Posted by on Dec 20, 2018 in Support & Programming | 0 comments

New Training Tools

There are updated features to the new training plan introduced at conference this year! In addition to the training plan and the evaluation form, you will now find a Trainer’s Guide, General Tips for Trainers, and a study tool that includes the program outlines. All of this information can be found in one document titled “Training Plan and Evaluation” (Operations Manual > Training and Quality Control). The Trainer’s Guide will give both new and experienced trainers a behind-the-scenes look at training a new team member. Use this along with the General Tips for Trainers to fine tune your training skills and model best...

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Posted by on Dec 19, 2018 in Support & Programming | 0 comments

Training Seminars 2019

Save the date for Training Seminar 2019!  This event happens biennially (every 2 years) and gives My Gym owners, directors, and teachers an invaluable experience in training, idea shares, and system implementation from both MGE and our family of My Gym Franchisees.  Training Seminar is more than a great training experience; it always proves to be extremely motivational for both franchisees and staff.  This is a DO NOT MISS event!  The dates and locations are listed below so you can begin to plan accordingly. Mark Your Calendars!  South Training Seminar, June 7 – 8, 2019 Westchase, FL  Northeast Training Seminar, June 28 – 29, 2019 My Gym Dobbs Ferry, NY  West Training Seminar, July 26 – July 27, 2019 Pasadena, CA  Midwest Training Seminar, September 20 – 21, 2017 My Gym River Forest or Skokie, IL (TBD) Who should attend? Training Seminars will be geared toward owners, directors, and key employees.  In order to make sure everyone receives the appropriate attention, the employees you bring to seminar must be truly...

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Posted by on Dec 18, 2018 in General | 0 comments

Music Licensing Update

Can you believe it?  We’re quickly approaching your favorite time of the year….the chance to sign up for the 2019 Music Licensing Program! As many of you know, we reach out to the major music licensing companies each year to negotiate the best rates to pass down to our franchisees and give you the opportunity to opt in to our master agreement come January.  We are still working out the final details with them.  So far, we are looking at a cost of approximately $460 per gym.  We should have a final number for you by early January and provide you instructions on how to opt in. For some of our newer gyms out there, you might be wondering what exactly is music licensing. Music played in a public setting is subject to music licensing.  You are not legally allowed to play music in your business unless you have the proper license to do so.  Simply purchasing the music does not give you the right to play it in...

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Posted by on Dec 17, 2018 in General, Support & Programming | 0 comments

Employment Practices

Employer and Employee well-being is at the top of our priorities here at My Gym. We have always prided ourselves on being the best place to work and play. With that said, we need to maintain some rules in the workplace. With all the state and local changes, knowing what laws specifically apply to you could be beneficial and important. We have provided for you a handbook that is up to the current employment standards for California, one of the states with the strictest HR regulations. However, we suggest that you research and become up to date on your own state and local policies. Employment laws can be far-reaching and complex these days; visit your State Labor Offices for complete information. As an alternative to researching information on the free website above, and to receive personal consultation on your HR laws, you can contact HUB International where they have resources to help answer questions regarding your employee handbook. Their longstanding relationship with Guardian HR has enabled them to offer their...

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Posted by on Dec 15, 2018 in Marketing | 0 comments

Social Media Roundup – January 1st through 14th

Welcome to your first Social Media Roundup of the new year! Thank you for taking the time to invest in your organic social media presence online. It’s a new year, and most families are focused on a fresh start. Let’s all celebrate this season by ramping up our storytelling content to include lots of fun, smiles, and #MomentsThatMatter. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to marketing@mygym.com. See you online! DOWNLOAD: Social Media Roundup – January...

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Posted by on Dec 14, 2018 in Equipment, Support & Programming | 0 comments

Space Flight

Please be reminded that you must complete the Mat Order Form ASAP.  If you do not complete the form by 12/31, you will automatically be billed for 4 mats, and they will be sent to your location.  Mats will be arriving mid-to-late January. Please take the next month to train your staff using the Space Flight Handbook (download here). Your new Space Flight hardware will arrive between 12/10 and 12/21.  Please see this video for instructions on installing the hardware.  New Space Flight spotting demonstrations and Space Flight tips videos will be released next week. See complete update below for full details.  Please contact equipment@mygym.com with any questions. +++ 12/5 UPDATE: We thank you again for your patience with the reopening of Space Flight.  We are happy to say that we’ve concluded the work with our experts and are ready to provide options so you can reopen Space Flight. U.S. and Canada locations will be following a specific guideline to comply with safety standards set in the U.S. for...

