Posted by Mike Massie on January 21, 2010
…And What I Plan To Do About It
For nearly all my adult life, I've taught martial arts professionally and operated full-time martial arts schools... so I know EXACTLY what challenges you face, day in and day out.
Yesterday, I told you that the only way to preserve traditional martial arts values in this industry is for like-minded instructors band together.
I’d like you to know, that’s exactly what I’m trying to do through the Martial Art School Alliance International.
But before I tell you how we’re doing that, I feel it’s important to explain to you how I ended up launching this huge project (which has taken me the better part of a year to realize) and how exactly that can benefit you as a school owner.
“Oh No… Not Another Damn Consulting Company!”
Sorry for the strong language, but back when I was just running my schools, do you know how tired I got of people in the industry trying to get into my wallet?
Sure you do – because you probably feel the same way. And that’s why, ten years ago, I could have never, ever imagined myself doing what I do now… running a popular martial arts business blog, providing online coaching to hundreds of school owners, and helping new school owners find their way through a minefield of conflicting information and advice.
The thing is, I didn’t get in this for the money… in fact, I never meant to get in this thing at all. This all started out with me writing a martial arts business manual about doing business honestly and with common-sense fiscal values. But, it ended up with me becoming a weekly advice columnist for thousands of martial arts school owners and instructors.
Why The Martial Art School Alliance?
Not that I’m complaining… and to tell you the truth, I really don’t mind it at all. While I never intended to become a business coach, I have to say I enjoy helping school owners succeed.
But I never intended to do this full-time, even after it took off. So once I started getting a lot of requests for advice and business guidance, I knew I’d have to find a way to deliver information on a mass scale soon… else I’d be spending all my time working with individual clients and I’d never have a life.
Funny thing about that… did you know that there’s a lot more money in doing one-on-one consulting?
Sure, I could make a killing charging people for “consulting packages” (what I call prolonging your pain – consultants make a lot more money when they take a roundabout route to helping you solve your problems).
So, why don’t I do that?
Number one – and I’m being perfectly honest here – I don’t believe that it’s an efficient use of my time. Second, I value my time dearly, and quite frankly most school owners who need solid business advice can’t afford to pay my hourly rates.
So, I figure it’s better for both me and the school owners I help each month to deliver information on a mass scale at a very reasonable price. They get what is very nearly personalized coaching at a fraction of the cost, and I get to go hang out at the bookstore or with my wife any day and time of the week I please. It’s a win-win, all the way around.
So, now you can see why I created the MASAI site, and why I felt it was worth investing the last nine months of my life to realize.
Was It Worth It?
Heck yes. I’d have to say that this project has been as rewarding as promoting one of my students to black belt, if not more so.
And truthfully, I am darn proud of the results. As of today we have nearly 100 information-packed articles and dozens upon dozens of ad templates and resource documents on the site. In addition, I spend considerable time answering questions on our forums, and frequently respond with new content that specifically answers questions our members have posted on the boards.
The great thing is, our members are also more than willing to help each other out by sharing advice and information on the boards. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone to answer a member’s request for advice only to find three or four of our members have beat me to the punch.
They’re a great group of people, and it just goes to show what a strong community we’re building through this organization.
Future Plans – Where MASAI Is Headed
One of the issues that’s been bothering me for the last few years is my concern with where the martial arts industry is headed. It seems like every year, we get further and further away from our traditional values, and move more and more toward becoming an industry without a soul or conscience.
“It seems like every year, we get further and further away from our traditional values, and move more and more toward becoming an industry without a soul or conscience.”
Well, I’m not okay with that – at all. And, after reading your responses from last week’s poll, I can’t just stand idly by without doing something about it.
That’s why I’m making it a point to make MASAI a haven for instructors who want to preserve their traditional values while still embracing the future.
You see, there’s just no way we can ignore the sweeping social, economic, and technological trends that are going on around us at breakneck speeds each day. To do that would kill the industry just as surely as abandoning our traditional values would.
Even so, I still strongly believe we need to preserve the heritage of traditional values in the martial arts. And, I believe that the best way to do that is to help like-minded martial arts instructors to be financially successful by providing the highest quality of martial arts business advice possible.
“The best way to do (preserve traditional martial arts values) is to help like-minded martial arts instructors to be financially successful by providing the highest quality of martial arts business advice possible.”
