By: Kurt Klingenmeyer

With the arrival of spring each year comes the opportunity to celebrate the moms in our life with Mother’s Day.  As martial artists and school owners, we know all too well the dedication of each and every “Karate Mom” in our school.  This year, why not give them the opportunity to train with their kids?   

As each holiday approaches, prepare and hand out invitations for your students to take home to their parents inviting them to an extra special Mother’s Day Class.  And because we all know that sometimes information doesn’t quite make it home from our students, be sure to make phone calls and extend the invitation personally! 

Prior to each event, be sure to preorder special belts for your guests of honor! Century’s PINK belts are great for the moms.  Be sure to order enough for everyone and any surprise participants that may show up.  

At the actual events, keep classes simple and fun.  The interaction between the parents and the kids is what makes these eve...

by Adam Parman

As martial arts school owners look for opportunities to generate much needed revenue while mediating risk of COVID in order to ensure customers feel safe, hosting an outdoor spring break camp can be great option.  Working parents need trusted solutions for their children where they know their child will be safe and have fun.  Often, these parents look to businesses that provide camps where they have already developed a relationship with the staff – like your martial arts school.  Offering camp services allows school owners the opportunity to diversify their business while providing additional revenue streams.  Many schools in our industry found summer camps and digital learning camps essential to their survival when opening back-up after months of being shut down.  Whether it’s a single day camp or a week-long camp, here’s a few steps to ensure success! 

Step 1:  Always theme your camps.  By theming your camp each time, it adds to the excitement each week while ...

by Michael A. Perri Jr.

This year has been one for the ages, with the wildfires, hurricanes, riots, a polarized country and, of course, the global pandemic. Many businesses have been so severely impacted that they’ve been forced to shut their doors for good. This includes some of our fellow martial arts professionals, people who were making a career out of sharing their passion. Although we’ve suffered setbacks, our industry still boasts people who are not only surviving but thriving. Schools that had the systems in place have managed to pull out record months financially regardless of the trials and tribulations they faced.

I’m talking about schools like Caleb and Heidi Collier’s Championship Martial Arts in Kaysville, Utah, where they took the systems and strategies of CMA’s Holiday Event and applied it to their “Christmas in July Sale.” It transformed what was regarded as a slow time of year into one of their most profitable months ever —in the middle of a pandemic!

You may be...

Wondering what to do after COVID-19 has ended? Download the Post-COVID School Reopening Pack Today and start preparing for that day now.

By: The MAIA Team

We have a special resource for you today.

If you have kept up with the news over the past few days or so, it looks like there is hope on the horizon in terms of COVID-19 slowing down.

Some states have begun to allow gyms and/or fitness centers to open back up.

AND it looks like more will follow suit in the coming weeks.

If you’re like a lot of people in our industry, you’re tired beyond belief of staying home and not being able to see your students. You're ready to teach class again.

You're probably wondering what to do after all this madness is over.

Well, the good news is we can help with that last part.

We've just finished our brand new resource to help you out after COVID-19 ends.

It's called the Post-COVID School Reopening Pack.

Our team worked with or found resources from the CDC, the Lear Corporation and Beth Blo...

Worried about the coronavirus closing down your school? Download the Financial Check List and learn what we recommend to do should you hit a pinch.  Download the COVID-19 Financial Checklist

By: Frank Silverman, MAIA Executive Director

With the coronavirus now having a global effect on the world population, there has never been a stranger and more troublesome time for the small business. Fear is widespread and people are actively being told to stay home.

That’s why we want you to be prepared in case you are asked or required to close your school. So download this quick checklist to help you in the event you have to shut down.

Download the COVID-19 Financial Checklist

 Here is my Facebook from earlier today if you want to watch what I recommend.

Look, we get it.  Not everyone is comfortable being a “salesperson.”  But in order for you to grow your school, you’re going to have to step outside your comfort zone and do something different. 

