Once I’m not writing concerning the newest tech improvements within the B2B area, I prefer to placed on particular clothes that resembles pajamas and try and throw different individuals round a padded room.
As odd as that sounds, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) has exploded in recognition in recent times. A lot in order that after 15 years of coaching, I’ve been in a position to begin my very own BJJ fitness center in a small city with simply 10,000 residents, a lot of whom are at retirement age.
Most individuals informed me this wouldn’t work. However after two years, we now have constructed an unbelievable group and a rising pupil base.
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I’ve achieved this completely as a ‘facet hustle’ through the use of Wix’s all-in-one enterprise platform. It’s helped me automate important communications, seamlessly handle my bookings, arrange a no-fuss on-line retailer, and pace up cash administration duties. Nonetheless, a few of its AI instruments have lacked the private contact required for a neighborhood enterprise.
Under, I define my challenges, successes, and failures when utilizing Wix over the previous two years.
Why I picked Wix
Earlier than I launched Borderlands Grappling, I had already used Wix to construct and host a number of web sites for small initiatives and private branding. Nonetheless, I’ve since moved my fundamental private web site to Hostinger.
As I run this enterprise completely in my spare time, Wix was a pure selection. Firstly, it was inexpensive, with plans beginning at $17/mo. I self-funded the enterprise and launched it on a shoestring finances. As soon as necessities like fitness center mats, insurance coverage, and coaching have been paid for, I didn’t wish to lay our a fortune on software program earlier than I had any proof that it might be a hit.
Wix neatly packaged virtually each software I wanted into one platform. Not solely did this save me cash on a number of subscriptions, but it surely additionally made issues extra environment friendly – essential for a time-poor enterprise proprietor.
What I’ve used
Web site builder and editor
(Picture credit score: Wix/Borderlands Grappling/Edited with Gemini)
Truthfully, Wix’s array of web site builders and editors is a bit of complicated. You possibly can construct utilizing the Wix AI web site builder if you would like a brilliant fast end result, or you should use Wix Concord for extra management. Alternatively, you should use Wix Studio if you’re a website-building skilled.
Not all of those choices have been accessible after I constructed my website, which simplified issues. I picked a template after which used the Wix Editor to make it my very own. If I wished to observe the identical course of right this moment, I must take the Wix Concord choice.
Frustratingly, if you wish to use the instruments supplied by Wix Studio, you could construct the location in Wix Studio. Because of this if I wished extra management now, I’d should construct my website from the bottom up – no thanks.
What to learn subsequent
That being mentioned, as this can be a facet hustle, I must steadiness high quality with comfort, and utilizing Studio would probably complicate issues. The Wix Editor is tremendous straightforward to make use of, and I haven’t run into any actual issues whereas populating my web site.
Cash administration
Working my enterprise as a facet hustle means I don’t wish to spend ages coping with the logistics of cash. Getting arrange for taking funds and managing cash on Wix can take some time, however as soon as it’s completed, it largely runs by itself.
All through the day, I get notifications of individuals making bookings, making funds, and automated transfers to my checking account.
Wix’s pay hyperlinks have additionally been tremendous useful for preserving advert hoc funds throughout the similar ecosystem as all different funds. They usually take lower than 20 seconds to create, and I’ve had suggestions from clients on how straightforward it’s to pay through the hyperlinks.
Reserving system
(Picture credit score: Wix/Borderlands Grappling/Edited with Gemini)
Wix’s reserving system was an enormous pull for me. With restricted time, I didn’t wish to be manually coping with bookings and funds, and with a restricted finances, I couldn’t actually afford the flowery reserving techniques that another gyms use.
We’ve got restricted area within the fitness center, so I must restrict courses to maintain them secure. Wix’s reserving system made it easy to set class limits, which minimize off college students’ capacity to e-book as soon as it’s full.
As we’ve grown, we’ve taken on extra instructors and function throughout totally different areas. Coping with this has been tremendous straightforward on Wix, with every of my instructors getting notifications about solely their courses.
It’s arduous to say way more concerning the reserving system, aside from that, for what I exploit it for, it simply works.
AI advertising and marketing assistant
In mid-2025, Wix launched its Wix advertising and marketing assistant. Being time poor, it made sense to discover this function for my enterprise, and I noticed combined outcomes.
