Posted by on Aug 19, 2014 in Support & Programming | 0 comments

Upcoming Webinars

We will be holding 45-60 minute webinars on two topics discussed at convention. Optimized My Gym Within this model the start time of classes, time between classes, and length of classes are slightly altered. If you did not attend convention, you must participate in the webinar. Those who attended convention do not have to participate in the webinar but can as a refresher, if you wish. This webinar is designed for owners and directors only. Building Blocks We have made some exciting upgrades to the Building Blocks program. The upgrades eliminate the need for tracking and encourage a more authentic expertise teaching style. Please plan on having your entire staff on this webinar, even if you did attend convention, to learn about the changes in the program. 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...

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Posted by on Aug 18, 2014 in General | 0 comments

Credit Card Merchant Provider

MGE regularly reviews vendor pricing and customer service to ensure our gyms are working with the best possible vendor.  We have had a long and pleasant relationship with Versatalis Payment Solutions, but it is time to part ways. After months of research and interviewing numerous providers, we are pleased to bring you Global Payments Inc.  Global is an international company with offices in a number of regions around the world.  They offer superior reporting tools and excellent customer service, and it is already integrated into the MGM system.  We have successfully negotiated better rates and fewer fees.  Please keep in mind, however, that the monthly savings will not be significant, as we have already been receiving very competitive pricing. For a complete comparison or to switch, contact our Global representative, Julian Brain.  Julian is a Senior Sales Associate and is based out the Baltimore office.  His contact information is:  Phone-(443) 394-2206, Fax-(443)394-2106, JULIAN.BRAIN@GLOBALPAY.COM. After your account has been created, you will receive information to enter into MGM.  To do...

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Posted by on Aug 17, 2014 in Technology | 0 comments

Website Launch

We are launching the new updated website tomorrow, Sunday, sometime in the late afternoon or evening.  We are anticipating a smooth launch, but there could be a few minor glitches during this process. NOTE:  Unless you absolutely have to, please don’t make any changes in the boss tools for the website from this point until the new site is launched.  You will be free to do anything you need Monday morning. When you come in Monday morning, the most important thing to do is populate the new field for the Alert (if you are currently using your alert).  Reminder:  There is a new field called Bulletin Title that must be populated for the Alert to show on your website.  The Bulletin Title is what shows on the website and can be different from the Article title.  You can populate the field called “Bulletin Title” with up to 35 characters. Again, if you have any questions, please email Richard Schlam...

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Posted by on Aug 15, 2014 in General | 0 comments

Grand Opening

We are pleased to announce the Grand Opening of the Atwater Village location in California.  Long-time franchisee Robert Meltzer and Director Tim Darcy-Goldrick opened their doors on July 31st.  The gym had a very successful pre-opening campaign, and their open house events were well attended.  Robert and his staff are having a blast with their first week of classes.  Please send your warm wishes and congratulations to...

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Posted by on Aug 14, 2014 in Marketing | 0 comments

Marketing – From the Desk of the CMO

It was great to see so many of our franchisees and directors at the 2014 International Convention. For those who missed IT, we missed YOU! During the Marketing Department’s presentations and breakout meeting at the Convention, we communicated the following: The MGE Marketing Department is focused 24/7/365 to build and extend the My Gym brand globally by utilizing PR, sponsor and marketing partnerships, social media and, at times, paid advertising. Our goal is to help drive a minimum of 100 leads to your doors each month. We emphasized that everything gyms need to market locally is made available to you, from materials, tools, and vendors to plans, campaigns, and support. It is all “teed up” for gyms to follow and implement. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, we conveyed that our marketing and your marketing “all work together.” MGE and our franchisees have most always been unified in what we do. What My Gym does and provides to children and families across the world is wonderful: amazing classes, programs, birthday...

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Posted by on Aug 14, 2014 in Technology | 0 comments

Updated Website Launch

Upgraded Website Launch & Best Practices for Using Your My Gym Website The new website will launch early next week. During this launch, you will be able to see your specific website completely populated to make sure it is perfect before we go live. There are only a couple of items that need to be populated and/or understood for the new site; however, this is a good time to review everything on your site to make sure you are using the full power of the tools you are provided for your website. The other benefit of launching in this fashion is that it also gives us the ability to have many more people (franchisees) test the site to help identify any last glitches or imperfections. If you run across any issues, please report them directly to Richard Schlam at Boss. mygymboss@gmail.com Go to the extranet and start making changes. TO VIEW THE NEW SITE AND SEE YOUR CHANGES… http://stage.mygym.com Items to review: Homepage: Just a reminder that the four...

