Posted by on May 24, 2016 in Technology | 0 comments

Paperless MGM Directives, Tutorials & Webinar

You spoke, and we listened! We have made the following changes to the paperless system: You may now disable membership fees from being collected during an online class enrollment. (Admin > Website > Online Booking) IMPORTANT: If you choose to not collect membership fees online, we highly recommend adding language to your custom VIMA terms so that the parent is aware of the charge. (e.g., A $75 lifetime membership fee may be due based on current membership status.) (Admin > Gym > Settings > Legal) You may now disable the optional guest waiver from the website completely. (Admin > Website > Online Booking) There is now an icon on the Guest Confirmations and Attendance Roster pages next to the guests’ names that indicates whether or not an e-signature is on file for the parent. We are currently refining the family account screen to reflect the same information. If you have enabled online cancellations, the “Cancel Enrollment” button has been moved to a more discreet location in the client interface....

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Posted by on May 17, 2016 in Technology | 0 comments

Paperless MGM & Online Cancellations

Paperless System FAQs Where did the Recurring Payments tab go? This is now called the Classes tab. You can modify payments by clicking the dollar sign next to the child’s enrollment. When I click on the print button next to a VIMA/liability waiver, nothing happens. Make sure your pop-up blocker is letting the page open. How do I print the VIMA if I am not ready to go paperless? When you complete an enrollment, click “Skip VIMA,” take the payment, then print the pre-populated VIMA from the Classes tab If are not ready to take e-signatures and would prefer to have the VIMA initialed and signed BEFORE taking the payment, you can simply download the old Excel VIMA (making sure to change the terms to your liking). What is the difference between the VIMA on the Classes tabs and the Liability Waiver on the main family screen? The VIMA is the full enrollment agreement AND liability waiver that is generated whenever there is a class enrollment. The Liability Waiver...

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Posted by on May 11, 2016 in Marketing | 0 comments

Hyland’s Homeopathic – Free Sampling Program

The next phase of the Hyland’s Homeopathic Free Sampling Program is here!  Each gym will receive a free shipment containing all of the materials you will need to execute the program, which runs for a month from May to June, 2016.  Each shipment will contain only two small boxes of non-liquid samples. The samples and coupons should be made available to all customers from 5/16/16 to 6/16/16 or until supplies are gone, whichever occurs first. The materials include: 890 Hyland’s Homeopathic Teething Tablets 890 Hyland’s Homeopathic Nighttime Teething Tablets 600  3”x 5” coupons for Hyland’s products 1 counter card Please place the counter card near the samples and encourage parents who are interested in doing so to take the survey AND feel free to take multiple samples along with the coupons. Upon commencement of the program, please snap a quick picture of the samples and literature display and send it to marketing@mygym.com. We have taken every possible precaution on our end to avoid the damaging of products during the...

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Posted by on May 10, 2016 in Products | 0 comments

The Mymo Plush Doll is Here!

  Gyms, parents, and kids all love the new Mymo Plush Doll.  It will instantly capture the attention of kids and parents who will say: “How can I get one?” This 11.5” high-quality soft plush doll looks just like Mymo with incredible detail down to his facial features, hair curl, clothing, and more.  It even has a convenient hanging loop, making it possible for Mymo to “hang out” anywhere – in the gym, strollers, cribs, car seats, and more. You’re going to get a lot of use out of the Mymo Plush Doll for all sorts of activities and occasions starting the week of June 1st.  Thereafter, it will mainly be used during a lot of games for all age groups, including I Spy Mymo, Freeze Dance Mymo, Parachute Games, Hot Potato, and Rescue Relay.  You will also see the Mymo plush doll in the curriculum for many Adventures like Circus Tent and Rain Forest, and also during Separation Time.  You will love using the Mymo Plush Doll in...

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Posted by on May 10, 2016 in Support & Programming | 0 comments

Notice of a Program Name Change

We are writing to inform you all that we had to change the name of our youngest martial arts program, Little Kickers, because of a trademark infringement on a soccer program called “Lil Kickers.”  The new name for our Little Kickers is now “Mini Kickers.”  It lines up well with the names of our other Martial Arts classes.  If you are using Little Kickers as a name on your schedule or marketing materials, please change it to Mini Kickers.  We will be making the change to the corporate website this week.  It will be changed on everyone’s individual classes on the website as well as in MGM.  If you have made any customized flyers or ads from the Print System and/or Exact Target, we will need you to dispose of those and change the name to Mini Kickers.  We apologize for this...

