Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in sports and fitness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Mike Klinzing, Founder and Executive Director of Head Start Basketball, located in Strongsville, OH, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

My business is Head Start Basketball, and we are based in Strongsville, Ohio. We have been running basketball camps for elementary school-aged players for 30 years. Head Start Basketball also offers basketball skill development clinics throughout the year. Everything we do is designed to make a positive impact on the lives of young basketball players on and off the court. This is the why behind Head Start Basketball!

In 2018 we started the Hoop Heads Podcast, which covers a wide range of basketball topics relevant to coaches, players, and parents. We conduct twice-weekly interviews with personalities from across the basketball landscape. Our line-up of podcast guests includes some of the top minds in the game across all levels, from grassroots to the NBA. They share insights to help our audience grow as a coach, improve as a player, or enhance their experience of the game as a parent. Listeners gain new perspectives on what the best coaches are doing, how they do it, and why they do it. We hope to make our audience think and challenge them to consider their approach to the game of basketball.

We'll also entertain and inform as we share our thoughts on the NBA and college hoops. We are passionately committed to the Hoop Heads Podcast and growing the game of basketball.

Tell us about yourself

I am also the Host of the Hoop Heads Podcast. I started Head Start Basketball with the idea of providing a great basketball camp experience for kids. Over the years, I expanded the camps to other cities, added individual training and group clinics, and then finally, the Hoop Heads Podcast.

I love the game of basketball and have been fortunate to be able to give back to the basketball community through Head Start Basketball and the Hoop Heads Podcast. My mission is to make a positive impact on the basketball community. I am a former D1 Player at Kent State University (1988-1992), where I am a member of the 1,000-point club. As a three-year starter, I was named to the All Mid-American Conference Academic Team three times.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Big picture, my two biggest accomplishments are:

  1. The impact that we have had on so many young basketball players in our 30 years of operation.
  2. Building a small business that has lasted 30 years and counting.

On a smaller level, with kids at our camps, the goals are always to:

  1. Have fun!
  2. Learn something about basketball!
  3. Inspire a kid to play more basketball when they leave camp!

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

  1. Doing it all yourself or learning to delegate. I've never been great at delegating, and that has probably limited my ability to grow the business.
  2. Hiring staff - it is always a challenge to find good coaches who support the mission.
  3. Figuring out the long-term strategy. I'm good at day-to-day tasks, but thinking and acting longer term is always a challenge.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Get started today. I wish I had started earlier.
  2. Don't let people tell you it can't be done.
  3. Learn your entire business and then start to delegate as soon as possible to people smarter than you.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://hoopheadspod.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hoopheadspod/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hoopheadspod/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/hoopheadspod
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachmikeheadstart/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Turn your craft into recurring revenue with Subkit. Start your subscription offering in minutes and supercharge it with growth levers. Get early access here.