by Christopher Rappold
If you’re reading this column while this issue of MASuccess is current, chances are you’re a martial arts school owner who’s still dealing with COVID. Never has this industry taken such a hit!
So what are you going to do about it? The answer is you must rebuild, but you need to do so in a way that makes your school stronger and better because of COVID, not in spite of COVID. In this column, I’ll focus on two key areas you should explore to help your school have an epic comeback and sustained retention rate.
To get a clear perspective on this challenge, imagine that an outside expert has been hired to evaluate the scope of the damage that has been done. (Unless you take this step, you’ll be too close to your school to make an accurate evaluation.) Naturally, that third-party inspector would want to talk with you about your staff. The person might start by asking the following:
The inspector then would formulate solutions based on the answers you provided. While you can’t roll back time, for the sake of retention and the health of your school, consider the advice that such an inspector might offer and, if appropriate, build it into your strategic comeback plan.
Next, the inspector might focus on your student body:
Running a successful martial arts school always has been about two things: getting and keeping students. The most successful schools are those run by people who can readily and honestly answer all the above questions. These school owners then balance the “push” to take action with “patience,” allowing their consistent actions to produce the targeted results.
The challenge we all face these days is obvious: How do we move forward with the lessons of the pandemic while leaving behind its bitterness? With some thought, we can use this unprecedented global event to make ourselves better professional martial artists. With humility, great mentors and hard work doing what we love, the best is still ahead for our schools, our staff members and our students.
To contact Chris Rappold, send an email to [email protected]
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