If you find yourself frustrated with a lack of growth or profitability, it’s because you’ve reached the maximum potential of your current mindset.  It’s that simple.  To go farther, you’re going to have to change something. 

Here’s the good news, though:  You don’t have to start with a huge, radical change to see an impact.

And that’s where this Square Hand Target system comes into play.  Think of it as a baby step into a brave, new world.

• You don’t have to make a big sales pitch
• You don’t have to invest a ton of money
• You don’t have to attempt a mass intro

All you have to do is bring in your own students for a seminar on a subject matter you should already be comfortable with.

And by starting here, you can begin to develop an ease and understanding of a much larger concept to real...

Do you want to get your mind AND body right in 2020 so you can be the best example to your students?

Then take the Free 7-Day Sleek Ninja Challenge from Hollywood physique expert, Eric the Trainer.

The holidays are a wonderful time to see family, celebrate the season, and reflect on this past year. How can we make 2020 a more profitable year, increase enrollment, and build excitement in and out of the dojo? By incorporating Sleek Ninja fitness classes into your curriculum.

The beginning part of the year is traditionally the biggest fitness time with people looking to fulfill their New Year’s resolutions. And with so many parents of your students looking for new, exciting classes, you’ll want to take advantage of this national trend by launching a fitness program.

This is a great way to get more adults included in your classes and make use of those early morning hours when your school is typically empty.

Sleek Ninja is a physical transformation program based in your school which al...

Give & get the gift of savings at your holiday event this year. Download your free Holiday Event Planner here.

By: Frank Silverman, MAIA Executive Director

Inside the Century Holiday Planner, you will find ideas and suggestions for making your holiday season a huge success! 

You’ll find ideas that will help you generate more retail sales, as well as advice for how to sell more upgrades, package sets, new memberships, and more.

Want a sample of what the Planner has in store? Below are five methods for improving retail sales, specifically, at your event.

(If you haven’t yet, make sure to download the Century Holiday Planner now.)

1) Make sure items’ prices are clearly labeled.

You wouldn’t buy an item that you didn’t know the price of. Often, people are reluctant to ask how much an item costs because they don’t want to look “cheap” if they then decide not to buy it.

2) Have a variety of items.

Have your “big ticket” items like bags and weapons, but also offer key chains, p...

Now that October is here, it's time to begin planning your biggest event of the year: the Holiday Event. Download our free Holiday Event Planner here.

By: The MAIA & Century Team

The 2019 holiday season is right around the corner!

If you’re not ready yet, it’s time to start wrapping your head around the idea of holding your school’s largest event of the year.

But how do you have a successful holiday event? Where do you begin? What are the benefits? What is the best day to hold the event?

There are so many questions that need answers – and that’s where the Holiday Event Planner comes in! Whether you’re a longtime fan of the planner or you’ve never even held a holiday sale before, this handy guide has everything you need in a convenient step-by-step format. Download yours here now!

Words of Wisdom from MAIA Executive Director Frank Silverman:

“People are looking for holiday shopping events anyway, if you don’t have one, they’re going to go somewhere else to spend their holiday ...

Learn how to enroll more 3- to 6- year olds this month with a Free Confidence Seminar. Text 'YESICAN' to 26786 for a complete overview of the seminar.

Note: This article originally appeared in the September 2019 Century Update.

By: Melody Shuman, Child Development Expert and Creator of PreSKILLZ

In talking with parents of 3- to 6-year olds over the past years, it is clear that what they want most for their child is for them to have confidence. When a child does not have confidence, it affects everything else that goes on in the child’s life. As martial artists, we are in the unique position to help children build their confidence by offering FREE seminars at our schools.

We recommend you give each participant a white belt to begin the event. Kids love novelty and the belt represents ‘ninjas’ which in their eyes have a lot of confidence.

The following information includes an outline of how to host a 45-minute confidence seminar. 

PART 1:

Motivational Speech (approximately 10 ...