AFFILIATION VS. FRANCHISING

There are benefits to both affiliations and franchising, but close examination shows a sizable difference in the control of quality. Many organizations have voluntarily made the switch from affiliation to franchise, primarily to ensure better control of product quality.

The main difference between these two organizing entities is the legal ability to enforce conformity and quality. While some associations may try to instill control through the use of gradings and association “logos,” for the most part, the only true obligation the school owner has to the association is lip service. If the school owner has any disagreements with the affiliation, they need only provide nominal notice and then resign from the association.  

On the other hand, the reason franchises have been successful in the past is due to the legal ramifications the franchiser can evoke if a franchisee does not adhere to the strict business model and requirements laid down...

A quick starting note: I did my initial research on this subject matter prior to the COVID-19 pandemic reaching North America. However, seeing the results of this crisis only reinforced my theory: Martial arts schools must consolidate, or will perish. There may be schools that are exceptions, but they are just that: exceptions.

Inconsistent Levels of Quality

A recent graph published in MASuccess showed that around 96% of all martial arts school owners own only one or two schools. Many of those second schools are small satellite locations (and usually located in an elementary school gym or a local community center). This indicates that there is a lack of consistency with respect to curriculum, standards, quality and legitimacy.

Unfortunately, this lack of conformity has resulted in numerous lawsuits against various schools, often due to some type of negligence on the part of the school owner. Whether this negligence was due to actions of the school owner or one of the...

With everything moving to digital, there is a huge opportunity to provide immense value in traditional ways. Try these 5 tips below.

By: Cris Rodriguez, MAIA Digital Marketing Expert

While Digital Marketing is the medium in which everything is happening nowadays, traditional forms of marketing can still play a role in supporting and uplifting your current marketing efforts.

Here are 5 Forms of Offline Marketing, as well as some examples demonstrative to that fact.

#1: Hand-Written Thank You Cards

For every single one of your members that has stuck with you through this, you should take the time to sit down and hand-write them a thank you card. It will go a LONG way.

Think about it, what's the only thing adults get in the mail? BILLS!

So imagine your member's surprise when they go out to grab their mail and find a PERSONALIZED letter from their Martial Arts Academy?

They will not only be elated but feel appreciated as well.

#2: Business to Business Relationships

Now yes, I am...

by Christopher Rappold

Open a business magazine or glance at the business section in Barnes & Noble, and then try to recall the business-building ads you’ve recently scrolled over while perusing the internet. Regardless of the industry or group on which they focus, you’ll find one thing in common: They’re disproportionately focused on getting new clients rather than retaining existing ones.

The mother of one of my students approached me in the lobby with her young son, who was visibly upset. She asked if I had a moment to talk. As it turned out, though the boy was an angel in our classes, he was a terror at home and at school. She was bringing him in to have him tell us what he’d done. Additionally, as punishment, his parents had decided to take away the only thing that seemed to matter to him: his martial arts training.

It took me a total of 10 minutes to reframe the mom’s decision to remove the positive reinforcement of martial arts....

by Melissa Torres, MAIA Division Manager

I’ve worked for the Martial Arts Industry Association for some time now. I’ve learned a lot, especially since I became Division Manager. When you spend time speaking with dozens, if not hundreds, of martial artists and school owners, you can’t help but start to notice patterns. One thing that really stands out to me is that school owners choose their career because they love martial arts. They have a passion for teaching and want to spread the benefits.

On one hand, this is great. On the other, it means that almost none of them considered the business side of the venture when they opened their schools.

This ties in with another pattern I’ve noticed: Many school owners don’t know the first thing about running a successful business. They get bogged down in daily tasks like teaching, answering phones, cleaning mats and taking out the trash — all important jobs, to be certain — but they tend to...

by Dave Kovar 

In the March/April 2020 issue of MASuccess, I discussed the first three keys to long-term success: Keep your center, value your relationships above all else and know where you’re going. Here, I will cover the final two.

4          Know How You’re Going to Get There

Once you know where you’re going (my third key), the next step is figuring out how you’re going to get there. You don’t need to know every detail; you just need to begin taking steps in the right direction. Remember that motivation follows action. There’s something magical about taking that first step. Plan out the next step, and the step after that, day by day. Before you know it, you will have made great progress.

There are so many applications for this practice in the business of running a martial arts school. Imagine if your goal is to get 20 new members in the next month. How are you going to get there?...

Do you want help launching profitable Facebook ads, check out the recordings of our Ultimate Facebook Ads Workshop. www.OnlineAdsWorkshop.com

By: Cris Rodriguez, MAIA Digital Marketing Specialist

Are you struggling to gain new students during this pandemic?

Here is a breakdown of 3 of the most common mistakes school owners make when advertising during COVID-19.

1) Not Advertising AT ALL!

One of the most obvious mistakes is simply not running ads at all. It can't be stressed enough how important it is for your school to be advertising -

Facebook ads are extremely affordable right now, and you're only doing your academy a disservice by not doing everything you can to bring in new students.

Besides bringing in new students, what else can advertising do for my academy right now?

Top-of-Mind Awareness.

Exposing people to your ads and your academy keeps you at the top of their mind. People are not going to go out of their way to think about a martial arts academy right...

by Philip E. Goss Jr., Esq.

I’ve had the pleasure of writing this column for 19 years. The membership of the Martial Arts Industry Association has grown greatly during this time, both in size and sophistication.

There are many business subjects that have been and continue to be important to school owners. One is the issue of restrictive covenants and employment agreements, a hot topic from day one, circa 2001, and still worthy of attention.

Those who read my columns regularly know that I’ve always warned that the law typically moves at a glacial pace (“law” in this case referring to statutes that are enacted by legislatures and later defined by courts). The law is not equipped to react quickly to changing technology and social mores. By way of example, who among us in 2001 would have bet their lunch money that by today, marijuana use would be at least partially decriminalized in half of the Unites States or that same-sex marriage would be legal...

by Eric P. Fleishman

Owning and operating your own dojo — a customized, picture-perfect hall of enlightenment, if you will — can be a dream come true for some. Having the opportunity to share the warrior’s way with the next generation is the ultimate honor for any black belt. Passing along the knowledge is a tradition as old as the martial arts themselves. But for this process to succeed, would-be teachers must first secure a building, purchase insurance and market themselves.

To create a thriving martial arts business, the next step is just as crucial: Assemble a staff. You might start out working solo, but to grow, you’ll need more people. These men and women are paramount to delivering knowledge and techniques to your students, as well as nurturing them through the struggles that always accompany personal growth. Finding the best instructors is essential, and keeping them happy and motivated will set you on the road to long-term success. The...

by Karen Eden

Among Native Americans, honoring your ancestors is a long-standing practice. Every powwow, every sacred ceremony and every tribute to the creator — they all begin and end with remembering those who have come before. There’s a sharing of the knowledge and comfort that they’re up there in the great beyond, pulling for you and finding ways to guide you when you need help.

Native or not, at the very least, we all owe our ancestors a certain amount of respect. After all, it was their love and great determination to thrive that got us where we are today. I, for one, will go out of my way to make sure I remain grateful in remembering these sacrifices — all of them — from 14 different nationalities. Understanding their hardships helps me realize who I am today and what my blood has recorded within my veins.

We all must answer the question of who we are meant to be. And like in a tapestry that gets woven over the years of our...