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Posted by on Aug 13, 2014 in Technology | 0 comments

Website Schedules

MGM Users, As you have certainly noticed, changes have been made to the way class schedules appear on your website.  We apologize that advanced notice regarding the changes were not provided.  The developers completed the project ahead of schedule and were overly eager to release this much requested feature. Current Schedule The current schedule contains all classes that are currently running. Future / Coming Soon Schedule To set up your “Future Schedule:” Log in to the extranet and click “Edit Web Sites & Schedules.”  Then, select your gym and click “Gym Information.” Place a check next to “Enable MGM Future Schedule.” Enter the date your “Future Schedule” will start. Classes ending before this date will not appear on the future schedule. Enter the title for your “Future Schedule.” Click “Update” to save your changes. The Future / Coming Soon Schedule will display: Classes scheduled to start in the future Classes that are currently running that don’t have an end date Classes that are currently running but will change times...

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Posted by on Aug 11, 2014 in Support & Programming | 0 comments

Optimized My Gym Webinar

We will be holding a 45-60 minute webinar on the Optimized My Gym model.  Within this model the start time of classes, time between classes, and length of classes are slightly altered. If you did not attend convention, you must participate in the webinar.  Those who attended convention do not have to participate in the webinar but can as a refresher, if you wish.  This webinar is designed for owners and directors only. If you have already heard about the Optimized Model and would like to update your schedule for fall, please contact support immediately at support@mygym.com. 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 Aug 8, 2014 in Marketing, Products, Support & Programming | 0 comments

2014 Convention Recap

Programs, Operations, Support & Training Curriculum Update & Building Blocks Update We are excited to announce that the Building Blocks program is getting an upgrade!  We revisited the goals of Building Blocks and realigned them to reflect what is effectively the most basic and important building block of any My Gym – teaching amazing classes.  We believe that, by peeling back the layers of the program and restructuring the concept, our teachers will be better able to do what they do best: teach intelligently, engagingly, compassionately, and (above all) authentically. The current Building Blocks and supporting skills will not be used going forward.  In their place are two easy-to-understand concepts that will be written automatically into the curriculum and rotated out every four weeks: one pertaining to a child’s social, emotional, or cognitive development, and one pertaining to physical development.  Together, these focuses are being termed “Mind/Body.”  As curriculum is released each week, you will see that certain ingredients are marked with either the Mind or Body focus for...

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Posted by on Aug 8, 2014 in Marketing, Products | 0 comments

Get Ready Now for Your Back to School Campaign with the My Gym Kids Activity Wall Calendar!

We know you’re currently planning your Back to School campaigns, so we want to remind you that the 2014-2015 My Gym Kids Activity Wall Calendar is an essential promotional item for a successful campaign.  We’ve had an amazing response to this calendar.  Many gyms have seen this great calendar in person by now, and lots of you have purchased these calendars and have been distributing them to your members and communities.  Those of you who attended the International Convention last month received this calendar in your gift bag, so you already know how incredibly this product captures the essence of My Gym by encouraging your members and communities to be healthy with interactive activities, nutrition tips, healthy recipes, exercises, family fitness and self-esteem activities, and more! Remember, this 16-month calendar starts with September 2014, so NOW is the time for everyone to hop on board and order this calendar to get the full benefit of this powerful and effective marketing vehicle.  Here are some suggestions on how to use...

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Posted by on Aug 5, 2014 in General | 0 comments

2014 Award Winners

We are so proud of what each one of you accomplishes in your gyms day in and day out!  You all touch the lives of children and create wonderful memories for your My Gym Kids and their families.  My Gym is helping to change the world, and you’re the ones who are doing it.  We recognize and appreciate the hard work everyone puts in on a daily basis.  Thank you! Congratulations to Our 2014 Award Winners: WORLDWIDE FRANCHISEE OF THE YEAR It is with the greatest of pleasure that My Gym Enterprises Presents this Award to China In recognition of having outstanding principles, superior accomplishments in all areas of operations, and making unique contributions to the My Gym organization You have distinguished yourselves as a pinnacle of My Gym and have built exceptional relationships with your fellow franchisees, your clients, the communities you serve, and MGE   ************* International Franchisee of the Year The gym that best exemplifies the ideals for which My Gym stands by achieving excellence in the areas of business operations, leadership, customer service,...

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Posted by on Aug 5, 2014 in Technology | 0 comments

MGM Schedule and Class Pricing

  A new feature has been released to allow easier changes to class start and end times as well as class pricing. Gyms transitioning to the “Optimized Model” (OMG) will be able to adjust all class times without disrupting the currently enrolled, new enrollments, or switches. To edit existing class start or end times: From the “Admin Section,” go to “Classes” and then “View/Edit Class Schedule” Click on the desired class and enter the information under “Future Class Time/Cost” Change Date – This is the date the changes will take effect. Start Time – The new start time of the class End Time – The new end time of the class Class Cost – The cost of the class (Leave blank if the cost is not changing) Click “Save” and repeat the steps for any other applicable classes Additional Notes: The revised classes will appear on the website’s “Coming Soon” / “Future” schedule. The classes will be available for online enrollments and guest class bookings if Client Interface is...

