Are You Suffering From an 'Academy Identity Crisis?'

"What do you teach?".. This should be one of the easiest questions for you to answer about your business?

But, to see how many school owners have trouble pinpointing exactly what they do, drive past a few neighboring martial arts academies, and check out their windows... Vinyl signage everywhere promoting “Brazilian Jiu Jitsu,” “TKD,” “MMA,” “Muay Thai,” “Little Ninja’s,” “Fitness Kickboxing,” “Muay Thai,” “Karate,” Krav Maga,” & “Women’s self defense”...

Maybe it’s not these exact disciplines.. but how many schools have 4 styles listed, 5.. 6 or more and ONE mat space? In an effort to cater to everyone by offering everything, these gyms offer a lot of ‘classes,’ but no fully developed programs.

This “Academy Identity Crisis” can be traced back to the beginning when so many of us took a leap of faith to start our academies on a shoestring budget. We were terrified to turn down money, because any money was more than what we started with. In that vein, we did whatever we could to create as many avenues as possible to attract more clients and more income.

But more programs doesn’t equal better.. Especially when we don’t have the mat space, staff, or hours in the day to provide multiple, high-quality programs.

Mats, staff, and hours are finite resources.

If you’re not yet at a point where you can move to a larger facility, add a mat, or add staff, then you have to find the balance between these finite resources and your class offerings to create comprehensive programs that will provide the benefits you promise to your clients.

For example, Fitness Kickboxing programs are sold on the premise that participants will lose weight & get in shape by taking the classes. If your schedule only has room for one class Tuesday at 4:45pm and another class Friday at 8:00pm, then you don’t have a program that will produce the results that you’re promising.

In order to fully conceptualize a program, you must first use your expert opinion to identify what your clients NEED in order to achieve their desired benefits. Then, you must be realistic and understand HOW people will most likely use your program.

Let’s work through this process, and put specifics in our Fitness Kickboxing example.

1.Let’s say that in your opinion as a coach, you believe that your clients need to train 3 days per week in order to lose weight and get in shape.

2.Most of your clients work 9-5 jobs, so you must provide at least 3 classes starting at 5:30 pm or later during the week and possibly one on the weekend. Most of your clients will also want a rest day in between their classes.

*Bonus! - “Know your ‘avatar’/ideal client.. If most of your fitness kickboxing clients are women with children, then they need to be out of class by about 7pm or 7:30 in order to get home & get their kids ready for bed.

If this sounds like a lot of considerations for just one program.. You’re RIGHT!

In order to offer a fully developed Fitness Kickboxing program that can deliver real results to your ideal clients, you will need to offer classes around 6pm Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, or Tuesday and Thursday with a morning or early afternoon weekend option. Do you have that available in your schedule? If not, then you don’t currently have the resources to offer a high quality, results oriented, Fitness Kickboxing program… (and it’s time to take that vinyl off of your window.)  ;)

Six P.M. is the ‘prime real estate’ in your schedule. In fact, when we work with clients who have trouble figuring out which style is their main program, we ask them just one question, 
“What do you teach at 6pm?” That’s your main program..

If you only have one mat space, then you need to be realistic about how much you can offer. If your resources are limited, focus on adding value and adding students to your best and most profitable programs.

You don’t need to be known as the place that ‘teaches everything.’ 
You need to be known as the place that “gets RESULTS.’

By focusing on delivering results in your main program, you will build an army of raving fans, referrals, and a reputation of success that will provide a sound foundation for long term success. Success that will eventually give you the capital to increase your resources and expand your program offerings.  🔥

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