who responded.

As far as property and insurance go. My partners and I fully intend this to be legal. One of my partners has a lawyer friend we will be talking to about insurance and liability waivers. Before we begin operation, we will definitely be asking the University of Missouri for permission to use their campus by whatever means necessary. For insurance, I have a few friends who own parkour gyms. One in Denver and Boulder, one in Minneapolis, and one who has a gym in DC and Miami. They have told me the insurance costs are relatively low due to parkour being, surprisingly, statistically safe, and their companies have never had claims. Safety equipment is actually not recommended due to the fact it can hinder your body's movement and prevent you from performing the movements naturally, which is the main point of parkour. I've even tried doing parkour with just a hat on and it makes me feel unsafe.

The market: Surprisingly, there is quite a market of people willing to pay for this. It's been my experience that people avoid trying it because they think they'll "fall on their face" or something along those lines. If we provide safe instruction, those people may be much more willing to try it. Google APEX Movement, Primal Fitness, or Fight or Flight Academy (the 3 gyms I mentioned earlier.) They have a decent client base.

You don't exactly have to be in mad shape to learn parkour. It's more about technique than strength, although being fit does help quite a bit.

As far as having the university at our disposal, I mean we have all those students to market to, as well as to help market, as I am sure there are ways we can give projects to students for logo design and marketing for way lower costs than an ad firm. I may be wrong, but ah well. I'll find a way.

Certification: Mainly, the certification would be for credentials. Also for furthering my own personal knowledge, as it doesn't just prove you can do the movements, it proves you are able to actually instruct individuals on how to safely perform parkour/freerunning. I intend on getting APEX's instructor certification. APEX Movement Parkour and Freerunning Level 1 Certification (http://apexmovement.com/lvl1certification.html) Although, there are 2 other certifications, but would be more costly due to travel expenses, although I would very much like to receive those as well sometime in the future. It's not a cash cow, believe me. They give you plenty of knowledge about personal training and coaching, much of which I need. I've taught some people before, but it's the troubleshooting of the students doing something wrong that I'm lost on. This is really an art that needs to be taught by the right people, otherwise many others could injure themselves.

I'm not exactly in it to make a bunch of money. It will first be a supplement to a full time job, then hopefully later I will be able to open a gym and turn it into a non-profit/not-for-profit organization. Who knows exactly what's in the future? If it works out, it works out. If it stays as a small operation, so be it.

Believe me, learning parkour is not something that should be taken lightly. It is a lot of fun, but if taught/learned the wrong way, it can be hazardous to your health. And that's an understatement.

I believe I have answered most, if not all of the questions brought up. To the best of my ability, at least.

[tmerrill]

pdashby, it sounds like you have a great passion for your business. I'm glad you are not giving up simply because people here have picked apart your idea. Good luck, and keep us posted to how it goes.

[pdashby]

I've had it picked apart by so many other people (the other gym owners) that I've got answers to most of the questions now. Hahaha. Being part of the parkour community for 3 years has helped me gain so many connections I'm sure many business owners wish they had.