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Posted by on Aug 1, 2014 in Marketing | 0 comments

All Printing Campaign in a Box

Simplify your marketing and save time with Campaign in a Box! All Printing is now offering packaged printing options to correspond with the corporate marketing campaigns.  Visit the All Printing website and select Back to School Materials to see the two package options currently available.  Each package includes high quality/full-color glossy posters, full-page flyers, half-page flyers, and 4×6 postcards.  Modify the designs with your own special promotions and call to action. The postcards offered are intended to be used for flyering, posting on community boards, or in-house mailings generated with your own mailing list from MGM. The items offered through All Printing can be ordered a la carte, however, ordering one of the preselected packages will provide the best pricing that either meets or beats other print vendors. Package Option #1 includes: Package Option #2 includes: 10 Posters250 Postcards 250 Half-Page Flyers 250 Full-Page Flyers Cost $185.00 ($206.99 value) Plus tax and shipping 25 Posters500 Postcards 500 Half-Page Flyers 500 Full-Page Flyers Cost $229.99 ($255.00 value) Plus tax and shipping Visit www.mygymprinting.com to...

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Posted by on Jul 31, 2014 in Technology | 0 comments

ATTENTION MGM USERS

This affects only US and Canadian gyms that use MGM and Paymentech credit card processing. It has come to my attention that there were cases where Credit Card transactions received an “APPROVED” from Paymentech but were in fact “PARTIALLY APPROVED” with not 100% of the amounts actually paid on these transactions. In all cases, the credit cards were PREPAID or GIFT type, and they may not have had enough funds on these cards to fully cover the charge amounts. The MGM code that prevents PARTIAL AUTHORIZATIONS has been put in place as of Tuesday, 7/ 29/2014, at 3:45 PM CST. Any partial transactions will report as DECLINED from that date/time forward. In order to make sure your gym has received the amount as stated on the MGM, you have to do the following: In MGM, go to your TRANSACTIONS report. Select dates FROM: 7/4/2014 TO: 7/29/2014. The report can now be EXPORTED to a CSV file and opened in Excel. Go to your Chase/Paymentech reports. Get a transaction report...

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Posted by on Jul 30, 2014 in Support & Programming | 0 comments

RBS and VIMA Update

There have been some changes made to the VIMA as well as general RBS protocol. Please review, note, and make appropriate changes to your systems. New VIMA verbiage makes an addendum unnecessary. You are now able to change pricing with just an announcement and/or letter. Both the VIMA on the extranet and the VIMA within MGM have been updated. Click Here to see the new Raising Your Tuition-RBS Price Increase Directives There have been changes made to the policies section of the VIMA. This is updated on the extranet, but you need to make your own change in MGM. Within “Admin Options,” select “Payment Agreement Customization.” Remove the verbiage under Attendance and Make-Ups and replace with the following: Tuition is based on four (4) weeks of class programming. Members must inform the gym of an absence a minimum of 2 hours in advance to be eligible for a make-up. Each make-up must be completed within four (4) weeks of the missed class. There may be short periods when My...

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Posted by on Jul 30, 2014 in Marketing | 0 comments

YouTube Video Contest Winners

Thank you to all participating gyms for submitting videos and for promoting them to your customers, families, and friends.  Collectively, there were over 7,000 views! Each of the gyms that submitted videos will receive a $50 ShopMyGym.com store credit.  Those gyms are: Kent, WA; Calgary, Alberta; Westfield, Manalapan & Glen Rock, NJ; Potomac & Bethesda, MD; Plantation, FL; Valencia, CA; and Fresh Meadows, NY. Congratulations to the three gyms whose videos received the most views: Calgary, Alberta; Valencia, CA; and Fresh Meadows, NY.  Each of the three videos was screened at the My Gym International Convention. After final voting by the MGE Executive Team and Staff, the results were as follows: 2 Runners-Up Calgary, Alberta and Fresh Meadows, NY will each receive a $100 shopmygym.com store credit, 1 Free Marketing Fund month (to be paid by MGE), and a $200 lunch/dinner/employee party! Grand Prize Winner Valencia, CA will receive a $150 shopmygym.com store credit, 2 Free Marketing Fund months (to be paid by MGE), and a $400 lunch/dinner/employee party!...

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Posted by on Jul 29, 2014 in General | 0 comments

2014 Convention Evaluation

Please take a few minutes to give us your opinion on the following convention topics.  Your candid evaluation will assist us in our efforts to support you in the best manner possible.  We would like a 100% return rate to know how to make our next convention even better! Online Form – 2014 Convention Evaluation Online Form...

