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Business

Prepare for Inclusion

We spend a lot of time thinking about how to include children with special needs in our classes – how do we make it a fun, safe, and educational experience for them? Dr. Robin Pearson is a special education coach specializing in gymnastics and shared with us some great tips! Prepare for Inclusion Guest Post […]

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Business Education

Summer Summits & Conferences

Why attend a conference? Attend a conference in order to network with people in your industry, learn something new and get inspired. I find that the summertime is the best time to renew and rejuvenate before the crushing weight of fall registrations and a new season approaches. There is something about the long days and […]

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Business

How to Find Your Perfect Customer

So, you’ve decided to start your own children’s activity business. You filled out the legal paperwork so that your business is officially incorporated. You put down a deposit for the location, started recruiting prospective hires for your team, and began gathering equipment. Now the important part. How do you find customers? Better yet, how do […]

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Business

Finding the right fit: buying leotards for your Rec Program

“From the very beginning, we bucked tradition. When the experts said that something was “always done” in a certain way, we’d do it our way, which was sometimes the very opposite.” Paul Newman The first time I ordered leotards for our gymnastics program, I Googled “design your own leotard.” A few companies popped up and […]

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Staffing

How to Hire The Right People for Your Children’s Gym

Finding the right people to run your business is tough. Perhaps the worst part of this process is losing that key employee that took so long to find. As a fellow entrepreneur puts it:  Your staff gets trained, they start to perform well, and then they leave… it’s like a “Thanks and see ya!” At […]

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Education

How To Include Children With Special Needs in Your Gymnastics Program

Guest Post by Ashley Lebeau At the Champaign Gymnastics Academy (CGA) we believe that gymnastics truly is a sport for everyone.  We have made steady progress over the last seven years since our inception to find ways to serve our special needs community.  As more funds, staff and other resources became available we have employed […]

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Business Resource Staffing

How to Scale Your Business with Process Maps

Get a free process map example to help grow your business! Are you working in your business, or are you working on your business? When you’re working in your business, you’re answering phone calls from parents at 5 in the morning, chasing after your staff to complete their tasks, and checking in with your team […]

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Business

Recreational Director Summit: The Biggest Problems for Children’s Program Providers… And How to Solve Them

As children’s activity providers, we have unique solutions to everyday problems. However, we rarely get to collaborate and see how others solve those problems. Last weekend we went to the Recreational Director Summit held by Ali Stoffels at Rec Gym Pros.  Twenty-eight passionate directors and managers sat together to brainstorm, collaborate, and learn from one […]

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Business

How Does the New Tax Code Impact My Business?

Ever since Congress passed the New Tax Code in December 2017, everyone has been wondering how the changes would actually impact them.  In early 2018, I had the opportunity to meet with with several Senators and Congress members at the largest ever small business summit in Capitol Hill.  The small business owners present tried to […]

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Business

5 Things Parents Expect to See on Your Website

We all do online research before we make a major purchase, and parents purchasing classes for their kids are no different!  Even if you don’t take payments online, your website still represents your brand.  When your customers come to your website, they should be able to easily find out who you are, what you are […]