| Friend,
Did you ever know anyone who had to repeat first grade in school? Me neither. That's because first grade is designed to be so easy, even a six-year-old can do it.
If this topic seems contrary to the subject line of this email, don't be alarmed because I'm going to get to branding in a minute. But first I want to talk about repeating the first grade in your business.
Here's what I mean...
You Aren't Elon Musk
When you start a new business, there are steps that you take to grow that business. Generally, you have to take those steps in sequence if you want to see a smooth, steady growth curve during those crucial first two years.
Now, if you're a tech company start-up with angel investors and a lot of financial backing, you can screw around for years without turning a profit. Twitter did it. So did Facebook. And so did Tesla (of course, it helps to get a half-billion dollar start-up loan from the government at a 2.6% interest rate).
Unfortunately you, the small business owner, don't have that luxury. You, my friend, must turn a profit almost immediately in your business. Otherwise, you'll go out of business or be living broke and robbing Peter to pay Paul when you pay your bills every month.
That's no way to live... or to run a business.
Why You Can't Skip Steps In Growing Your Dojo
That's also why the first step in starting a business (after the planning stage) is to get a killer marketing plan in place. See, small businesses run on revenue. And revenue is driven by sales.
And sales are driven by -- you guessed it -- marketing.
Solve the marketing conundrum early on in your business, and you'll also solve 90% of the problems and challenges that a new small business faces.
But when you try to skip ahead, and you start working on your systems, your staff, adding curriculum and programs, and all those other things people are always saying you need to do, well...
It's like you're volunteering to have 90% more problems in your business.
Do You Really Want To Repeat Your First Year In Business?
Marketing, brand, and image are really first-year stuff for business owners. Heck, they're first month stuff, if you think about it. I mean, getting new customers and keeping the cash register ringing is pretty foundational to starting and growing a business, don't you think?
Yet, many school owners skip or ignore this crucial first step to growing a dojo. And because of that, they repeat the first grade in their business, over and over again.
What Martial Arts Business U is all about is showing school owners how to navigate that crucial first two years of being in business. If you read my book, The Profit-Boosting Principles, you probably remember the growth curve chart that shows how a school will grow if they have their marketing and retention locked down.
Your job as a new school owner is to ensure that your school follows that same growth curve. If you do, at the end of your second year in business you should be looking at 150 active students paying you a minimum of $15,000 a month in tuition (minimum being the key word -- if you get your pricing right, that number will be much higher).
If Your Business Is Stuck, It's Broken And It Needs To Be Fixed
So, if you've been in business for longer than two years and you're still stuck at 50, 75, or 100 students, then it's obvious that something is broken in your business.
In essence, you've been repeating the first grade, because your business is still stuck in the first year of growth.
I don't say this to make you feel stupid or incompetent. I am only saying it to point out that you need to get unstuck. And that's what we do for school owners in Martial Arts Business U.
But Enough With The Pitch... Here's Some Actionable Info
I don't want to just make a sales pitch and then not give you any actionable info. Sure, I need to make a living, but I realize that you do too.
- Step one is to get the marketing machine firing on all eight cylinders. That means your website, social media, and offline marketing all need to have a distinctive look and feel, with a distinctive message, and that every marketing piece and channel needs to have an offer that attracts new students to your dojo. Most of my clients are getting the majority of their new business from online sources, but you want to include offline marketing in your mix as well.
- Step two is to get your sales process smoothed out. If you're spending money on marketing but no one is enrolling, it means your sales process needs work. This could mean improving your phone skills, or it might mean you need to work on your face-to-face selling skills. Either way, you should be setting appointments with the majority of people who contact you. And, you should be enrolling the majority of people who show up to take a first lesson. If not, then you need to improve your selling skills.
- Step three is making sure the people you enroll stick around. This comes from treating people right, delivering on your promises, and showing people you care. It pretty much falls under the "everything you need to know you learned in kindergarten" heading. If your school is a revolving door for students, something must be making those new students quit. Figure it out, and fix it if you want your school to grow.
- Step four is all the other stuff. Systems to make your job easier. Staff to ease your workload. Adding extra things that bring in more money and that make your job more fun to do. But you don't want to skip to this until you get steps one to three down. Doing so is putting the cart before the horse. Focus on steps one through three, then you can worry about the other stuff. And in reality, you should have steps one through three hammered out before the end of your first year in business.
Sexy Doesn't Pay The Bills
Some will tell you that this is rehashed info, that it's basic stuff, and that you should be focusing on some sexy new ideas or concepts...
Don't listen to them.
The reason why I focus on the business basics is because this is the stuff that trips up the majority of school owners. And while there are tons of people out there who will try to convince you how cool and hip and new their stuff is, it's the basic stuff that pays the bills.
Just like basic martial arts techniques are what normally gets the job done in a match or fight. And just because someone knows the basics, it doesn't mean they can apply them.
In Martial Arts Business U, you'll learn how to apply the basics so your business grows. That's what makes it work for our members.
What Does This Have To Do With Branding?
Simply put, branding is just a small part of what I teach in Martial Arts Business U. However, we do make it a lot easier by providing done-for-you ads and marketing for our members.
The idea is to make you look like a million bucks, and to help you stand out from the crowd when it comes to your marketing and image.
The way to do this is by doing all the things I've been talking about for the last few weeks. Polish up your image. Make your marketing look professional, and make it look different from the competition. Look like a professional.
The truth is, to beat the competition you only have to do things 10% better than they do. Granted, I'd like for you to go 50% or 100% better, and just blow them away. But my point is, it doesn't take a whole lot of effort to have a more professional image and a more memorable brand than most of the school owners out there.
That's because when it comes to image and branding, the majority of school owners aren't even in the game. So any efforts you make in these areas are going to pay off for you. And, even small efforts will often make you stand out.
Just Get It Done
Look, I don't care if you join Martial Arts Business U or not. The truth is, it's not for everyone, and I honestly don't care to work with more than a small handful of school owners.
But however you do it, you need to get this brand and image thing down. It's a vital part of your marketing, and marketing is a crucial first step in the growth of your business.
So, figure out a way to get out of the first grade. Get that marketing down so you can build some real revenue in your business. Whether you use the tools I provide or someone else's, get this stuff done.
And this time next year, you'll look back and say, "Man, I am so glad I passed the first grade." :)
Until next time,
Mike Massie MartialArtsBusinessDaily.com
Quick-start Guide to My Books and Resources: - Looking for a list of books and resources I've written? Click here! - Need business coaching to grow your dojo? Click here…
P.S. - I'll be sending you emails over the next few weeks that will have links to articles and podcasts that I've published in the past. Then, I'll be back after the New Year with another email series and fresh new content. So, allow me to take this opportunity to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. See you in 2017.
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