And that’s where MASAI is headed.
We’re Not “Anti-MMA” – We’re Just “Pro-Tradition”
Don’t be mistaken, we’re not trying to “fight” MMA. In fact, I there’s a lot I like about it and I openly encourage MMA instructors to join MASAI. Besides, like it or not, MMA is here to stay.
Moreover, there are a lot of instructors out there who actually want to teach MMA with traditional values; if anything, I want to see more of that, and to support those instructors.
On the other hand, we’re not going to be abandoning our member’s core values just to make a buck; that’s because we’re here to serve our members and to help them preserve the integrity of the industry.
My ultimate goal is to run an organization that is progressive enough to stay ahead of trends, while still staying true to the martial arts industry’s traditional roots.
Of course, I don’t have any delusions about how big this thing can get… I believe that 400 or 500 members is all we’ll ever see as far as growth and membership is concerned.
However, 400 – 500 like-minded martial artists banded together can accomplish a great deal with regards to preserving a legacy for generations to come. That’s my vision, and if you’d like to be a part of it I invite you to join us to be a part of that vision.
Now That You Know How MASAI Came About…
Does it sound like something that you can get behind? I hope so, because with every school that joins we grow stronger, and better able to serve our members.
And in case you’re curious, I’m not asking for much with regards to membership fees (less than the cost of a cup of coffee from your local convenience store each day). And that’s despite the fact that I’ve been told over and over again to raise the membership fees to double, triple, or more that what we’re charging.
But, I want the site to be accessible to all martial arts instructors, even those who are just starting out. And let me be honest about this – we can still deliver quite a lot with regards to business guidance and information, marketing and advertising assistance, and ongoing daily support without charging an arm and a leg for membership.
The Bottom Line…
The bottom line is, this isn’t about me – it’s about you and what your values are. So, I hope you become involved, and also invite others to join in order to help us grow.
Because one thing is certain; if martial arts instructors don’t band together to preserve the traditional values of the martial arts, this industry is going to look entirely different in five or ten years…
…and I have a strong suspicion neither one of us will like how it looks.
—
Posted by Mike Massie on October 27, 2009
Have you ever experienced this?
You make a seemingly insignificant change in your martial art school operations… maybe it’s a small change in your schedule, or you change the fee structure, or you change your hours, or you hire a new instructor to help you out with the class load.
Regardless of what it is you’ve changed, you suddenly are on the receiving end of a ton of resistance from your students. All at once, it seems like everyone is complaining and your students on the verge of mutiny…
Resistance Is A Common Occurrence In Businesses Like Ours
Sometimes it may feel like you're getting resistance from out of nowhere, but you should view it as a positive thing.
I see this often with the people I provide online business coaching to on my member site. They start off following some of my advice, notice some growth in their school, and then they start implementing the ideas and advice they get from me left and right.
Before long their school is growing at a much more rapid pace. Out of necessity, they find themselves in the position of having to change some policies here and there to accommodate the growth. And that’s when it happens…
Suddenly, the grumblers and complainers show up. If you run a school, I’m sure you know the type. They are the first and loudest to complain about everything, no matter how good your overall customer service and actual classroom instruction may be at the time.
Now, there’s a reason why we’re more likely to hear this sort of grumbling and complaining directly. In businesses like ours (including martial arts schools, gymnastics centers, personal training facilities, boot camps, dance schools, and so on) we tend to develop our business relationships with our clients on a very personal level.
That’s not to say you should get personal with every single client; on the contrary, the more professional (yet friendly) you keep your business relationship, the less likely you are to be on the brunt of this type of abuse from your clients when you have to alter your policies.
Enter The High-Maintenance Client…
Even so, there is a certain type of client that seems to suck the life out of a school. These are what I call “high-maintenance students.” They’re sort of like driving an old British sports car – you do derive some benefit from the experience, but the frequent problems that constantly require your attention make it almost not worth the trouble.
They tend to be only a small percentage of your enrollment, but they can take up the bulk of your time and energy… if you allow it.
In previous articles I’ve discussed how these types are a cancer in your school, and how it may be your best policy to find a polite way to fire these types of clients (read The 4-Hour Work Week
by sometime MMA practitioner and full-time globe hopper Tim Ferriss for more on this topic).