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Posted by on Jul 14, 2014 in Marketing | 0 comments

Direct Mail Marketing – Back to School Campaign Discounts

We are pleased to inform you that Aspen Marketing (FKA Get Members) is offering My Gym franchisees the following promotional discounts for those gyms wishing to utilize Direct Mail: Jumbo Postcard (4×6) 5,000 quantity with Paid Consumer List – $150 Off! 5,000 @ .46 cents = $2,300 … Minus BTS Special – $150 … = $ 2,150 NEW 5×8 Postcards for 2,000 or 3,000 quantities 5×8 Postcards – 2,000 or 3,000 quantities with Paid Consumer List – Specials 2,000 @ .62 cents = $ 1,240 … Minus BTS Special – $ 50 … = $ 1,190 3,000 @ .62 cents = $ 1,860 … Minus BTS Special – $ 100 … = $ 1,760 Email Blast when bundled with any postcard mailing – $50 OFF 10,000 @ .05 cents = $ 500 … Minus BTS Special – $ 50 … = $ 450 Aspen has all of our Back to School Campaign artwork to incorporate into your orders. If you are planning to hold an Open House, you’ll want...

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Posted by on Jul 11, 2014 in General | 0 comments

Important travel information for those using LAX to get to and from the My Gym Convention

Aviation/Century intersection will be closed July 25th through 28th.  Allow extra time driving to the airport! When you are returning to LAX at the close of the Convention, do not take the Century Blvd exit to get to the airport!  Century Blvd closures will begin at 9:00pm on Friday, July 25, and end at 6:00am on Monday, July 28.  It will also affect the southbound traffic lanes on Aviation Boulevard in that area, though the northbound lanes will remain open.  It is advised that passengers who must go to the airport on this weekend allow extra time to get there. It would be best to take the 105 fwy to LAX, but it may be more congested than usual because of the Century Blvd closure. Just 12 days away – can’t wait to see you all at the My Gym International...

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Posted by on Jul 11, 2014 in Products | 0 comments

Inventory Clearance Sale! Save 25% on Everything at ShopMyGym!

ShopMyGym just stocked up on inventory and has a bunch more arriving next week, which means that we need to make room in our warehouse quickly!  So we’re taking a big hit and giving you 25% off all orders of $250 or more between now and Tuesday 7/15 at 5 p.m. Pacific Time.  Registration packs, apparel, birthday party favors, promotional products, and more . . . everything is on sale.  We have never offered this type of discount, and we might not ever do this again, so take advantage of this opportunity to save big and get the same great products.  Click here to start...

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Posted by on Jul 9, 2014 in Products | 0 comments

Introducing the new My Gym Superhero Cape!

Introducing the new My Gym Superhero Cape! Kids love superheroes and capes, so they’re bound to love the new My Gym Superhero Cape. Of course, the My Gym expert programming team has developed tons of great activities for kids (and parents) to get the most out of this fun product and to use it the My Gym way. These activities will soon be incorporated into the curriculum when the cape is introduced as a Manip. In the meantime, you can start the fun now by wearing this cape from time to time in your gym during classes and during superhero themed birthday parties. In addition, this is a great retail item to display in your gym and sell to members. Like the other Manips, the cape comes in retail packaging with an activity card containing pages of fun activities. This cape is made of premium red satin with a serged edge and the My Gym superhero logo emblazoned across it in red, yellow, and black. It’s 20” length and...

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Posted by on Jul 9, 2014 in Support & Programming | 0 comments

Your Prompt Attention, Please!

Attention:  2014 My Gym Convention Attendees ONLY If you will be attending convention, you must complete your DiSC profile to participate in the 2-hour management and leadership meeting.  If you have not done so yet, please complete your profile following these instructions: A DiSC profile must be completed by each person attending convention.  For example, if 3 of you are attending from your gym, you must each complete your own profile with its own unique link/code. Pay for your discounted profile using the link below.  You will receive a receipt immediately. If you complete your purchase between 8:00 AM and 5 PM Central Time, you will be emailed a link within the hour.  Click the link to take your assessment.  If you pay after these hours, the link will be sent to you the following business day. When completing your profile, answer all questions from a work/business perspective (not home or personal). Your DiSC profile will be given to you at convention. If you need assistance or have questions,...

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Posted by on Jul 7, 2014 in Marketing | 0 comments

My Gym Photo Gallery Updated

The gallery of still photos has been expanded!  Visit the Extranet and click, “Logos, Pictures & Marketing Materials.”  Then open the “MGE Approved Photos” folder to check out the update galleries.  The new shots are included as well as the most successful of the previously existing gallery. In an effort to provide for a variety of needs, we have increased the number of shots available.  As a result, you may see some photos that do not match your particular needs or taste but, hopefully, many more that will enhance your marketing and increase your business. Please note that the image files in the MGE Approved Photos folder are optimized for the most common uses and are not suitable for high quality printing.  Please contact designer@mygym.com if you require a high resolution version of any photo in the...

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