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Posted by on May 6, 2016 in Products | 0 comments

Exciting New Curriculum Products for 2016

We are striving to keep programming fresh in many ways.  To that end, we’re introducing four fun new products into the curriculum this year.  To help you plan and budget accordingly, please review the information below: Mymo Plush Doll: Available: Mid-May In programming starting: Week of 6/1 Required minimum quantity per gym: 3-5 Discounted cost for curriculum: $7.20 each (regularly $8) Total cost (based on 5): $36 Use: Separation, Adventures, and Games Aerial Silks and Hardware: Available: June In programming starting: Last week of June Required minimum quantity per gym: 1 set (1 silk and hardware) Discounted/total cost for curriculum: $60 Use: New Skill Station and Big Swing Inflatable 5” Spike Ball: Available: July In programming starting: Week of 9/1 Required minimum quantity per gym: 24 Discounted cost for curriculum: $0.75 each (regularly $0.83) Total cost for curriculum: $18 Use: Parent Shares, Manipulative Skills, Games, Sports Skills, and more Inflatable Hopper Ball: Available: September In programming starting: September (estimate) Required minimum quantity per gym: 6 15” balls and 2...

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Posted by on May 5, 2016 in Marketing, Products | 0 comments

2016 Marketing Plan – Olympic/Champions Campaign Materials Are Ready!

The Summer Olympics will be taking place in Rio de Janeiro during the month of August, running from the 5th to the 21st. As outlined in the National Marketing Update released in September of 2015, there is a supplemental marketing campaign that may be used in July and/or August.  In July, this campaign can be used in conjunction with the Summer Fun campaign.  In August, it can be used in addition to the Back to School campaign. For a supplemental campaign, we provide print materials, global emails, and digital artwork.  We are also providing a press release, website article copy, and social media copy. To help you execute the themed campaign in your own gym(s), the following are ready for you to access: Marketing Materials Package (Operations Manual > Operations > Marketing Manual > 2016 Marketing > 07-July Marketing Materials Package.zip) The July 2016 Marketing Materials package is available as a zip file on the Operations Manual.  Just download one file and you’ll have a completely organized package that includes...

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Posted by on May 5, 2016 in My Gym Foundation | 0 comments

Robbie’s joy is infinite, now that he can play outside with his sister!

THE CHILDREN YOU HELP: Meet Robert Sometimes the ability to sit on one’s own is not as simple as it seems. If core strength is not developed, sitting is a difficult task. This is something 17-month-old Robbie faces on a daily basis. He cannot sit on his own to view the world around him in the way most people can. He has intractable epilepsy and experiences seizures every day, despite his earlier brain surgery. However, thanks to the assistance and support of the FAB and many My Gym Franchisees, MGCA was able to present Robbie with a GoTo Seat by Firefly, which allows him the opportunity to see the world from a new vantage point. Now Robbie can play with his sister, sit at the dinner table, and partake in daily life with his family. A recent letter from Robbie’s mom expressed her joy at Robbie’s newfound ability: “I literally CANNOT thank you enough. This GoTo seat is Robbie’s only means of sitting (even in a stroller). We take...

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Posted by on May 3, 2016 in Marketing | 0 comments

Life is Good T-Shirt Contest/Marketing Program Has Concluded

Please take note that the Life is Good T-Shirt Contest/ Marketing program has officially concluded. Please remove and discard all of the Life is Good marketing materials, including the poster, window/mirror clings, and any remaining flyers you have in your lobbies. Thank you for all of your support in making the materials available, sending in your pictures, sending out emails, and sharing MGE’s social media posts. Life is Good is extremely happy with the program and our compliance. They received thousands of entries and feel that our partnership went a long way toward the success of the program. If you have any questions or comments, please email...

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Posted by on Apr 28, 2016 in Marketing | 0 comments

Marketing Update: Summer Campaigns & e-Newsletter plus Other Reminders

REMINDER: SUMMER CAMPAIGN MATERIALS ARE AVAILABLE Are you ready to roll out a new marketing campaign? Get ready to swap out your social media images, splash page, website article, etc. beginning May 1st. All of the materials are available for you in the 2016 Marketing Plan folder of the Marketing Manual. The Summer Fun Campaign runs May, June, and July, plus you can utilize the supplemental Sports and Fitness Campaign in May. For full information regarding the summer campaign, please refer to the update, 2016 Marketing Plan – Summer Campaign Materials Are Ready! Additionally, the Olympic/Champion campaign is coming soon. This is a supplemental campaign for use in July and/or August. SIMPLIFY WITH CAMPAIGN IN A BOX! Get a head start on print items you may need for summer, and take advantage of All Printing’s Campaign in a Box. This option allows gyms to have all items printed and delivered at once! A variety of high-quality/full-color glossy posters, full-page flyers, half-page flyers, and 4×6 postcards in different quantities are...

