Posted by Mike Massie on May 5, 2010
Are You Following A Proven System To Martial Arts Business Success?
If martial arts school owners spent as much time honing their business skills as they did honing their martial art skills, we would see a lot less schools closing their doors
There are a lot of reasons why martial art school owners hit plateaus in the growth of their schools. But no matter the specific reason, their lack of growth can almost always be chalked up to internal, and not external factors.
In other words, it’s almost never “the economy”, “the area”, “the location”, or “the clientele” that’s to blame when a martial art school owner hits a brick wall in increasing their student enrollment numbers.
Nope. Instead, it’s typically something that’s going on within the school – some critical area of business performance that is being overlooked, neglected, or that is completely absent – that’s to blame.
And, this all goes directly back to lacking an overarching, integrated, complete business system to follow in every step of growing your martial art school.
It’s Not Rocket Science… But You Still Need To Follow The Instructions
Anyone can open a martial art school – it doesn’t take a whole lot of business acumen to get a martial art school open. Just a little money (enough for the rent and deposit on the space and utilities, some signage, and your permits) and you’re in business.
However, to stay in business past the first two years… well, that’s another matter. And despite how few schools truly thrive financially, I often hear people saying things like, “running a martial art school isn’t brain surgery” or “it’s not rocket science.
True, martial arts business management is not something that takes a tremendous amount of intelligence to grasp. However, just like assembling your office furniture or your kid’s toys on Christmas eve, you do need to read and follow the instructions.
Most school owners understand this, but this is exactly where the problem starts for the majority of school owners.
Imagine you’re assembling a new desk for your office. And, instead of reading the specific step-by-step instructions for that particular piece of furniture, you took the instructions from several different pieces of furniture and started following steps from different sheets at random.
I’m sure you can see where this is going – you’d soon have a confused mess on your hands.
Without following the instructions that were created to build that particular piece of furniture, you’ll soon be lost. And, by following steps randomly or out of sequence, you’ll likely have to go back, disassemble your work, and start all over again at some point in the process.
A Simple, Comprehensive, Fundamentals-First Approach To Starting And Running A Martial Art School
I wrote Small Dojo Big Profits after ten years of figuring out exactly how to start, run, and grow a martial art school from scratch. At the time I wrote it, I’d been running a successful school for eight years.
It took me the first two years to figure things out, and eight more to perfect my system. The first two years represented my trial and error process of learning how to launch a school from scratch, with no financing, credit, or start-up capital to speak of.
I then spent the next eight years developing a simple yet highly effective system for growing and operating a martial art school on a day-to-day basis.
The funny thing is, I had a very good system in place by roughly my fourth year in business. However, I tried and tested other methods along the way (often with disastrous results). In the end, I went back to the system I started with, and was much happier (and more profitable) for doing so.
The end result was that I had built a very stable, low-overhead, high-profit school – one that I could operate while only working an average of 25 hours a week.
And, that’s the system that is distilled and mapped out for you in Small Dojo Big Profits… the “step-by-step instruction manual” for starting and running a small (150 – 250 student) highly profitable martial art school.
It’s custom fit for the instructor who wants to have a thriving business and a life outside their business as well.
Interested? Check out this site to find out more, and to order the book if you’re serious about growing a successful school.
http://www.small-dojo-big-profits.com/
Posted by Mike Massie on March 11, 2010
Want To Fail Fast? Make Every Decision Based On What Other People Think…
Nope, I can't do it... but that doesn't mean I'm going to criticize someone else for doing it if it makes them happy and successful.
This morning on our forums, one of our members who is just getting started asked if she should start teaching three year olds.
Apparently, she is good at it and likes teaching that age group. And, there’s a demand for it in her area.
Here’s the thing… she was worried about what other people would think if she started teaching that age group. Of course, this created doubt in her mind regarding the best course of action for her to take in her business.
Thankfully, one of the members of the forum who has been in business for a few years stepped in and told her not to worry abut what other people think.
And I agree with what he said, completely. Running your business according to what other people think is the surest path to failure of any that I’ve seen in over two decades of teaching.
You may disagree with me in this particular instance, but bear with me… I am going to use it as an illustration of why you need to make business decisions based on your own judgment, and not on the opinions of others.
Getting Back To The “Teaching Three-Year-Olds” Dilemma…
Here’s the thing about this particular example – it just makes good sense from a business perspective for her to start this class.
For starters, she is just starting out. In this economy, and especially when you’re launching your school, you just can’t afford to turn away business.
Also, there’s a serious lack of competition in this niche. Think about it – no one wants that age group, and I mean no one.
And the best part is that it’s a hot market if you can handle it and you enjoy doing it.
Personally, I tried running a three and four year old class, and I hated it. But, that’s because I wasn’t good at it. I had plenty of interest though, and if I happened to be good with three-year-olds, I’d have stuck with it.
