Jonathan Metcalf. It’s clear that the proverbial bright light has flashed in Jonathan Metcalf’s mind-because he understands the BIG IT: owning a martial arts school is an extraordinary opportunity. He has discovered that you can continue to honor the traditions of your art as you change people’s lives and serve your community, which just so ...

It’s an unfortunate reality in our business that, despite our best intentions, students quit, for good or bad reasons. It is an even more unfortunate reality that many schools do very little to prevent attrition. I remember buying a car once. At that time, I did not have a very sophisticated understanding of the sales ...

Jason Yi, a NAPMA Inner Circle member, who will also be in attendance at the 2008 NAPMA Extreme Success Academy, serving on a panel of experts with other Inner Circle Group members to help you grow your school, is the subject of this month’s Member Success Story. Jason is a bright, entrepreneurially minded school owner, ...

If not, is your school DOOMED for mediocrity (or failure)? In the last 2 installments, we’ve been exploring the “Environment of Support” you are creating for yourself, and how it relates to the success of you and your business. I was thumbing through one of those silly desk calendars loaded with cute little quips, and ...

If not, is your School DOOMED for Mediocrity (or Failure)? Last month, my column explored the influence of our environment on our performance as entrepreneurs. Picture Donald Trump making his way to the boardroom, but, in place of his regular staff of executives and experts, are a bunch of interns and mailroom employees. Now, I’m ...

If not, is your school DOOMED for mediocrity (or failure)? The debate goes something like this: Are you simply born with “it” or are you the sum total of your experiences? Was Muhammad Ali  predestined to become a championat conception, or was he compelled to greatness by his circumstances? One thing is certain; in today’s ...

Part 10: The Anatomy of an Ad: Body Copy, Part 6, Unique Selling Proposition (USP) Why Would They Say “No”? When someone is reading your ad or other marketing material, they are having a conversation with themselves . They are naturally skeptical of you, after all, you’re trying to “sell them something,” and they will ...

If not, is your school DOOMED for mediocrity (or failure)? This age-old debate goes something like this: Are you simply “born with it” or are you the sum total of your experiences? Was Charles Manson a criminal from birth, or was he immersed in such a dysfunctional environment that he had no hope to be ...

An Interview with Ron Achenbach, NAPMA Inner Circle Member, by Toby Milroy, NAPMA COO It’s easy to describe Ron Achenbach as the “everyman” school owner/chief instructor. He operates a median-size school of 180 students in a middle-size town: Karate America Leadership Academy in DePere, Wisconsin, a suburb of Green Bay. What makes Ron’s story so ...

Part 9: The Anatomy of an Ad: Body Copy, Part 5 Strategy #2: Problem-Agitate-Solve, Part 2 Last month, I presented the “Problem” statement, and I began “Agitating” readers. Agitate, continued: You have a HUGE advantage in the marketplace because your “solution” solves a problem that people WANT TO SOLVE! Your “product” literally changes people’s lives ...