We are excited to announce that we have upgraded the mobile website with the main focus of making it more user-friendly for our customers. This was launched last weekend, and we are receiving very good reviews on the upgraded sections. Don’t forget to check out the new site on your mobile phone. Keep in mind that our desktop site is used for tablets. More upgrades to our technology coming...
Read MoreChase Bank is giving twenty $100,000 grants to small businesses! Most of you franchisees will qualify to enter. To be eligible, you need to have fewer than 100 employees; you must have been in business for at least 2 consecutive years, and you must be a U.S. resident. When one digs deeper, there are other qualifications, but most if not all won’t impede your eligibility. These things always sound like longshots, but you never know. Please see attached flyer here. Deadline to apply is June 5th, so get to work right away if you want to give it a...
Read MoreWe would like to recognize and congratulate two more award winners for 2015! WORLDWIDE FRANCHISEE OF THE YEAR It is with the greatest of pleasure that My Gym Enterprises Presents this award to China In recognition of your outstanding principles, your superior accomplishments in all areas of operations, and your unique contributions to the My Gym organization * * * You have distinguished yourself as an ideal My Gym franchisee and have built exceptional relationships with your fellow franchisees, your clients, your community, and MGE. We are so proud of the awesome class quality you have instilled in all your gyms and the extraordinary expansion you have achieved! Keep up the amazing work! International Franchisee of the Year The owner who best exemplifies the ideals for which My Gym stands by achieving excellence in the areas of business operations, leadership, customer service, program quality, and enrollment Meera Khalfan United Kingdom Congratulations, Meera, on the high standards of systems that have been upheld in your location. We are so proud...
Read MoreSpecial shout-out goes to Amy Arfman and the members of My Gym Kailua. They have already reached their goal of donating $1,000 to MGCA for the 100% program this year. Words cannot adequately express our gratitude, and we can’t wait to see the smiles on the faces of the children assisted with this donation. With your support, we are helping them face their challenges, one donation at a time. Keep up the great work, everyone! THE CHILDREN YOU HELP: Meet Charlie Charlie was diagnosed with Holoprosencephaly (HPE), which has left her unable to walk, talk, or sit up unsupported. With the help of her new Goto 2 Seat, Charlie is now able to sit up and interact with her surroundings better than ever! Charlie’s mother sent us this note updating us on how Charlie is enjoying her gift: “A HUGE thank you to My Gym Challenged America for Charlie’s Goto 2 Seat! As you can see in the attached photos – she LOVES it! One of the photos shows...
Read MoreGet Your Business Listed at Important Directories At the My Gym International Convention in the summer of 2014, Scott at Search Commander, Inc. talked about the importance of making sure your gym has consistent information on web directories. Adding your business with consistent information at most of the local directories can make a huge difference in your organic rankings and search results. Hand in hand with your paid Google AdWords campaigns, you will take a big leap forward in optimizing your online marketing efforts to get found and build your business. List Your Gym Yourself or Pay UBL to Do It The UBL core distribution service is a powerful and effective method to broadcast your business listing information. They distribute your detailed business profile through Infogroup, Factual, Verizon, and Dun & Bradstreet, which are the data warehouses behind the scenes that power the majority of online search. With UBL core distribution, you’ll see your business profile show up across more than 150 digital distribution points. Here’s a short video from Search Commander,...
Read MoreNortheast Award Winners We spent an amazing weekend with a great group of smart, fun, and amazing My Gymers last week! There were 115 people in attendance. Your passion and dedication helped create an amazing event! We would like to recognize the award winners from the Northeast for 2015. Keep up the fantastic work! Franchisee of the Year Amy and Robert Brenner My Gyms Fairfield, Stamford, and Orange, CT The owners who best exemplify the ideals for which My Gym stands by achieving excellence in the areas of business operations, leadership, customer service, program quality, and enrollment Franchisee of the Year Christin Shifflett My Gyms Crofton, Columbia, and Annapolis, MD The owner who best exemplifies the ideals for which My Gym stands by achieving excellence in the areas of business operations, leadership, customer service, program quality, and enrollment * * * * Achievement Award The owners who have achieved remarkable progress in striving for excellence in the areas of business operations, leadership, customer service, program quality, and enrollment David...
