When I first decided to make my martial arts school a successful one, I soon realized it’s not just about being good at a martial art and able to teach classes. I knew plenty of very good martial arts coaches but their schools were not run in a very successful way. There was something missing and I looked at the successful ones I did know for the answer.
There is far more to running a successful Martial Arts business than most people appreciate and to have the guidance, industry knowledge and experience is invaluable, especially when starting out. That’s why I chose NEST initially.
I looked at numerous other billing companies, but intuitively I felt that NEST could be trusted and based their own business on values of integrity. They had a good understanding of the various business models that could be used and were able to advise and offer guidance on every aspect of the business. They were clearly not just “another billing company.”
Gerard was always available for my questions and willing to give his time generously. With their company structure it is in NESTs interest to help me succeed and Gerard and the team were very keen to do so. They had created a Win/Win relationship.
After 10 years NEST continue to present a very professional image for my school and offer guidance on any issues that have arisen in our school. The billing side of a business is always a headache for me – NEST handle this very well and I certainly wouldn’t want to be doing it!
The monthly direct debit is taken care of and the student bases their commitment to the school upon their perception of what we actually do.
As my school grew, my accountant at the time recommended I set up as a Limited Company. This had VAT issues and NEST were very quick to inform me of the consequences of doing this and arranged for me to meet with Carl from Dennis and Turnbull, who I now use as my own accountants. NEST have a great network of contacts and know the right people to contact for this industry.
NEST have also helped with the set-up of my new schools, helping me with demographic data to best choose where to open my Norfolk schools.
I have also worked closely with NEST on building the school system, and am looking forward to implementing this across my schools in the near future. I know that NEST will do their utmost to make this work for me and all their customers.
Paul Pretty – Tsunami Martial Arts