However, what I’d like to discuss with you today is that when this happens, it is a good thing – a very good thing. Let me explain what I mean…
Here’s The Paradigm Shift: Resistance Is A Sign Of Good Things To Come!
That’s right… think about it a second and it’s not all that hard to reach that conclusion. Here’s the breakdown:
- Complaints are a result of Resistance
- Resistance comes from Fear
- Fear comes from Change
- Change is a (necessary) result of Growth
And, growth means your school is showing definite signs of health. This must mean that, when you meet with resistance, it’s a good thing – because good things are happening in your school!
Look, people are always going to complain and grumble when things change. It’s a fact of being in business, so get used to it. And, you know what I’ve found about this? When you simply reply with, “That’s our policy… now, is there something else I can help you with?” in a very matter-of-fact, unapologetic manner it tends to squash it in short order.
Sure, some of those people will leave; but then again, that’s the nature of the business, too. Students leave all the time for all sorts of reasons, most of which have nothing to do with being disgruntled. So, if a few grouchy students leave of their own accord – well, that just means the issue resolved itself, right?
And chances are good that those students will be replaced by others who don’t complain about every little policy change you make… which is yet another positive thing.
You see, resistance really is a good thing.
Posted by Mike Massie on August 19, 2009
“An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.”
- Benjamin Franklin
Oh, The Joys of Autumn…
The Back-to-School and Fall Seasons Get Me Jumping For Joy...
As someone who was born and raised in the Midwest, I always get excited when fall is right around the corner.
And, although you really have to drive east or west from Austin to see the leaves turn colors, I still get excited when my little Live Oak’s leaves start to turn golden brown around the edges (which may not be till December this year with the heat we’ve been having).
But, beyond the first cold snap of the year and the smell of Autumn, beyond football games and sitting around a warm fire with a good cigar – there are other reasons I perk up when fall is coming.
And The Best Part Is…
And, one of them is Back-to-School season.
As you may very well know, Back-to-School season marks a time of year for many martial arts schools when they are apt to enroll a higher than average number of students in a very short period of time. Many parents are looking for positive activities for their children (after a long summer of trying to keep them occupied and out of trouble) and adults are looking for a little “me” time as well.
Oh the joys of this time of year! From mid-August to mid-November, this is when I love being a school owner most. For one, I get to celebrate all the things I loved as a kid (isn’t it great to have an excuse for celebrating Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas – just like you did as a kid?)
And I also get to promote my programs in the process. It just can’t be beat…
But If You Don’t Have A Plan – You’re Missing Out!
But here’s the thing… if you’re not prepared for it, and if you haven’t planned for it, you are going to miss out on taking full advantage of a tremendous opportunity to grow your school.
That’s a shame, because it only comes around once a year. And yes, you can do well all year round with proper marketing… but fall is when you have a very short window of opportunity to take your regular numbers and double or even triple them.
That’s why I spend a good deal of my time and resources helping my coaching clients (both on my membership site and those getting one-on-one coaching) to take full advantage of the Back-to-School and fall seasons.
Everything on the site for the next three months will be geared toward helping these school owners make the most of this window of opportunity. And the results are telling… I already have instructors emailing me and posting on the forums about how the marketing and promotional plan is working like a charm.
Yep. I had them starting their marketing last month in July. No kidding.
And, it paid off for them, too… but it’s not too late for you!
Two Months of Marketing Information At Your Fingertips
Right now, there’s two months of marketing information on the site… all the ads and promo info from last month, plus the stuff I uploaded for this month. So, you can get 2-for-1 by signing up for a site membership today.
Just a word of advice… at $18 or so a month don’t expect NASA level technology on my site. But then again, don’t let the simple layout and site structure fool you, either. That information has proven to be worth it’s digital weight in tangible gold for the folks who have put it into action already.
So, if you really want to make some hay this fall (sorry, couldn’t resist) then get on over to the site and sign up.
http://www.starting-a-martial-arts-school.com/join.html
Oh, one more thing… be sure to register for the member forums right after you join. After your account is approved, introduce yourself and start posting questions online, or just troll the forums for ideas and insights. I’m on there everyday, and there’s also a core group of innovators and implementers on the site who are always willing to answer your questions and share what’s working for them.
