I can pretty much judge the success of a school within about five minutes during “prime time” by observing its pulse. What do I mean by the pulse of a school? Well, let me share a story to illustrate. In the mid 1980’s I traveled to New York to visit a school run by a ...

When I started in martial arts over 41 years ago, I never would have imagined martial arts would become my profession rather than just my passionate hobby. When I founded Mile High Karate in 1983, it was an alternative to using my degree in International Economics to landing a job in banking or working for ...

There are many effective styles of leadership, but there are several “secrets” to leadership in any organization. Vision: You must have a clear and compelling vision of the future of your organization. It’s the big picture of how your business should look, in as much sensory rich detail as possible. Leadership starts from within. If ...

It’s interesting to listen to a group of school owners brag about their schools, according to three measurements: number of students, school size and gross revenue. Let the lying begin.Active student count is the most exaggerated number of them all. For example, I asked an acquaintance that owns a very small school his active student ...

There are several types of e-mail you can use to market your school to prospective students. Among the most common are e-zines, flyers, school newsletters and promotional pieces. An e-zine, or “electronic magazine,” is delivered to subscribers via a Web site or an e-mail newsletter. E-zines are sometimes referred to as “opt-in” lists because everyone ...

In a recent column, I introduced an important concept that deserves additional thought. If you operate your school in a very competitive market, then you must develop a unique selling proposition (USP). Your USP describes what you offer your customers above and beyond your competitors, and will enhance prospects’ experience. How does that concept apply ...

Maybe I was just born under a lucky star - but when it comes to running a professional martial arts school I was born with the proverbial “Silver Spoon.”

I read a fascinating article recently on the cover of the “Weekend Journal” section of the Wall Street Journal about the band The Black Eyed Peas. The article was so “spot-on” for our industry that I read it a couple of times and thought about the implications. Before I explain let me step back a ...

In the July and August NAPMA Resources Kits, all NAPMA members received parts 1 and 2 of an interview by Rob Colasanti with my instructor Jhoon Rhee. Jeff Smith and I have been associated with Jhoon Rhee for 45 and almost 40 years, respectively. If you are a NAPMA member, then pay close attention to ...

My Ultimate Martial Art Marketing Bootcamp is an intense 30-hour weekend for school owners looking for ways to move their schools to higher levels of growth and profitability. What began as nothing more than a footnote, during my agenda preparation, became of the greatest value to all the participants. In fact, they told me unanimously ...