Read MoreAs a reminder, the Exact Target content purge is scheduled for tonight. If you are logging in this evening, you may notice global emails gradually being removed from your account. Click here for a tutorial on how to save your content. A set of all new global emails will be published to your account right after the purge, organized into subfolders for easy navigation. The MGM automated emails have also been refreshed and can now be customized! Below is a preview of what’s to come. What’s New? Click each image to enlarge Global Email Subfolders We’ve made it easier to find what you’re looking for, and added many more photo options from which to choose. Brand New E-Newsletter Options Pre-made newsletter content areas covering a wide variety of topics and promotions are available for you to insert into emails. Use these content areas as models when creating your own. Make sure to follow the font face, color, and size standards, and don’t forget – keep it short and...
Read MoreWe are pleased to announce the Grand Opening of our 6th location in Connecticut. Sara and Carlos Bastos have recently opened their doors in Enfield. This is the Bastos’ second My Gym. They have owned and operated the West Hartford location for the past 3 years. Warm wishes and congratulations can be sent to...
Read MoreJust a reminder that our upcoming campaign’s marketing materials and merchandise are available for you to promote May’s Sports and Fitness Month and also Summer Fun! The May Sports and Fitness Month campaign marketing materials can be found in the May folder of the Marketing Manual. If you decide not to use the Sports and Fitness Month materials, generic materials are available for your use. Shopmygym.com has the perfect shirt to go along with this campaign! The athletic tee has a vintage My Gym swoosh design on the front of the chest and the My Gym logo on the back with the word, “PLAY,” reminding My Gymers to get out there and have fun. Members and staff will love this soft and comfortable shirt, available in youth and adult sizes. This shirt is available on ShopMyGym.com in the Kids Apparel and Adult Apparel categories. Social Media: #SportsAndFitnessMonth Become a part of the conversation! We highly suggest you utilize social media as another tool in your marketing toolbox. For the month...
Read MoreSince Search Commander, Inc. began working with MGE last year, they have conducted more than 300 appointments with over 100 franchisees. The reports, feedback, and results have been overwhelmingly positive. Specifically regarding Google AdWords (GAW), 100% of the franchisees who were already set up with GAW have cut their “cost per conversion” by at least 50% and, in many cases, by much more. Additionally, every My Gym franchisee account is running more profitable after working with Search Commander, Inc. Based on the results and the feedback we have received, the program has now been expanded, allowing for Scott at Search Commander to consult with gyms on a monthly basis instead of just quarterly. This will enable gyms to obtain help in areas other than Google AdWords as well. Franchisees can gain assistance and guidance with additional topics, including but not limited to: (1) getting your business claimed on Google, (2) improving local listings and organic search results, (3) marketing and advertising with Facebook. Book your follow-up or first appointment...
Read MoreWe are still planning to hold the Northeast Training Seminar as planned. We are monitoring the situation in Baltimore closely, along with Megan Gorsuch, owner from Timonium, MD. Megan states: “Everything is fine in the Timonium area. The news is really making it seem as though it is much more widespread than it really is at this time. This is a very sad time for the city, but the trouble is in East and West Baltimore and does not affect the county or the airport. Everyone is safe in the Timonium area.” We look forward to seeing you all soon! ...
Read MoreAs explained in the April 14th update, the My Gym Superhero Cape will be added to curriculum the week of 5/18. While this is a stock item, in order to make sure you get the capes you need and on time, please place your orders on ShopMyGym by 9 am Pacific Time this Monday 4/27, or sooner....
Read MoreThe time has come, grasshopper, to “wax on, wax off!” As of today, we are releasing the entire My Gym Martial Arts program – including curriculum, training, marketing directives, and everything else you’ll need to run this “turnkey” core program. Have you hired your Black Belt? Decided where to put your class(es) on the schedule? If so, then you’re ready to go. Simply read the Martial Arts Program Directives, begin marketing, and continue from there. Our program is based on Taekwondo; but, as in many Martial Arts classes, other styles and self-defense techniques are also interjected into the curriculum. Be assured that the My Gym Martial Arts program is a legitimate program with skill, progression, belt testing, and a sound philosophy. Children have the ability to test for patches, stripes, and higher belts, eventually even earning their black belts. This is an authentic martial arts program taught within My Gym’s core beliefs. If you have yet to hire your Black Belt instructor, your first step is to read...