That’s all for now… I hope to see you on the membership site soon! Let’s take full advantage of this fall season and bring some growth to your school over the next three months.
Until next time,
Mike Massie
Social Network for Martial Arts Instructors: http://www.masainetwork.com/
Business Manual: http://www.small-dojo-big-profits.com/
Resources: http://www.starting-a-martial-arts-school.com/join.html
P.S. – The seminar this weekend was a blast! Man we had a good time… I’ll be posting some video footage of the business presentations to the membership site later this week, and bringing you more information on the adult programs we introduced last weekend that the seminar attendees haven’t stopped raving about… stay tuned!
Posted by Mike Massie on March 3, 2009
When the sky is falling...
The Sky Is Falling?
So, we keep hearing all this bad news on television, and it seems like every time the president holds a press conference the stock market takes a hit. I opened the New York Times last Saturday (something I rarely do), and I have to say I have never seen so much “bad news” in a newspaper in my life. (No wonder the newspapers are failing financially… who’d want to read that mess?)
Anyway, Sunday’s message at our church was on cynicism, and it got me thinking about how our perception has a lot to do with how we deal with adversity.
And that’s precisely what I want to share with you today – how perception and choice can make all the difference in how your school fares over the next two to three years.
Fear Makes People Do Stupid Things…
Sure, lots of martial arts schools are seeing their students get laid off, transferred, etc. – this is a reality for us right now, and ignoring it won’t help. However, it’s nothing we haven’t seen before. In fact, this is very similar to what we dealt with in 2000 and 2001 when the dot com bubble burst and the bottom fell out of the tech sector.
During that time, my school lost about 1/3 of it’s members, but I didn’t let it affect my thinking to the point of panicking. Oh sure, I had a definite “oh crap” moment, but then I got on the stick and started cranking up our marketing, and also adding some additional revenue streams to the school. Before long, our income had stabilized, we had replaced the students we lost, and we were back at our previous monthly numbers.
Look, fear makes you do stupid things. There’s nothing wrong with cutting back when times are lean, but cutting back on marketing that has been bringing in students is just dumb. Yet, I know there are schools who are doing just that right now, because they are adopting a herd mentality and panicking with all the other sheeple.
The Adult Martial Arts Market Is Booming?
Yes, that appears to be the case. Last week I received the latest newsletter that David Meyer and John Will put out, and they report the following:
“Schools that are overly reliant on kids may experience a wobble or two, if their parents have to find that extra $200 a month to meet their mortgage – but schools who are into BJJ and MMA are usually catering for adults; and in that demographic we see nothing but growth!”
Now, these are guys that deal with hundreds of school owners around the world. I’d say they have an ear to the ground regarding what’s actually going on in the industry… and, my own observations more or less parallel their assessment.
What Smart School Owners Are Doing
...be mindful of what you catch.
- One school that I know of, located in a small town with a very high foreclosure rate, just reported to me that they enrolled five people last week and see no sign of it slowing down. Their competitors are struggling, but they’re thriving. So, what’s so special about this school? They are marketing heavily and not afraid to spend money on advertisement. In addition, they are especially focusing on their web presence and placing ads in local, family-focused media channels.
- I visited another friend’s school last night. His place is in a not-so-great section of town, located in a small, off the beaten path office park with zero street visibility. But let me tell you, it was nothing but wall-to-wall adults in there (and yes, his programs do cater to the adult market; MMA, grappling, and kickboxing). His “secret”? He markets heavily and does a lot of events for his adult students. In addition, the atmosphere at his school is extremely positive, and it’s clear they go out of their way to make people feel welcome. Oh, one more thing – his school has grown 17.6% over the last two years.
These are just two examples, but I know from the posts on our forums and the emails I am getting from the SAMAS members that they’re not the only ones experiencing moderate but steady growth in their schools right now.
A Pattern Emerges…
After reading between the lines, here’s the pattern that I’m seeing in all the schools that are doing well:
- These school owners are pro-active instead of reactive. They are proactively marketing and advertising their schools, stepping it up a notch instead of trying to cut costs by cutting corners in their marketing.
