How to spend your time and your money wisely
Whether you want to call it your club, your school, your academy or your business, one thing is for sure; it’s not going to remain static. It will always be on the move, hopefully upwards, but sometimes downwards too. Improvement is the name of the game and it should be your goal too! Here are a few tips to help you improve…
Know your numbers
It’s amazing how few small businesses have any idea of the daily, weekly, and monthly numbers and financial trends in the organisation. Spend the necessary time keeping up to date on membership recruitment, attrition and cash flow; compare your figures against your plan to see if you need to tweak what you are doing. Check out the KPI report in myMA to help keep you on track.
Set goals
If you don’t know where you want to get to, then you will never get there! Make a plan, set goals, make them SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-based) and don’t just sit back, make them happen. Then set some more goals, you can even change your goals part way through the plan.
Plan your marketing
Research your area (our Student Map is a useful tool to also identify key target areas) and put a plan into place, that way you can budget for all year round activity. Make the most of your money, use the Marketing Planner to get a range of great cost effective ideas and use resources like the Marketing Toolkit.
Network
Your business may be unique, but it will not be too dissimilar to other businesses both within the martial arts world and outside. To get advice and support you can join social media groups to network online and join local business groups or chambers of commerce to network face to face.
Procedures
Create a procedure manual and put programmes into place that can help achieve your best results, that way you will be able to train others to implement them. Ensure your procedures are both efficient and effective.
Use the tools
If you are a franchisee or licenced instructor, then use the information in the franchise/Instructor manuals (if you have them). If you have myMA to help with attendance and student records, then use it! If your organisation or governing body offer free advice, then phone them. And remember we offer free one-to-one consultancy for clients on many areas such as, marketing, business planning, budgeting and more.
Motivate Staff
Talented and motivated staff members can bring on big improvements in business. People usually rise to the occasion when given a challenge so make sure the tasks you ask of your staff are challenging but also fun.
Love your students
And show them you love them, drop them an email, text or even a postcard!
De-Clutter
Free up time for the things you really want to do by simplifying your life. Let go of activities that don’t contribute to your goals.
Review, Review, Review
Do it, look at it, tweak it, do it again and if it works… keep doing it.
If you would like a one to one chat and consultation or a group business seminar on how you could improve your martial arts business by using the services we offer contact mark@nestmanagement.co.uk
