Martial Arts Professional Magazine

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 a […]

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 you have […]

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 who […]

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 to your […]

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 […]

Everyone knows the rule that you should “grow your own” staff, but don’t forget the lessons that are plainly obvious. This is certainly a rule that can be broken from time to time, but let me remind you what you already know about martial artists. As employees, they tend to be very self-righteous; they shouldn’t […]

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 […]

This is a brief excerpt of my in-depth Inter-view with Dan Kennedy. You can read the entire interview and participate in a live call, with Dan Kennedy and me, on July 15. Visit NAPMA.com/DanKennedy to register.Stephen Oliver: Let’s start with the so-called elephant in the room: the economy and the dreaded “R” word. Economists […]