- These schools have been active in creating programs for and marketing to the adult market. They are offering fitness, MMA, and grappling in their schools, even if it’s not their “core” program. A wise person once said, “The secret to success in business is selling what the market is buying.” Even if you don’t want to offer MMA, fitness is an evergreen market, it never goes out of style. At the very least, you should be implementing fitness classes in your school that appeal to hungry buyers in your market.
- These school owners focus on solutions instead of “problems”. Whining about the economy is a waste of time and energy, and it’s not going to do a thing for your bottom line. So, stop whining and start spending that energy instead on tasks that actually provide you with a measurable and positive return… marketing/PR, advertising, and retention.
Coming To Grips With Reality Is Just The First Step
Lets face it; lots of schools became complacent after things settled after the dot com bust and before the gas crunch and mortgage crisis. For a while, it looked like things would return to the days of plenty we had during the mid to late 90’s, but that’s not how things fell out.
So if you’re one of them, coming to grips with reality is only the first step. After that, it’s time to get into gear and deal with the situation in a very real and actionable way.
The bottom line is that you can’t change the economy, but it’s your choice how you’ll approach your business during these so-called lean times.
Will you starve by choice?
Or, will you find a way to not just survive, but maybe even to experience growth over the next few years?
It’s your call.
—
Mike Massie is the author of Small Dojo Big Profits and runs a martial arts business coaching website for new instructors and small school owners, StartingAMartialArtSchool.com.
Questions? Comments? Completely disagree? Let the world know – post your comments below:
Posted by Mike Massie on February 28, 2009
Does this look like your school? The Texas State Legislature thinks it does...
Are you a Texas martial arts school owner that has martial arts classes that last for longer than 2 hours in the afternoon and evening?
Then, you should know that the Texas State Legislature thinks your martial arts school is a daycare facility.
Think I’m kidding?
This is an email I just received from Danny Passmore in Waco – I checked it out on the Texas Legislature website and it’s legitimate:
Friends,
Follow this link for a short news clip. If these bills pass with their current language, many martial arts, dance and gymnastics schools would be forced to license as a daycares or shut down. It’s not just the expense involved (which is several thousand dollars each year), but we would also be required to purchase certain types of toys for certain ages, have a minimum number of instructors per certain number of children, have certain square footage per child and attend yearly workshops for continuing education (as many of us attend seminars to stay updated in our industries). There are also plans in the works to require daycare staff to have a 4 year college degree in child care (CDA).
This language is not a mistake as stated by one bill co-sponsor. Many fear if after school programs (such as the Boys and Girls Clubs) are put out of business, the government will need to step in and build after school centers for low income families. Everyone could then send their children there and avoid the high cost of for-profit daycare which would put them out of business as well. The fear is that it’s a tactic for bigger government and higher taxes. That notwithstanding, we are not daycares.
If you live outside of Texas, remember that once a bill passes here, it will be coming to the rest of the country soon.
I will be addressing the Texas House of Representatives Committee on Human Services regarding the language of House Bill 601. You are urged to call your Senator and tell them to vote no on Senate Bill 68. These two bills are almost identical, so if one doesn’t pass one branch, it may pass in the other.
Don’t assume definitions. For example: there is no definition of after-school programs. We all assume this means after school until parents get off work, but that language is not in the bill. Remember, this is written by lawyers. Midnight is after school. Lawyers could and will spin this to mean any evening recreational business. That is just one example.
Please pass this along to people you know if martial arts, dance, gymnastics, cheer and other for profit after school programs.
Thanks,
Danny Passmore, President
Martial Arts Hall of Fame
Here’s a link to the news story featuring Danny’s school:
http://www.kxxv.com/global/story.asp?s=9921955
And, here are links to the House and Senate Bills:
Senate Bill 773
House Bill 601
What you should do:
1. Look up your STATE representatives and urge them to vote “NO” on the above bills before they go to vote.
Click here to find out who represents you:
http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/Home.aspx
2. Inform your representatives that we are not daycares – our mission is simply to teach martial arts! We do not tutor, feed kids, give them naps, etc. Urge your representatives to include language that excludes martial arts schools, gymnastics schools, and dance schools from this legislation based on their status as skill-based educational programs.
3. Point out that this will absolutely kill many small businesses in Texas… businesses that are already struggling during this period of economic recession.
Act now, or next year you may find that your children’s martial arts programs will have to be licensed as daycare facilities as early as next school year…
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