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Posted by on Apr 25, 2016 in Support & Programming | 0 comments

Staffing Webinar

We held a webinar this past week on Hiring and Staffing. Thank you to everyone who participated. Your discussions and ideas were great and extremely helpful for many other gyms. We encourage all owners to listen to the recorded webinar found under the Webinars and Tutorials section. Note: This webinar is password protected. Please contact support@mygym.com for...

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Posted by on Apr 21, 2016 in Marketing | 0 comments

Don’t Forget to Claim your Yelp Page!

On the heels of our recent update “Online Reviews – How to get more of them and how to manage them!,” we want to remind everyone of the importance of also claiming your Yelp page.  Online review sites are still an important part of the customer experience and can have a large impact on your consumers’ dollars. By claiming your Yelp page, you will be able to: Respond to reviews privately and publicly Track leads and customer views of your business Add photos, links, and class/program descriptions to your page Update critical information such as your business hours, phone number, email, address, etc. Please take the time to claim your Yelp page utilizing the directions found on the business site of Yelp.  Please note this is different from the site one would use as a consumer to view your business. Navigate to https://biz.yelp.com Click “Claim your business” Follow the prompts and populate your page as thoroughly as possible FAQ: “Does claiming my Yelp page cost me any money?” It’s...

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Posted by on Apr 20, 2016 in General | 0 comments

Music Licensing

As you know, we have kept music licensing on the back burner as long as we could. The bad news is that they are knocking down our doors; the good news is that there is a real possibility that, this year, we will get away with licensing with just two of the three companies. We have been able to hold off SESAC so far this year; now is the time for us to get going with ASCAP and BMI. If SESAC comes back, we will reach out to you and let you know. For now, let’s hope we get away with just the two companies, in which case the total charge this year (as long as SESAC doesn’t show up) is $432. If you want to get in the national music licensing program again, please send us a check made out to My Gym Enterprises in the amount of $432 no later than May 6, 2016. If you choose not to participate in the program, the companies will probably...

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Posted by on Apr 18, 2016 in General | 0 comments

Print System Purge

Similar to Exact Target global template and email purges of yore, it is now time to purge the Print System. On Friday, May 13th, we will be moving the Print System to a new database. After the move, the Print System will have all new, refreshed templates, plus many more options. Unfortunately, this also means that your currently saved files will be deleted. Please take this time to save PDF versions of any templates you would like to reuse in the future. We will not be able to transfer the personalized templates, but it will be helpful to have copies to refer to when it is time to recreate them in the new system. We will continue to remind everyone of the purge every week. If you have any questions, please contact Mae Perez at...

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Posted by on Apr 15, 2016 in Marketing | 0 comments

Bambo Nature- Marketing Program Has Concluded

Please take note that the Bambo Nature Marketing program has officially concluded as of today, Friday April 15th. Please feel free to continue to use/hand out any remaining diaper samples you have, but please remove and discard all of the Bambo Nature marketing materials, including the poster, mirror and wall clings, and any remaining postcards and/or flyers you have in your lobbies. We are working toward securing a new preferred partner for diapers and other gym cleaning supplies. We will send out an update as soon as one is secured. If you have any questions or comments, please email...

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Posted by on Apr 15, 2016 in Uncategorized | 0 comments

Grand Opening in River Road, NJ

It is a rare occasion when we have the opportunity to announce the 3rd location for a franchisee.  It is with great pride and excitement that we inform you of My Gym River Road’s opening in North Bergen, NJ.  Tatiana Vega and Álvaro Pérez Solís opened their first location in Hoboken, NJ in 2011.  Their Jersey City, NJ location opened in January of this year, and they just completed their first weekend of open house events for River Road.  Well-wishes can be sent to riverroad@mygym.com. Congratulations, you are an inspiration to us...

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Posted by on Apr 13, 2016 in Products | 0 comments

New My Gym Photo Frames Available from ShopMyGym.com

The My Gym 2-in-1 Magnetic Photo Frame & Calendar has been so popular that we’re introducing two new My Gym photo frames! The “I’m the Star” Birthday Photo Frame is a great gift for kids celebrating their birthdays at My Gym.  Like the “I’m the Star” Birthday Shirt, this frame shows children performing fun and well-known My Gym birthday party activities.  Space Flight, Trampoline, Birthday March, and Circle Time . . . they’re all on display here. This photo frame is made of heavy-duty laminated cardstock that folds into a freestanding tent, and the frame has slits that can hold a 4” x 6” photo.  What a great way for kids to preserve memories of fun from their My Gym parties and for gyms to promote their businesses! The Word Fun Magnetic Photo Frame is part picture frame, part business card, and all parts fun!  The border is a magnetic photo frame featuring Mymo “Havin’ a Ball,” while the inside has a punch-out My Gym magnetic business card AND...

