MMA and the UFC is definitely proving it’s self to continue to be one of the hottest new sports and business of the 21st century. It’s continued rise in popularity certainly means bright opportunities for those investing in the MMA business in one form or another from supplements to training gear to MMA clothing like the MMA Shorts. Even the business mogul Donald Trump has dipped his toes into the MMA business through Affliction Banned. But perhaps the most popular dream for most martial arts practitioners has always been to open their own school or training facility.
Of course, times are changing and to open and keep open a successful traditional martial arts school like Taekwondo, Karate, or Kung Fu you may need to incorporate MMA into the school as well. In order to prevent a mass Exodus of your martial art students chasing the newest fad you need to already provide it. So for those considering opening their own traditional martial arts or MMA training center, what does it really cost?
MMA Training Equipment
Not everyone has the huge resources to open an American Top Team style MMA training center with full gym and MMA training equipment, if you do that’s great, but let’s look at the basics.
Of course, you are going to have base expenses of getting your MMA business launched including; planning, business formation, telephone lines, computers and initial marketing and signage. Obviously these costs can vary widely depending on the amount of resources you can afford to devote and how large of a training center you are going to open, but these will normally range from $500 to several thousand.
Opening Your MMA School or Gym
The first step to opening your own MMA school after that is to find a location. Rent for a viable MMA studio can vary widely across the US depending on the area, how visible the location is and the size. However the good news is that with the recent real estate crash there are amazing deals to be had on renting commercial properties. In fact many commercial locations in strip malls across the country are even offering 3-6 months free rent in extreme circumstances in order to get new tenants. But for a 600-3,000 sq foot space you are probably looking at a monthly rent of between $500-$7,000.
What about equipment?
You can save a ton of money on start up costs by demanding that students buy most of their own training gear, including target pads, shields etc. And if they can buy from you, that offers another revenue stream. You will no doubt need to invest in at least 2 of each of the following; grappling dummies, heavy bags or wave masters and large target shields which will set you back to the tune of around $900 and can be bought online from sites like here at The MMA Zone. If you need to provide some gloves and other targets for new students to start with, you will want to budget around double that number. You can even buy your own UFC style octagon online for between $9,000 to $25,000.
So the bottom line for you if you are looking at opening your own MMA center is probably a minimum investment of around $3,500-$5,000. But as with any business there are always unexpected costs and expenses. You don’t want to get caught short just as you are starting, so any savvy business owner will know they also need to have at least 3-6 months worth of operating expenses in reserve for emergencies as well!
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March 14th, 2010 at 2:44 pm
With the economy in such bad shape, it is a great time to start a gym. You can rent space for pennies on the dollar. Just make sure that you’ve got what it takes to run a gym!
November 7th, 2010 at 11:32 pm
A bit much for me…
November 23rd, 2010 at 8:59 pm
A bit pricey for me as well.
November 28th, 2010 at 9:01 pm
Not many folks can afford that…I guess that is the case with a booming industry.