WHAT IS OWNING A TKS BUSINESS LIKE?
WHY CHARLOTTE?
Charlotte, NC has 653 Preschools and 213 Elementary Schools filled with kids that would love to learn chess from The Knight School.
The Knight School has already proven to be a thriving business model in neighboring Raleigh and Durham, NC.
Charlotte is one of the most up-and-coming locations in the United States, and the time is right to launch a TKS Business in the area!
WHY TEACH CHESS?
Profound Impact Working with Kids
Profound Impact: Chess is the best and most well-researched way to positively impact young lives and make a meaningful difference for the next generation. Read more.
Sustainable Business: Most kids' programs and activities are limited by 1-2 semesters of curriculum. Chess, however, is unique in that it takes a lifetime to master and continues to help kids grow indefinitely. That means with chess, kids continue to return, enrolling year after year.
Easy for Beginners to Learn: With our seasoned guidance, you can quickly learn the chess you'll need to be an amazing chess teacher and chess business owner, even if you're starting completely from scratch.
More than Trending: Chess has been played for 1,500 years at this point, and it's more popular now than it's ever been in history. If you're starting a business, you will need something you can count on sticking around.
More than Trending in Charlotte
Easy for Charlotte Beginners to Learn
Sustainable Business for Charlotte, NC
WHERE IS THE KNIGHT SCHOOL NOW?
The Knight School is sweeping the nation due to its revolutionary approach and its proven and veteran-educator-developed national curriculum.
New Owners that join now will be getting in near the ground floor of this fast-growing national phenomenon!
The Knight School is now looking to award its next business license in Charlotte, North Carolina! Read on for information about qualifications.
WHAT SUPPORT DOES THE KNIGHT SCHOOL PROVIDE?
Much More
Kid-Centered Spirit
Supplies
Software
Autonomy
Consultation and Ongoing Support
Chess Training
Business Training
Packaged Lessons
Educator Established and Proven
Large Protected Territories
Large Protected Territories: Unlike most other after-school program businesses, TKS's territories are large and sustainable for business owners. Compared to some organizations, our territories are over 10 times as large, including for one existing licensee in the Raleigh, NC area.
Educator Established and Proven: When you start a TKS Business, you get a nationally standardized curriculum that was created by veteran classroom educators in 2007 and since has been honed and proven year after year and in location after location.
Packaged Lessons: Every lesson for every age group throughout every single week of the school year and summer has been packaged and can be digitally accessed by TKS owners.
Business Training: When you are starting out, TKS will take you from A to Z to make sure you are equipped and ready. We cover everything from sales to customer service and from classroom management to training of your own future staff.
Chess Training: We don't assume you even know how to name the pieces when you start. If you want to help kids and you have the qualifications listed later on this webpage, we will teach you the chess you'll need to get started during our onboarding process.
Consultation and Ongoing Support: Helping you succeed at having a thriving business is TKS's #2 priority, only after the wellbeing of the kids themselves. TKS is quick to respond and always willing to go the extra mile.
Autonomy: Once you gain confidence and know how to operate your business in Charlotte, sometimes the best support is providing autonomy. While we will always be available for consultation, once you are up-and-running, we won't require constant, monthly updates and reports like many other businesses.
Software: TKS Business Owners have free access to enrollment and attendance software as well as training to get set up.
Supplies: TKS Business Owners have access to premium quality chess sets, all 52 unique silicone wristbands (representative of the lessons in our combined national curricula), trademarked t-shirts, and many other items.
Kid-Centered Spirit: With TKS, you are starting a rare gem of a business that, from beginning to end truly places kids first and is genuinely making the world a better place. No gimmicks. Just authentically helping change kids' lives for the better.
Much More: Just a handful of the additional ways that TKS supports its business owners are: tools to train your staff, tools to manage your business, regular newsletters that can be used in your own city for your families, access to our proven marketing plan, our innovative tech pack system for operating classes, and the network of other TKS Business owners.
Click LEARN MORE below for additional details about how TKS supports its Business Owners!
WHAT ARE THE KNIGHT SCHOOL BUSINESS OWNERS SAYING?