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Posted by on Dec 14, 2018 in Equipment, Support & Programming | 0 comments

Permanent Retirement of Hanging Balls and Other Hanging Elastic Items

As we mentioned last week, we have discontinued the use of elastics from our gyms, and from any/all programs and curriculum. If you have yet to do so, please discontinue using elastic immediately, as it poses a potential safety hazard. This means that The Hanging Ball adventure, games, and relays are retired. Happily, however, we will not be discontinuing the beloved Rainforest and Car Wash adventures! These adventures may be modified using 1/8” rope (easily bought from Home Depot: LINK) or your own jump ropes. Please see the pictures below for a visual (click to enlarge). Rainforest: Car Wash: If you require any further guidance, please don’t hesitate to reach out to support@mygym.com. +++ 11/30 UPDATE: Regretfully, we will be retiring any and all Adventures using elastic-hanging Hanging Balls (or Hanging Pom-Poms, Hanging Blow-Up Animals, etc.) effective immediately. We have previously stated that Hanging Beach Balls are NEVER to be used for students over the age of 2.5 (the oldest of Gymsters) or for any party because of the risk...

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Posted by on Dec 14, 2018 in General | 0 comments

Important Update from Your Franchise Advisory Board (FAB)

Happy holidays, everyone! During the Directors Meeting at the 2018 My Gym Conference as well as training events in the past, directors have requested a My Gym Facebook group for directors only. The FAB is fully supportive of this idea and has given MGE the go-ahead to open the group. For this page to be most effective, we (the FAB) believe the following protocols need to be observed: Directors Facebook Group Philosophy: The philosophy is to establish an easy platform for ideas to flow among My Gym directors. This is a place for My Gym directors to communicate, support one another, share stories/ideas, and remain connected. My Gym owners are permitted to join this group, although we encourage owners not to post or respond to any comments on this page, as the main purpose is to provide directors with a forum to interact with one another in a safe and supportive environment without fear of backlash from owners. Since this is a director’s group, MGE’s involvement in this board...

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Posted by on Dec 10, 2018 in Strategic Partners & Sponsors | 0 comments

RX Bar Samples

We are excited to announce that we have formally entered into a strategic partnership with RXBAR. The program was not supposed to launch until January, however, we have come to learn today that their shipping department got excited and shipped the samples to all U.S. My Gym locations earlier than planned. Here are the very simple details. Beginning this month and continuing through March of 2019, each U.S. My Gym location will be receiving 3 boxes of RXBAR Kids samples per month – 288 samples each month for 3 total months. The bars do contain peanuts and are labelled accordingly. Please do not leave them on the counter where a child with a peanut allergy could eat one. Please do hand out in the lobby after classes directly to parents of children ages approx. 4-11 who would like to try them. IMPORTANT: Please announce that the bars do contain peanuts. It is ok to ask people not to eat them in the gym because of the peanut content. If...

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Posted by on Dec 10, 2018 in Technology | 0 comments

MGM Transaction Warning Notice

We are aware of an issue where gyms may be receiving a warning message after taking a class payment. The confirmation message displays a red WARNING that the action was not completed properly, and the transaction log shows both a green APPROVED message along with that same red WARNING message. If the payment was for tuition only, the APPROVED message is correct; the payment was successful and the warning can be ignored. If the transaction included a tuition AND membership payment, the payment was still successful and the child was enrolled in the class, however the membership status was not set. Please go into the child’s info to double check and/or set their membership status. Our developers are working on a fix now. Please note that customers enrolling on the website are not experiencing any...

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Posted by on Dec 7, 2018 in Products | 0 comments

Order Your My Gym Holiday Gifts Now

Promote your gym and spread My Gym holiday cheer to members, friends, and family with My Gym-branded products.  ShopMyGym.com makes it so easy for you with these holiday gifts: Holiday Gifts for Staff – Thank staff for an amazing year Pants, Leggings, and Shorts – This performance apparel will keep them comfortable, flexible, and looking sharp! Jackets, Pullovers, Long Sleeve Shirts, and Fleece Vests – Keep them warm and cozy during the holidays My Gym Ornament, Mymo Plush Doll, and I Heart MG Coffee Mug – These fun logo products are a big hit with My Gymers. Holiday Gifts for Members – Thank them for being a part of your program with logo products that keep My Gym top of mind Reusable Bags – Use these to wrap your gifts, or give them out by themselves Mymo Holiday Stickers – Give to members around the holidays and put them on wrapped gifts Magnetic Photo Frame – Give away with a photo from Cookies or Cocoa with Santa 5” Vinyl...

