How do you feel about leaving your comfort zone? Do you avoid it or embrace it? For any business owner, leading a team through unchartered territory can be a daunting prospect. But it is an essential experience in any entrepreneur’s pathway to growth. As the owner of a martial arts school, you’re bound to feel a personal connection to your clients as well as the team you lead. This personal connection can be the barrier dojo owners encounter when it comes to breaking free from their comfort zone. The thought, ‘what if I let my clients down?’ can scare you into inaction. According to a recent article published in Forbes, having the confidence to leave your comfort zone is especially important for people who are self-employed. If you try to view the experience as a chance to differentiate yourself from your competitors and create a lasting impression in the mind of your customers, your positive attitude will frame your results.

What about the risk?

We...

https://soundcloud.com/tima-38/martial-arts-business-success-10-low-cost-martial-arts-marketing

Alex: Graham McDonnell and Phil Britten are here from TIMA, the Institute of Martial Arts, and this time, some advice on martial arts marketing on a low budget. So, Graham, dispel the myth. We don't actually have to spend thousands on marketing ourselves, do we? Graham: Not at all, it's being effective with the money that you do have. You know, for years and years and years, I've looked at marketing and they say, "Look, you know, you should be investing 10% of the income that you make into marketing your business." Within reason, that's sometimes it's not always as effective. You know, you think, "Okay, all I have is $500, how can I utilize this for the next five weeks?" Or it could be three months, whatever it may be. But one of the easy ones is referrals. Having a referral campaign or a referral generating system in your business already. Because there's nothing better than actually...

How do you keep your staff on the same page? Many martial arts school owners start small, often with only one or two people running the business.  They expect processes will become easy once they finally hire a team to help them. One of the main challenges a business owner faces is managing an expanding team. In a martial arts business, organising your staff can be challenging.  Your instructors will want to command and lead a team. If you can instruct a team of instructors in a professional manner, your business operations will be smoother across the board. To help you on your way we’ve compiled a list of eight industry tips for running effective staff meetings at your dojo.

1) Know your subject and know your objective

One of your first steps towards running an effective staff meeting is making sure the subject of the meeting and your intended objectives are clear to your team. This step is important not only during the meeting but before it even happens. When...

If someone were to ask you, “What is holding you back from achieving your ultimate business goals?” how would you respond? Would you say that it was a lack of time, money or resources? We frequently find when speaking to business owners the main barriers stem from a fear of failure or a lack of self-belief. TIMA co-founder Phil Britten recently ran a two-day ‘Master Your Destiny’ workshop to help people push past these mental barriers to unleash their true potential for success.

Mind Over Matter

Achieving your goals may seem far off. You can start the process by changing one simple thing – your mind. From your experience in martial arts, you are already aware of the benefits a focussed mind can have on your physical state. Likewise, in your business there is no tool so powerful for achieving your goals as a changed mind and a changed perspective. An article published on Forbes concluded, “Succeeding as a leader boils down to two things:

1. ...

ttps://soundcloud.com/tima-38/martial-arts-business-success-8-converting-enquiries-to-business Alex: This time, we're discussing strategies for converting inquiries. Into business. Now Phil it's essential isn't it? You've got somebody through the door, or you've got them on the phone. What are your tips to making that leap? Phil: Sure, yeah. Look, the first...really it is imperative the very first thing you need to do is build rapport. Alex: Yes. Phil: You want someone to like you, basically. If they don't like you, they're not gonna come into your business. So the first thing you need to do is mirror or match their behavior, to some regard. So how they talk, how they stand, the hand gestures that they use. All those little things about building rapport, the same sort of language. And it's not trying to be someone that you're not. It's just showing them that...people like people that are like them. Alex: Yes. Phil: And once you can get past that awkward first meeting...most people...

How do you build rapport while gaining qualified leads for your martial arts school? The answer is simple; put yourself in front of your audience. You might be interacting with them online, but face-to-face encounters are far more memorable than your most recent Facebook post.

What’s all the fuss about?

The Content Marketing Institute recognises in-person events as the most effective weapon in a company’s marketing arsenal, and with good reason. Which other platform allows you to solidify the relationship with your audience and appear as a credible industry figure? Building that level of trust and authority online takes upwards of 12 months; you could achieve the same over the course of a few events. Phil Britten, co-founder of TIMA, says the key is to “find out what they want, go get it and give it to them.”

Showcase your authenticity

Communicating with your audience in person sets the stage for gaining their trust and respect, provided you sell to them...

https://soundcloud.com/tima-38/martial-arts-business-success-7-5-star-solutions-in-everyday-business

Alex: Today we're going to be talking about their five-star principles in everyday business. Sounds like we could all do with a bit of this. Phil, kick it off for me. Phil: Well, look, when we first got into the martial arts business, we identified some areas that we needed to improve on. And this is really how I suppose TIMA came all about as well was, what were the pain points that we needed to fix in order to be a successful business? So to break that down, we have, you know, what is your vision? Because I think what most people do, they get into business and they get caught in the grind. They lose sight of the endgame. And they forget about, what is it going to be like? What's their life going to be like? And they get caught in that grind of the business. Therefore, 10 years down the track, they're still actually in the grind. We also work on our presence, which just helps you...

Without a doubt, you love receiving positive feedback about your martial arts school, but what happens when you receive negative responses? Holding your customers to the adage “if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all” can prevent your business from achieving growth.

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger

It’s important to use criticism you receive to improve your offering. Doing this will create a constant cycle of growth because no business is ever perfect. Even with years of experience in running martial arts schools, TIMA co-founder Graham McDonnell advises, “The tip that I’d recommend for most people is definitely find out first and foremost why people are leaving.” Finding out the reasons people are leaving is a great way to identify what tweaks need to be made to your business. Pinpointing these specific areas will allow you to provide a better service, and will improve your student retention.

Be...

Are your social media efforts translating into leads for your martial arts business? Regardless of which platform you use, they all offer a unique way to search, find and engage with prospective students. Although there isn’t an exact science to generating leads via social media, it’s easy to get lost in the social chatter with nothing to show for the hours spent toiling away at writing posts.  We outline three simple ways to ensure the time spent on social channels is not in vain and contributes to your overall business objectives.

Utilise gated content

Gating your valuable content with a simple form is one of the easiest ways to increase lead generation.  This involves asking for a user’s email address or requesting they share a link before they gain access to your tips and insights. Gating your rich content ensures you acquire qualified leads while being able to track your social media return on investment. Even if you haven’t put any dollars...

Are you offering free classes in your martial arts school? Free trials are a great way to get people through the door  but many business owners wonder if they convert into real business.  Is it throwing money down the drain? Unfortunately, there is no universal answer whether free trials are right for every martial arts business. Here are some key factors to consider while determining whether free trials are right for you.

Whom are you trying to attract?

Free trials are most effective in attracting customers who currently have no strong feelings towards martial arts but could be easily persuaded to join. For most martial arts businesses the clients who frequently fill this description are children. Free trials are especially effective in getting children signed up to your dojo. Their attention can be fleeting and the parents who pay for the service want to know their children are genuinely interested before forking out the fees.

How will you manage expectations?

Is your...