Read MoreAfter years of usage (and being dragged around the gym), the Green Climber foundation can get loose and the floorboards can slip out. Please be sure the safety clamps are installed on the floorboards at all times. Failure to do so may result in the floorboards slipping off the climber rungs, causing a malfunction and injury. – My Gym...
Read MoreThe Exact Target: Functions, Features & Best Practices webinar is now available on the extranet (Webinars & Tutorials under Exact Target). If you were unable to attend one of the live presentations, we encourage you to watch this recorded version. The webinar is appropriate for Exact Target users of all levels and...
Read MoreClick the button to enlarge video. 2014 Webinar 2015...
Read MoreWe are pleased to announce that, over the last several months, MGE has been working closely with our partners at Azul Hotels by Karisma to revamp our business relationship on every level. At its core, this means a renewed My Gym program, experience, and marketing presence at all Azul hotels, where we directly brand and engage with more than 200,000 families (and potential My Gym customers) per year from around the world. Additionally, we are going to increase our joint marketing presence through email, website, and social media. Finally, we are renewing the marketing materials and the ever-popular customer/franchisee contest program at the gyms. PLEASE NOTE that there are some changes to the in-gym marketing materials and customer contest. Please read on to see that, in addition to gyms’ having a chance to win a FREE trip, our My Gym customers and you, our owners and staffs, can vacation at Azul at the lowest prices ever offered to the My Gym family by Azul! My Gym Customer Contest The...
Read MoreMeet Aleah Whaley! MGCA’s New Director of Development My Gym Challenged America welcomes Aleah Whaley to the team! While Aleah has been involved with MGCA for several years in a volunteer capacity, she took on the role of Director of Development at the beginning of 2015 to assist with MGCA’s fundraising efforts. Please help us to welcome her as she reaches out to you in the coming months. WHO YOU HELP: Meet Naomi Naomi was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy, and it is difficult for her to exercise and play with other children her age. With the help of her trike, Naomi can ride around and play! Naomi’s mother wrote us expressing her gratitude: “Today we received Naomi’s tricycle! Thank you all so much for your kindness and efforts. Tomorrow her dad and I are getting her the coolest helmet we can find and taking her out with all of the kids at our playground. You have made a wonderful difference in my daughter’s life. Thank you!” Thank you to all...
Read MoreNew Sponsor Program- Hyland’s Homeopathic – Free Teething Tablet Sampling Program We are pleased to inform you that we have a new program beginning with Hyland’s. This will be our final program for a while, as we have no other deals pending with them until at least the end of summer, if they occur at all. Beginning late this week, all U.S. gyms will receive the 1st of two shipments associated with this program, which runs from April – May, 2015. The shipments will contain all the materials you will need to execute the program. The samples and coupons contained in the shipments should be made available to all customers from 4/20/15 to 5/20/15 or until supplies are gone, whichever occurs first. You will receive two shipments with approximately 1,000 samples each. The 1st shipment should arrive by 4/20/15, and the 2nd shipment will arrive by 4/27/15. Please place the counter card near samples and encourage parents who are interested in doing so to take the survey AND to...
Read MoreFirst new product: My Gym Superhero Capes MGE is constantly searching out the top equipment and products to put into our curriculum to keep programming exciting and fresh. From time to time, we will be adding products to our My Gym programming. Note that, in order to keep full consistency from gym to gym around the world, our curriculum does not contain optional ingredients unless specifically stated when we roll out a new item for curriculum or seasonal programming. We’re excited to let you know that four new products will be added to curriculum during 2015! These products are for use in your classes/parties and for sale to your members. Specific retail selling directives will be provided for these items. The first new item, the My Gym Superhero Cape, will be added to curriculum the week of 5/18 for the Parent Share and the Whiz Kids game. This is not optional, and you need to purchase it. You will also see the cape in future programming for Manipulative Skills,...