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Posted by on Apr 12, 2016 in General | 0 comments

Corporate Staff Update

It is with great sadness that we must announce to you that Martin Bunning is no longer with MGE.  His employment with our company concluded this past Friday, and we have parted on excellent terms.  Martin put in 11 great years with our company, but it is now time for him to follow his dream to attain his CPA license and move out of California. We will miss Martin greatly; he has been a tremendous asset to our organization.  We hope he has been of value to many of you as well. Jeff Hirsh has now taken over Martin’s position, so we all remain in experienced and capable hands.  Jeff has been training with Martin over the past month and is ready to “take the reins” starting today.  He will be performing the same duties Martin did; so, if you need help with QuickBooks, require general accounting/bookkeeping assistance, or want to discuss your MGE statement, Jeff is your new man at MGE.  jhirsh@mygym.com We all wish Martin great success...

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Posted by on Apr 12, 2016 in Support & Programming | 0 comments

Director of the Year Nominations

Attention owners!  Is your Director an amazing leader?  A take-charge go-getter? A knowledgeable, well-rounded master of the gym?  If so, you may want to consider nominating him or her for My Gym’s prestigious Director of the Year award!  This award is for the director who has gone above and beyond the call of duty in operating, caring, and living as though he or she were the owner of your My Gym.  If you would like to nominate your director for Director of the Year, the following criteria must be met: He/she has held the position of Director for at least 9 months of gym operation. Your director is a My Gym expert in all areas (teaching, running day-to-day operations, connecting with staff and families). He/she has been able to train and retain staff by teaching them to be My Gym experts. The gym is in compliance with all mandates and policies to date. Please click here to submit your Director of the Year nomination.  All nominations are due by...

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Posted by on Apr 11, 2016 in My Gym Foundation | 0 comments

Who ever thought a little seat could be so meaningful?

THE CHILDREN YOU HELP: Meet Gabriella Gabriella has spastic quadriplegia cerebral palsy, epilepsy with infantile spasms, and shaken baby syndrome, and is legally blind. Not only was she exposed to methamphetamine in utero and after birth; Gabriella’s biological mother shook her often as a baby. When her adoptive parents received her at four months old, she had fractured ribs and was slowly healing. Gabriella was fortunate to be adopted by a loving couple who made a request of MGCA. It’s because of your support that My Gym Challenged America was able to purchase a GoTo Seat by Firefly for Gabriella. This seat allows her to sit at preschool with her peers, go grocery shopping with her parents, and sit in swings at the park. Thank you so much for caring! Helping Children, One Shamrock at a Time Thank you to everyone who participated in our Shamrock Fundraiser. Over 25 gyms informed us of their participation, and we have received over $2,000 in donations from this fundraiser so far. If...

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Posted by on Mar 31, 2016 in Support & Programming | 0 comments

Owners Only Open Forum Webinar

We will be holding a webinar that gives owners the forum to discuss sensitive topics.  This will be a “town hall” style meeting led by you, the owners, with MGE facilitating and adding input.  The main topic will be staffing and training/developing your staff.  If you have a list of topics you would also like to discuss, please email support@mygym.com, and we will add them to the list as well.  Our family of franchisees is one of the best resources for all of us, and we hope to have all owners participate in this “owners only” webinar. IMPORTANT NOTES: We make every effort to place these webinars during times we feel will work for most of the My Gym Family.  Of course, this is not always possible, so a recorded version of the webinar will be posted in the Tutorials section of the extranet.  This recording is not intended as a replacement for attending the live event.  The recorded webinar should be used only as a reference. We have...

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Posted by on Mar 30, 2016 in Technology | 0 comments

Website/MGM Emails, Inquiries, and Exact Target – Important Things to Know

The My Gym website and MGM initiate many emails to both the gym and the customer. Along with normal inquiries, the gym also receives a copy of every single email that is sent to the customer. The gym copy is sent to the email address(es) listed in Admin > Gym > Settings. If you would like to include more than one email, be sure to separate them by semicolons. The customer copy is sent to all email addresses listed in the family account (primary and secondary, if applicable), as long as they are SUBSCRIBED. System emails to the customer (e.g., booking confirmations, payment receipts, and credit card expiry notices) are sent via Exact Target from the email address noreply@mygym.com. If the customer replies to this email, s/he will receive a notice that the message was not delivered. This is a standard practice. Emails initiated by clicking on the mail envelope icon in the family account are sent through your default mail client (e.g., Outlook) or your web-based email service...

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