The AI Advertising and marketing Assistant provides help throughout website positioning, paid adverts, social media, and electronic mail advertising and marketing.
Aside from paid adverts (I don’t run them), I turned all of them on to start out. Proper now, solely the website positioning assistant continues to be operating. I discover this assistant useful for its website positioning strategies that focus on my weblog posts and pages. Given the character of my enterprise, native website positioning and AEO (Reply Engine Optimization) are tremendous essential.
I discovered the AI-generated weblog posts, electronic mail advertising and marketing campaigns, and social media content material far too generic for my enterprise, particularly the pictures. We’re native and maintain issues tremendous private. A lot of the content material we submit is about what’s occurred/occurring/going to occur on the membership, however the content material the AI produced simply didn’t hit the mark.
I anticipate this sort of content material could also be higher suited to companies that focus on nationwide or world audiences. Even then, it could want a excessive diploma of human oversight to make it match for function.
E mail advertising and marketing
(Picture credit score: Wix/Borderlands Grappling/Edited with Gemini)
E mail advertising and marketing has turn into a necessary a part of partaking with my present and potential future college students. I’ve been utilizing Wix’s electronic mail advertising and marketing platform to ship common updates on what’s occurring on the membership, provides we’re operating, and a month-to-month e-newsletter.
Everybody who subscribes through the web site is added to my contacts, making managing lists straightforward. The e-mail editor is primary in comparison with extra superior platforms like MailChimp, but it surely provides every little thing you could ship common, enticing emails. Templates and themes make it a lot faster to ship constantly branded and formatted emails.
For a facet hustle, it meets all my wants; for something extra superior, you’d must look elsewhere.
Analytics
Wix provides all of the analytics you anticipate from an internet site platform, with some useful additions like ‘person queries’ on AI.
You possibly can dive deep into the analytics, however you can too construct a personalized snapshot to your homepage.
Watching bookings and visitors occur in actual time could be addictive, though not particularly useful. Nonetheless, you can too watch guests as they journey via your website, which, though it feels a bit of creepy, may give you useful perception into how individuals use your website and the place bottlenecks may be.
Automations
(Picture credit score: Wix/Borderlands Grappling/Edited with Gemini)
Though I didn’t initially choose Wix for its automations, it has been a large time saver for me.
Every time somebody books a category, there’s essential security info they should learn and types they should fill out. Automating an electronic mail for when somebody made their first reserving was as straightforward as deciding on the set off, then designing the e-mail and hitting ‘publish’.
As I exploit Wix Types, I additionally get a useful notification as soon as a kind is accomplished. Nonetheless, it could be simpler to make sure nobody falls via the gaps if Wix allow you to see a listing of your contacts with a notice on which of them had accomplished which kind.
I’ve additionally been in a position to make use of automations for advertising and marketing functions, akin to requesting opinions after a sure variety of periods, serving to me develop with out further legwork.
During the last couple of years, I’ve had a few events the place the automations randomly broke, resulting in some confusion and time fixing them, however total, they’ve saved me way more time than they’ve taken from me.
Dropshipping
Group and model are an enormous a part of Borderlands Grappling, and our members proudly put on our merch. However with restricted area and funds, I didn’t wish to maintain piles of hoodies and t-shirts in varied sizes. That is the place Wix’s integration with dropshipping supplier Printful got here in useful.
By connecting my Wix retailer with Printful, I might design and promote merchandise with out ever having to carry inventory. Individuals merely order from our on-line retailer, and Printful fulfils it on my behalf.
It really works completely for my wants, however earnings are low. With comfort comes excessive prices, which suggests including something greater than a tiny share of revenue to every merchandise is impractical.
For me, dropshipping lets me construct group and get our model out within the native space.
Would I like to recommend Wix for facet hustlers?
There are countless choices in terms of launching a enterprise web site. Code from scratch, choose from among the best web site builders, use a CMS, choose a internet hosting supplier – the listing goes on.
Which method is best for you is dependent upon your state of affairs. Wix isn’t the most affordable choice, however it’s inexpensive. It retains issues easy with every little thing in a single place, however this may additionally restrict flexibility in some areas.
Some companies will outgrow Wix, needing extra superior options and instruments. However Wix is a superb place to start out, particularly for many who run facet hustles.
