December’s Mixed Bag of Martial Arts Business Items

Posted by Mike Massie on December 23, 2009

The Karate Kid Goes to China

MASAI and SAMAS member George Denson posted this on our forums today:

“The new karate kid movie is coming… http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/movie-talk-karate-kid.html. So we don’t need Mike anymore – lol. If the old timers are around, (At 43, I didn’t think I would be an old timer) they have probably heard someone say “All we need is a new karate kid movie.” The movie comes out June 11th.

I don’t think it will be the kickstart we need, but it will help. So prepare by doing promos for the movie, take your students there in a group, see if you can do a demo at the mall or theater when it comes out.”

Photo by Jasin Boland/Columbia Pictures

I think it’s going to be a good flick. That Jaden kid obviously got the acting genes from his parents. And thank goodness – remember “The Next Karate Kid” before what’s-her-face could act?

I agree with George, you need to start planning your tie-ins now. Get to the local theater before anyone else and start working out a promo deal with the manager. Make sure you can have a table in the front at the premiere, and offer to do demos for them for free.

You might even be able to talk them into getting the radio stations to do a remote, if you talk fast enough. This movie will likely be the big summer release for kids.

Plus, a lot of people who grew up in the 80’s WILL take their kids to see it. And, at least they didn’t change the name…

Are You A “Go-Giver”?

The Go-Giver by Bob Burg and John David Mann

I like to pick up at least one good business book each month, and I’m always looking for books that will challenge the way I think about and approach business. Recently I picked up The Go-Giver, a phenomenal modern-day parable that illustrates how having a giving spirit is much more important to one’s business success than just getting all you can in any way possible.

Sadly, it seems that more and more I have dealings with instructors who just want to take and take, and are solely focused on WIIFM (“What’s in it for me?) These instructors wonder why they’re struggling in their businesses, and marvel at the fact that I don’t choose to work with them despite their talent as martial artists. If they read this book, they’d understand why I feel the way I do…

If you’ve ever heard that Zig Ziglar quote, “You can get everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want,” and wondered what the heck he meant by that, this book will help you discover why service is the key to success. Being a martial arts instructor is really about service at it’s core. I highly recommend this book to martial arts instructors everywhere, and the theme is perfect for a holiday read.

Martial Art School Alliance Site is Relaunched…

Try It Out For Just $1 – Click Here!

And you can try it for just $1...

If you’ve been paying attention to posts and “breadcrumbs” I’ve been leaving all over the place, you’d have already figured out that I’ve relaunched the MASAI member website.

After a week of beta-testing, I decided to let my blog readers and newsletter subscribers in on it first (my SAMAS members have already been putting it through it’s paces for several days now).

So, my holiday gift to you is full access to the new site for three days for just $1. That way, you can see for yourself what all the fuss on our SAMAS site has been about over the last year-and-a-half.

Go check it out – there’s some free sample content there, and you can read the “teasers” for all the member’s only articles, videos, audios, and marketing materials (which we update every month with professionally-designed ads that are written by yours truly, as well as exclusive audio and video content you can’t find anywhere else).

If you click on a teaser you’ll be taken to the free trial page where you can take the $1 trial. Since it has virtually ALL the content from the last 12 months of monthly packages from the SAMAS site, you’re really getting $214.40 worth of information and ideas for just a buck…

Go give it a spin and discover how to make 2010 a turnaround and breakout year for your business:

Click Here To Try It For Just $1

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays,

- Mike Massie

What Martial Arts Business Gurus Teach Isn’t Right For Everyone…

Posted by Mike Massie on January 22, 2009

Just because someone has a successful martial art school it does not necessarily mean their methods are right for you and your school.

I’m a little disappointed in them.

I’m talking about some of old-timers in the industry who are well-known business authors and consultants.

All of them are smart, successful, and I’ve learned a heck of a lot from studying their methods.

But, lately it seems (to me anyway) that they think they’re the only ones with anything useful to share when it comes to the business of running a school.

Every time I read an email, direct marketing piece, newsletter, blog post, magazine article, or whatever from these folks, it’s always something to the effect of:

“My school-fu can beat your school-fu!”

Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy for those folks. I want them to do well. I don’t ever waste my time resenting anyone else’s God-given success.

But just because the people with the megaphone are sharing their version of the “truth” with the industry, it doesn’t make it so.

Here’s what’s wrong with their thinking that they have all the answers:

• For a long, long time, less than 1/2 of one percent of the school owners in the country were dictating what 98 percent of the industry should do…

• That 1/2 of one percent all went to the same conventions -

• They all used the same billing companies -

• They all engaged in friendly competition to out-do the others -

• They all spoke the same line when it came to how to run a school -

• But while they were living in a fish bowl, they forgot something…

And that’s the fact that, despite creating their own definition of martial arts school success, there were a bunch of school owners out there who were quietly doing well without ever being part of that crowd.

Meanwhile, the well-known old-timers soon forgot that there are a lot of ways to get to the top of the mountain.

As we all know, there is no “ultimate style” of martial arts. Some people are better strikers, some are better wrestlers, some may be deadly with a stick or blade.

And the best styles, given the right conditions and the right practitioner, can ALL get the job done.

The same goes for martial arts business practices.

So, what’s this mean to you?

Simply this…

Your job is not to find the ultimate business system, only to find the ultimate business system for your goals and abilities.

Some things in business are universal truths – but you are unique, and there ARE differences between your goals and abilities and everyone else’s.

So, for goodness sakes, don’t just blindly follow what the “gurus” tell you…

Instead, run your business tooth and nail, flesh and bone by doing what’s right for YOU and YOUR SCHOOL.

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Do you agree? Disagree? Chime in and share your point of view… click the link below next to “Comments:” to post your two cents.