I had been teaching for many years before I decided that I should take it more seriously and run my school in a more professional manner rather than just as a hobby. I was hesitant at first to do this because I really wanted to focus on teaching my students the very best that I could and wanted to teach people the complete Wing Chun system. I suppose I didn’t want to water down what I taught.
I began to research a number of martial arts consulting businesses to see what they had to offer in terms of advice but wasn’t really impressed with them. Their values appeared to be more about business than martial arts so I wasn’t to keen to progress with them.
Then one day I contacted NEST and spoke to Gerard Turvey and I immediately felt that this was different to my previous experiences. We spoke the same language and had the same values its all about teaching great martial arts classes and the rest will follow. I followed up this initial conversation with Gerard and he came down and met me and we discussed my schools, how I operated and my concerns that I wanted to teach the best martial arts classes that I could.
He understood where I was coming from immediately and I joined NEST from that day way back in 2001. I have never looked back and since then I have grown my schools from a part time hobby to one where I quit my job as Human Resources Director for the UK and Ireland arm of a large American Company to running a fulltime martial arts organization which has grown and grown with the help and advice of all those at NEST.
All of my original concerns about using an outside Company to run my student billing evaporated as NEST are so professional in the way they deal with me and my students and they are far more than just a billing Company. I have never looked back since I joined NEST.
I prefer to think of NEST as part of my team, I can talk to them about all aspects of my business and get excellent advice whenever I need it. All the people who work at NEST are a real credit to both Gerard and Joy, it’s easy to say but when you work with nice people who you like and can trust you get things done and achieve so much more.
NEST have an amazing skill set and resources that you can take advantage of to improve your business. They invest in themselves and therefore me. For example, the technology that they offer helps me easily track my student numbers and payments without my ever having to worry about buying expensive software packages or the time consuming data entry that this would bring were I to do this myself.
Also the advice on marketing has been invaluable in helping me grow my schools along with Gerard’s business advice on all sorts of issues that surround running any type of business.
I would recommend anyone who is teaching martial arts regardless of style to talk to NEST, from a new school owner to large already established schools because they really have so much to offer.
I have never regretted the day I joined NEST they are an important part of my business and the success of my schools.
