Key Lessons Learned From Martial Arts and MMA Business Owners (Part 2)

Our team has had the honor of getting to know thousands of fitness business owners during our years serving this community. Throughout countless conversations, we’ve picked up some recurring takeaways that can help you steer your business to success. This is our second installment of a three part series. Part one can be accessed here.

Lesson 4 – Pick a software solution that is cloud-based

With a world that is highly mobile, there’s no reason you should be tied to your computer in the studio. Cloud- based software enables you to have access to have access to your fitness software from almost any device – a laptop, iPad, tablet or mobile phone.You work long hours each day as a business owner. Being able to take your business with you when you head home or out of town is critical for your health and happiness.

You work long hours each day as a business owner. Being able to take your business with you when you head home or out of town is critical for your health and happiness. Otherwise you’ll be tied to a computer at your studio and potentially work longer days than necessary.

Steve Milles, Muy Tai instructor and owner of Five Points Academy, says that businesses need a cloud-based member management system. Since he trains champions at both the national and international level, he often travels to support these competitors on the road. With a cloud-based system, he’s able to log on and access his system when issues come up, wherever he is. Steve says he’s taken care of things on his computer at home, on an iPad, and even on his phone. [clearfix]

Lesson 5 – Automations save time and help you retain your members

Automations allow you to get out from behind the desk and do the very thing you started your business to do.

Oasis Martial Arts is an oasis in the middle of the desert. Opened with the single mission of giving back to those without hope, owner Tony Redmond shares the power of martial arts with low-income students in El Mirage, Arizona. From the beginning, Tony established the unwavering goal of not turning anyone away, regardless of their ability to pay. In order to offer this free training, Tony maintains his full-time job during the day and manages and teaches at Oasis during the evenings and weekends.As you can imagine, every minute in Tony’s day is precious. The less time he spends on administrative tasks for his business, the more time he can spend changing lives.

For that reason, Tony says he could not stay in business without the automations built into his business management software.

These automations mean that Tony doesn’t need to shuffle between spreadsheets, make individual calls or manually email each and every student. Automations run his business behind the scenes so Tony can change lives, one child at a time.

Lesson 6 – You’ll need to innovate to stay relevant

As a business owner, you need to scan the horizon for opportunities to stay relevant and meet your market’s needs.

Roger Pyle, owner of USA Seibukan Martial Arts Training Center, opened his dojo with a love of Martial Arts and a desire to share it. He built his program on the values of truth, honor, integrity and a deep respect for his students. Early on he found success teaching adult students.

But soon he realized there were no programs in his community for younger children. Seeing this gap as an opportunity, he started offering karate classes for kids. Before long he says he was “buried with small children.” On Saturdays, he would teach three classes in a row with about twenty children in each class. These new classes helped him build his children’s program, which also ended up making USA Seibukan Martial Arts Training Center a place for the whole family to train.

Even though Roger notes that some of his current adult students started with him twenty years ago, he sees a huge increase in program offerings for children now. He explains, “Everyone has something for this age group. From soccer to basketball camps, the market for children’s activities is pretty competitive.”

Now Roger finds himself innovating once again to stay relevant and attract clients. With thirty years experience teaching and an average of two hundred active students, USA Seibukan Martial Arts Training Center will always find ways to share the power of Martial Arts with their community.

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