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Posted by on Dec 7, 2018 in My Gym Foundation | 0 comments

Adopt-A-Child (MGCA)

We are blown away by how many of you have asked MGCA about “adopting” a child for the holiday season. Thank you! We truly appreciate each of you who want to help, and we’ve set up a way for you to do just that.  Whether you want to adopt-a-child among the staff or do some fundraising, there are plenty of options (even some under $200!). We have created a website and posted a list of applicants you may choose to sponsor – https://www.wishlist.com/MGCA. Please go ahead and reserve one for your gym! Then, when you have raised the amount needed for your “adoptee’s” requested gift, head to the MGCA website to donate the funds and give us the name of that fortunate child. You have just made one child’s life a little easier. Thank you so much for joining us in making a difference this holiday...

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Posted by on Dec 5, 2018 in Equipment, Support & Programming | 0 comments

Space Flight Update for International Locations

We thank you again for your patience with the reopening of Space Flight.  We are happy to say that we have concluded the work with our experts and are ready to provide options so you can reopen Space Flight. All U.S. locations will be following a specific guideline to comply with safety standards set in the U.S. for recreational parks.  After several inspections following the Wheaton, IL accident, it was determined that we do NOT need to be certified or inspected by a government agency.  Nonetheless, it is prudent that we proactively meet these “recreational park” standards to ensure the safety of everyone involved in the Space Flight activity. A new Space Flight Operations Handbook has been created and is attached here. All owners, staff, and future staff must read the safety handbook and follow all guidelines at all times. The handbook also includes new Space Flight training parameters. Space Flight Hardware: To comply with the recreational park guidelines, all U.S. My Gyms are replacing their Space Flight hardware...

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Posted by on Dec 5, 2018 in Equipment, Support & Programming | 0 comments

Space Flight Update for U.S. and Canada Locations

We thank you again for your patience with the reopening of Space Flight.  We are happy to say that we’ve concluded the work with our experts and are ready to provide options so you can reopen Space Flight. U.S. and Canada locations will be following a specific guideline to comply with safety standards set in the U.S. for recreational parks.  After several inspections following the Wheaton, IL accident, it was determined that we do NOT need to be certified or inspected by a government agency.  Nonetheless, it is prudent that we proactively meet these “recreational park” standards to ensure the safety of everyone involved in the Space Flight activity. A new Space Flight Operations Handbook has been created and is attached here. All owners, staff, and future staff must read the safety handbook and follow all guidelines at all times. The handbook also includes new Space Flight training parameters. Space Flight Hardware: We will be recalling all hardware associated with Space Flight with the exception of the cable. The...

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Posted by on Dec 5, 2018 in Products, Strategic Partners & Sponsors | 0 comments

Blitz Bubbles Update – Now Available on ShopMyGym.com

Blitz Bubbles are now available on ShopMyGym! Blitz Bubbles is a premium bubble solution that produces great quality bubbles that smell fantastic. The bubbles and the bubbles machines were tested earlier this year in several gyms and rated very highly by the test gyms. Additionally, several gyms ordered the bubbles at Conference, and the feedback has been fantastic. We have even gotten comments from gym owners stating that these bubbles don’t leave residue or stains on their carpets. We are extremely excited to be partnered with Imperial Toy, our exclusive bubble partner, maker of Blitz Bubbles. “We love our new Blitz Bubbles and rotating bubble maker. The scented bubbles smell great, and you get a tremendous amount of bubbles using a small amount of solution! The chamber of the bubble maker can be taken apart very easily and cleaned. The bubbles do not come in contact with the motor, therefore, it will not break!” – Alyse Rudin, Owner, My Gyms Westfield, Glen Rock, and New Providence, NJ “So excited...

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Posted by on Dec 5, 2018 in Technology | 0 comments

Important Notice Regarding Email Marketing Lists

Per our update of December 3rd, we have made several improvements to the Email Marketing System. Some changes may have affected your existing email lists. Please take a moment to review this update; then review your lists to make sure they are targeting the correct audience. Changes that may need action on your part: The Include All Emails from Other Sources that are not Accounts filter has been broken up into three individual filters: Include Website Footer Include Lead Entry Include Contact Form If you are using this filter: Unless it is your plan to target only the emails that apply to the three filters above, checkmark Include All Accounts to repopulate the list with your entire MGM database. If the option was already checked, then you are all set and there is nothing more to do. The Birthdate Month and Birthdate Year filters have been expanded to allow multiple months and years. If you are using this filter: You may have to reset the birthdate months and/or years...