Would some instructors look down on me for it? Sure, but they aren’t paying my bills.
And, I’ll tell anyone – although I suck at working with three year olds, I greatly enjoy teaching the slightly older 4-6 year old group. In fact, they’re my favorite age group to teach.
So what if other instructors think I’m doing a romper room routine when I run that class? I could care less. I am doing something I love, providing enjoyment for those kids and their parents, and making a living doing it.
Let me tell you – there is NOTHING wrong with that.
Besides, It’s All Relative
When you think about it, anything under age 7 or 8 is just prep for the older kids classes, and any classes from ages 7-8 to teen is just prep for the adult classes. And, adult beginner’s classes are just prep for the advanced classes.
You know… where the “real” martial arts instruction takes place. 
It’s all relative… so who said you have to meet someone else’s standard of what a “real” martial arts class is in your school?
Don’t get caught up in that – it’s the quickest way to worry yourself out of business.
Who Makes The Rules On What A “Real” Martial Art School Is, Anyway?
Ten years ago, you’d have never seen a BJJ or MMA school with a kids program.
Now, every serious full-time BJJ or MMA school has some sort of kids program. Why do you think that is?
Obviously, it’s because we all deal in the same reality when it comes to running a business. What goes up must come down. The sun comes up in the east and sets in the west. Hot in summer and cold in winter. Businesses operate on cash. It’s just common sense.
Personally, if I want to learn combat sports or self defense, I am going to find the most qualified person around to train with. Then, I am going to try a few classes to see if I like that person… if I “click” with them, in other words.
If they are a world champion jiu jitsu player and a good instructor, what the heck do I care if they run a three and four year old class or an after-school pick-up program in the afternoons to make ends meet? How is that any different from them working a part-time job outside of the school to help pay their bills?
Personally (and professionally as well) I think it makes more sense for them to be making that extra income in their school rather than by working a part-time gig.
Why? Because that means their focus isn’t split – and that is going to make the school better because they are going to be able to be 100% committed to running that school.
So Before You Pass Judgment – Check Yourself
So, before you go passing judgment on a martial art school owner for teaching a program that you wouldn’t touch – let me give you some advice… check yourself and remember that you aren’t paying their bills.
Besides, someday you may be in their shoes… and you’d be surprised at how your opinions change when you have to make the rent on a full-time martial art school every month.
Posted by Mike Massie on January 25, 2010
When you know how to get publicity, it's easy to get your business in the news...
One of the best things I ever did for my school was to learn how to get publicity.
In fact, I credit it with much of my early success, since I had almost no money or credit when I started my first school.
And, that’s a lot of the reason why I was able to go from ZERO students in a town where I knew NO ONE…
To over 150 students in under two years.
The Best Things In Marketing Are FREE… Or $10 In This Case
And the best thing is – it’s FREE… and anyone can do the same thing, if they know how.
Well with the economy being what it is, I’ve decided to start releasing a series of killer reports at the low, low cost of just $10.
And, the first one tells you how to do exactly what I did to get all that publicity…
Not only that – it also explains how to leverage the internet to get even MORE media attention for your school.
Don’t wait – the price is going up at the end of the week.
Get it here for just $10:
http://thepressreleasetemplate.com/
Posted by Mike Massie on December 31, 2009
Expect bigger and better things for your school in 2010...
Let’s be honest… 2009 was a difficult year for many martial art school owners and instructors.
For many school owners, it was a year when you saw less interest in your programs than in any previous year in the last decade.
And, for many part-time instructors, it was a year when many of you began looking at teaching as a possible means of income to fall back on should you lose your job.
I certainly hope none of you reading this had to go through that, but the from the emails I’ve been getting I know many of you have. And, quite frankly, I believe that many of you were ill prepared to face an economy that is as bleak as ours has been over the last year… and I want to ensure that never happens to you again.
So, I’m working hard to make the new MASAI website vastly better than anything I’ve provided for you previously. I’m working to get you more content each month, and also to provide you with more articles and lessons that are relevant to your situation.
Of course, with more content and improved services, our prices will be going up for our new members in January 2010.
But as a reader of my blog, I’d like to allow you the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of MASAI membership at our current 2009 prices. Click here to visit the site and take our $1.00 test drive to lock in your membership at our extremely low 2009 rates.
Working hard so you can expect better thing in 2010 -
Mike Massie, still your Martial Arts Business anti-Guru
Posted by Mike Massie on June 16, 2009
And, despite the economy… some plans are still chugging right along:
Las Vegas, NV (USA) – The UFC® Octagon™ isn’t just for fighters anymore. Now, for the first time in the 15-year history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship®, anyone – no matter how young or old – can experience what it’s like to train in the most exciting sport in the world thanks to the launch of the UFC® Gym™.
http://www.ufc.com/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=20420
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