Christine Pitawanich / NCC News
10/14/2009
Syracuse, N.Y. - El-Java Abdul-Qadir decided he wasn’t going to wait. So just 3 weeks ago, he opened up his very own karate studio…even though he already has a full time office job.
“This is real, it’s happening, it’s tremendously exciting,” said Abdul-Qadir. “[But] it’s a big risk and [it’s] nerve-wracking.”
He said that opening the karate studio allowed him to mix his passions: martial arts, business, and helping people realize their spiritual, physical and mental potential.
Still a Long Road Ahead
There’s still a lot of work to be done. Abdul-Qadir needs to find more karate students, and still isn’t done turning the space, which used to be a dry cleaner, into the karate studio of his dreams. But he said he has come a long way from when he first started.
“It was dusty, [with] cinder blocks on the walls. It was just horrible,” Abdul-Qadir said.
Preparation is Key
But after months of work, his leap of faith is starting to pay off. Though the bad economy makes it hard for any entrepreneur to open their own business right now, Abdul-Qadir said preparation is key.
“I think it provided me with some confidence to take this risk…and now I’m out here doing it,” said Abdul-Qadir. “It’s a risk, it’s a huge risk because I don’t know whether I’ll have this [office] job tomorrow,” added Abdul-Qadir.
Starting a Business 101
Before Abdul-Qadir started his karate studio, he attended the 6-week longEntrepreneur Bootcamp hosted by the Falcone Center for Entrepreneurship at the SU Whitman School. Every Saturday for 6 weeks, students learn the keys to starting a business. A new session began this past Saturday, and it saw record attendance.
Tom Kruczek is the Executive Director of the Falcone Center. He said, despite the recession, people are taking the initiative to start their own businesses.
“We sold out. We’ve had to stop letting people into the class, so this has been our best year ever,” said Kruczek.
He also said there was a diverse grouping of people registered for the bootcamp.
“We’re seeing people at various stages of their careers who are saying, ‘yeah, I’ve got this idea, I’m going to do it, I’m doing to do it now,” Kruczek said.
Self Reliance in an Uncertain Economy
Some people drove quite a ways to attend the bootcamp. Elizabeth Glynn lives in Fairport, NY and drove about 80 miles to Syracuse. She said the uncertain economy played a big role in her decision to venture out on her own.
“I work for a pretty big global company. I’m not going to be ignorant and think I’m not just a number, I am. And if I were to get laid off, I’d like to know I have the tools and resources to make my dream come true,” said Glynn.
And for El-Java Abdul-Qadir, starting a karate studio is precisely that…a dream come true.
WEB EXCLUSIVE
Tom Kruczek has some tips for aspiring entrepreneurs.
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