Today we’d like to introduce you to Richard Callahan.
Richard, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My wife Winnie Callahan & I own & operate Callahan’s Karate. We began in 1994 without a single paying student. Through many years of hard work, perseverance & indomitable spirit we’ve grown the school to one of the largest family Martial arts centers in the nation. We currently train 560 students of all ages & levels. Due to our family friendly center and programs we have many parents of our predominantly kids Karate school participating in our adult classes. Our motto has always been “Families that kick together are families that stick together”. Our own adult children grew up in the Karate school and are now involved in it.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The first few years were extremely challenging. Fortunately at the time we didn’t know about the statistic of 80% all small businesses fail during their first 5 years. We began with a rent payment of $1900/ month along with utilities, insurance and advertising expenses. Our goal was to just get to 100 students & try to break even. There’s a saying “Part time businesses will always make part time money”. We fully committed ourselves working 6 days/ week for the past 23 years. 11 years ago we were in a position to purchase the commercial real estate where we rented space in the early days. We’ve also grown to a staff of over 10 people.
Callahan’s Karate Studio – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
We offer group & private Martial arts training. What we’re most proud of is the many students that have trained with us since the early days. The school has a real family feel to it. Also we have one of the lowest attrition rates in the industry.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Every year we test and promote a new group of students to Black Belt. It’s very rewarding to see these people overcome many obstacles to achieve their goal.
Contact Info:
- Address: 20 North Road
(behind Bedford Farms ice cream)
Bedford MA 01730 - Website: www.callahanskarate.com
- Phone: 781-275-1199
- Email: info@callahanskarate.com
Image Credit:
Rob Ackerman
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