Being the City Coach for the Knight School has been nothing short from spectacular. I started as City Coach during the Pandemic and it has been great to have such a supportive group of individuals that I can go to for advice and understanding. I have yet to scratch the surface as City Coach for The Knight School and I am excited to see where the next few years take me.
-Thurman Anderson,
TKS Miami, FL
Business Owner/City Coach
(newest TKS Business Owner)
Being a City Coach for The Knight School is the most fun I’ve ever had at work, and the entire system of The Knight School America really works to ensure the success of my business. I can’t imagine any other business being as rewarding as The Knight School.
-Davis Talley
TKS Atlanta, GA
Business Owner/City Coach
I love being a City Coach with The Knight School because it gives me complete control over my own life, and I love the work we get to do with the self-selecting intellectually curious students across America. I get to play board games and rate chess jokes with kids everyday, and that somehow leaves me with more money than I know what to do with. The fundamental reason I will never leave this job, though, is the radical freedom that comes from being your own boss.
-Liv Brooks,
TKS Lehigh, PA
Business Owner/City Coach
Being a Knight School City Coach is the best job in the world.
Having the flexibility of running my own successful business while making a positive difference in young lives is a win-win.
I feel so fortunate to have found this opportunity!
-REB Phillips,
TKS Jacksonville, FL
Business Owner/City Coach
INVEST IN THE CHARLOTTE COMMUNITY!
Change Lives: Chess may be the best possible way to change lives and invest in the next generation!
Scholarships: Most TKS Business Owners are able to give many, many partial and full scholarships to families that need it, making all the benefits of chess accessible to everyone.
Sponsored Classes: There are many grants available and donors interested in providing chess to entire schools in their communities due to its many investments. Check out this School Mates Program video for example.
Free Classes: Many of our TKS Business Owners offer some of their classes or camps totally for free. TKS Business Owners have the option to launch these free classes and are encouraged to do so as soon as they are comfortable with their new businesses!
Free Charlotte Classes
Sponsored Classes
Scholarships for Kids in Charlotte
Change Lives
MAKE A POSITIVE AND LASTING IMPACT ON THE YOUTH OF CHARLOTTE!
WHAT ARE THE QUALIFICATIONS TO LICENSE A TKS BUSINESS IN CHARLOTTE, NC?
No Chess Background Needed: We make sure all our new TKS Owners have the chess knowledge they need by the time they launch their businesses - even if they didn't know any at the time they first connected with us.
TOP 5 QUALIFICATIONS FOR TKS BUSINESS OWNERS
No Chess Background Needed
Desire to Make a Positive Impact
#1 Desire to Make a Positive Impact: The most important factor is that City Coaches need to care deeply about making a difference in their communities and investing in the lives of young people. The Knight School was founded and is run to this day by educators and people with a desire to improve the lives of others.
Drive
#2 Drive: Owning a TKS Business can be a great path to personal autonomy, flexibility, and business-ownership. While we provide new TKS Business Owners the tools they need to succeed, their ultimate success, especially the first couple years, is determined primarily by their own commitment, effort, and determination.
Great With People
#3 Great With People: TKS City Coaches are emotionally intelligent, warm, and professional human beings that exude positivity, regardless of whether they are interacting in-person, over the phone, or even over email. Local TKS Business Owners are the face of TKS for their respective cities, and The Knight School is very selective in this regard.
Dependable
#4 Dependable: TKS City Coaches are people that have extremely strong attention-to-detail and can be counted on to follow-through on any and all commitments they make. They never cut corners, and they take their word seriously to the degree that it's a noticeable personality trait.
#5 Leadership: TKS Business Owners must be positive and supportive leaders for the School Coaches in their respective locations. Great candidates should either have prior leadership experience or understand that leadership is both a privilege and a responsibility and be committed to being a servant-leader for their future team.
Leadership
Do you have what it takes to be successful and impact your community as a TKS Business Owner? Click below to connect with us or learn more!
7 STEPS TO LAUNCH TKS-CHARLOTTE!
Depending on what time of year you start, you could be launching your business and running your first class in as little as 3 months from the day you first connect.
Disclaimer: Please note that any opportunity to own a TKS business officially awarded will be presented individually and in writing. Nothing on this website indicates an award of a TKS business has been provided to the reader.