Business Building Blog

With the inevitable attrition of members, we need to always and forever be on a path of discovery – meaning we need to be looking for and finding new students, and securing and retaining our existing students. One of the easiest and most effective ways to strengthen retention is by making an effort to educate your members.
  
A member who is uneducated in what you do is a lost member or a soon-to-be-lost member of your school. I will use Member Solutions as a prime example of how to do it right.

A credit card reader, also known as a magnetic strip reader, is a great tool to capture and secure last-minute event registrations, and facilitate fast, easy merchandise and membership sales. The hardware piece is small and portable, simple to install, and mounts easily to any computer monitor or desk. Here’s what a credit card reader can do for you and your business …

In my travels and communications with school owners, I frequently get asked what’s the latest and greatest marketing strategy that we’re using in our schools to generate new members. I love hearing that because I believe strongly that it is important to pay attention to what’s going on outside of the dojo. It’s exciting because there are new methods of promoting your school — primarily the Internet — that were unavailable just a few years ago.

Hi, Master Tommy Lee here. Instead of just setting my 2012 business resolutions, I thought I’d share them on the Member Solutions Business Building Blog.

So here they are …. What are yours?

If you're using social media to market your business online (and if you’re not, you should be!), then you are aware of the power of social media marketing to build your visibility, establish your brand, and draw visitors to your website. You may have heard about Google's new product, Google+, but you may not know much about it. 

In my first installment here, I’ll provide some background on Google+ then show you how Google+ can help your business. Future blog posts will cover how to set up a Google+ business page and promote your Google+ business page.

For an owner to be successful in the Martial Arts industry he or she has to at some point wear many hats. We have to be the instructor, marketing expert, public relations person, personal development coach, manager, and even the janitor. For us to accomplish all that we must to become successful, we have to stay motivated.

Ah, that ever easy word to say, but increasingly difficult to stay, MOTIVATED. By definition it means providing a reason to act. If you do not understand what I am talking about, motivation is what you need when you have conducted your fourteenth school talk of the week and have sixteen more to go. It is what is needed when you are getting ready to go check lead boxes, to pass out 500 invitations, make another cold call to prospects, to teach that ninth high-energy class of the day, or to work that sixtieth hour for the week!

Walk into any grocery store and you’ll see shelves filled with heart-shaped candies, cookies and cards. Yes, Valentine’s Day is on its way. Just like Halloween, Christmas, Mother’s and Father’s Day, February 14th – and the days leading up to it – are days of opportunity for your business.

Hosting special activities and events during this time can create excitement and help strengthen retention with your existing member base. Valentine’s Day also gives you the chance to generate brand-new member enrollments and revenue.

Here are 5 ideas to help you create buzz in your business and boost enrollments, retention and revenue.

In 2004, a guy name Jay Abraham became somewhat famous in our industry. Jay is a brilliant marketing guy and he really did educate many school owners.

An excerpt from “The Martial Arts Business Bible” written by Rob Colasanti
For approximately fourteen years, I spoke to school operators of every style, all over the world, day in and day out. In the process, I learned that there are clear-cut reasons why some schools flourish and other schools flop.

The New Year is a perfect time to set new goals for your business for the coming year and for the future. While it is obviously important to have a plan in place to obtain new members and retain existing ones, it is equally as important to protect the business that you have built from risk.