Read MoreUpcoming Northeast Training Seminar, May 1-2 We are just a few weeks away from the Northeast Training Seminar, and we’re anxious to see everyone at this very fun and motivational event! General Information Please Click here for the Northeast Training Seminar Agenda. Please print out 1 copy for each person attending. Training Seminar will begin at 1:00pm sharp on Friday afternoon. Meetings will end around 6pm, and we will all meet at a restaurant at 7pm. If you are bringing your entire staff, we suggest you cancel classes and parties on Friday and Saturday. Last meeting will end at approximately 5:00pm on Saturday. Please plan to attend the entire seminar. All attendees will be on their own for lunch and dinner each day. Suggestions will be given by the hosting gym. MGE will not be handling any accommodations, flights, rental cars, etc. All arrangements must be made in advance by individuals attending the event. Recommended hotels are listed below Dress: Comfortable/athletic attire – My Gym shirts are preferred. Food will...
Read MoreIt’s that time again… Exact Target global templates and emails will be purged and refreshed on Friday, May 8th. We were able to declutter your global emails section quite a bit with our first purge last year; but, with recent Exact Target functionality and interface upgrades, we feel it is best to clean house again. MGE now has the ability to publish global emails down to your accounts into organized folders—hooray! In the past, we have avoided over-publishing emails; the amount of content grew, but also grew harder to find. Because we can now separate global emails into folders, we are able to expand the number of pre-made emails for your use. More information about this purge and the added benefits of the reorganization will be discussed during the Exact Target webinar next week (April 14th at 10am PDT & April 15th 1pm PDT). Have you registered yet? If not, click here to do so now! SAVE YOUR CONTENT: You have a little over two weeks to save all...
Read MoreMy Gym has once again partnered with The Weinstein Company to promote the Paddington DVD, which will be released on 4/28/15. The program will allow My Gym to continue building a positive relationship with The Weinstein Company, aligning our brand with one that is well respected by our members. This shipment contains materials you will need to execute this program. Please display and distribute the promotional materials from 4/9/15- 6/9/15 1 x Paddington Movie Poster (24×36) 1 x Paddington DVD (Can be used as you like…You can raffle it off, keep for gym use during PNO, etc.) Coupons (200 per location) Poster Hangers ADDTIONALLY, if you like, you can utilize the Paddington Bear plush toy from December/January and incorporate into your curriculum (Camps, PNOs, Class Elements) AND you can access and print Paddington coloring sheets here to hand out to children and/or use during camp, pre-school prep, etc. Upon commencement of the program, please snap a quick picture of the poster displayed and send it to marketing@mygym.com. If you have any...
Read MoreAs part of our 2015 Marketing Department plan, MGE is now directing Marketing Fund dollars toward online advertising, driving geographically and demographically targeted customers directly to “your” respective websites. Put more simply, MGE is advertising for you in your markets, adding yet another layer to your existing efforts without your having to even think about it! We have integrated the newest cutting edge ad tech from Google into our website. Instead of merely placing ads on a specific site or publication, we can target individual users matching a customer profile we control – YOUR customer profile! With this new technology, our impressions, budget, and ads are not wasted. Instead, they are served only to customers with children living within a couple of miles of each of your gyms. Example: High quality image ads on websites, mobile sites, and even apps and games SUMMARY OF RESULTS To date (as of March 30th), we have achieved over 4 million impressions and over 7,700 clicks at a cost of approximately $7,000. HOW...
Read MoreWe’re excited to see our gyms contributing to child safety and protection by educating our members with the Kidpower Safety Minute each week. We believe that the mission and message of Kidpower is very important and that we, as the leading experts in child development, have a crucial role to play in teaching our members, both children and parents, how to be safe. With bullying and child abuse on the rise, My Gym can and should address these issues with our members, as we make our contribution to Kidpower’s efforts to fulfill the “One Million Safer Kids” mission. With that said, we want to ensure that the message is presented by our staff in an authentic and meaningful way. We would not want our teachers or parents to feel uncomfortable with the lessons being delivered. We understand that it can be difficult at times to speak to children and parents about child safety, so we have decided to remove the minutes from Little Bundles through Terrific Tots until further...
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