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Posted by on Dec 3, 2018 in Technology | 0 comments

Birthday Sign-In, EMS Updates, Texting from Website, MGM Down??? and More!

Buckle up, because this is going to be a long update but well worth your time. Please review everything below so that you are aware of all the new and fun things available to you. Birthday Sign-In Enhancements The all-new birthday party sign-in experience has been released. Please review the November 29th update for complete details. We recommend playing with the new functions early this week prior to the weekend party rush. You may use existing parties to do so; simply delete any test entries when done. Zipwhip Texting on the Website The website now has the ability to accept texts using Zipwhip’s Click-to-Text communication feature. When enabled, a Text icon will appear in three areas of the website: header, footer, and contact page. Click here for complete details and instructions on how to enable texting on your website. Email Marketing System Updates We have made improvements and have added new features to the Email Marketing System. We have also made it easier for multi-gym owners to send email...

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Posted by on Dec 3, 2018 in Technology | 0 comments

Zipwhip Texting Now Available on the Website

The website now has the ability to accept texts using Zipwhip’s Click-to-Text communication feature. When enabled, a Text icon will appear in three areas of the website: Clicking any of the Text icons on the website will display this pop-up: If a customer clicks Text from a mobile device, the default SMS app will load instead. When you receive a message via the website, it will come through Zipwhip from a system phone number like this: Create a contact from the phone number (e.g., “Website Inquiry”) for easy reference. All texts received through the website will come in through this message chain. IMPORTANT: Click on the phone number within the message to initiate your reply. Do not reply to the system phone number. How to Enable Zipwhip Texting WATCH VIDEO Go to Admin > Website > Settings > Scripts and scroll to the three Zipwhip sections. Find your codes here: Zipwhip Codes. Copy the Zipwhip Header code on the Google Sheet and paste it into the corresponding Zipwhip Header...

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Posted by on Dec 1, 2018 in Marketing | 0 comments

Social Media Roundup – December 15th through 31st

Happy Holidays and welcome to the final Social Media Roundup of 2018! We are so thankful to be part of a community of people who share positivity in this world. Your social pages have been spectacular. We can’t wait to see what 2019 brings! Below, you’ll find the latest list of suggested content, photos, and videos to fill your social calendar. For further questions, please reach out to marketing@mygym.com. See you online! DOWNLOAD: Social Media Roundup – December...

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Posted by on Nov 30, 2018 in Equipment, Support & Programming | 0 comments

Permanent Retirement of Hanging Balls and Other Hanging Elastic Items

Regretfully, we will be retiring any and all Adventures using elastic-hanging Hanging Balls (or Hanging Pom-Poms, Hanging Blow-Up Animals, etc.) effective immediately. We have previously stated that Hanging Beach Balls are NEVER to be used for students over the age of 2.5 (the oldest of Gymsters) or for any party because of the risk of serious cuts and abrasions to the neck as well as possible strangulation. If you are currently running a Hanging Ball Adventure (or similar) in your parties, please cease doing so immediately. To be clear, Hanging Beach Balls (along with all other “hanging” permutations that use elastic) are no longer appropriate to be used with any age group, in any class, party, or event. If you have any questions, please contact...

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Posted by on Nov 29, 2018 in Technology | 0 comments

Phase 2 of Birthday Sign-In Enhancements

The redesigned birthday sign-in experience will be released early next week. Please read and understand the list of new features below so that you are prepared for the changes. 1. Updated Design We have updated the look and feel of the internal and external sign-in pages. 2. Updated Shareable Remote Party Sign-In Links The shareable links feature was first released in mid-November and has been improved upon in the new release. Please see the update from November 13th for more details about how to use and promote remote party sign-in links. Party guests can now sign in and register with their existing My Gym accounts: Detailed confirmation page: 3. Streamlined Party Registration in the Gym Our main goal was to create a more efficient process for gym staff and party guests. The first step was allowing party guests to register ahead of time. The second step was to speed up registration in the gym prior to the party. Many party attendees already have accounts at your gym. Attendees with accounts...

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Posted by on Nov 27, 2018 in General | 0 comments

My Gym Featured in Entrepreneur Magazine’s Franchise 500 List

In case you don’t already know, My Gym has been ranked in Entrepreneur Magazine’s 39th Annual Franchise 500 List. We are ranked #182, the top placement in the children’s gym category, and we know what it took on your part to get here. We give a very special shout-out to EVERYONE! If not for our wonderful franchisees and their remarkable teams, My Gym wouldn’t be what it is today. You are all immensely appreciated and have our sincerest gratitude. Thank you for your commitment to children and for all your hard work. Please view the attached press...

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