‘Pragmatic Programmer’ Dave Thomas to be Guest Speaker at iCode Inc. 2nd Anniversary Celebration

With Summer camps under way at many of our campuses, it’s time to prepare for the NEXT transition…FALL ENROLLMENTS! You’ve  heard me talk about the need to stay focused on what’s UPCOMING to ensure we’re properly prepared and allow ample time for marketing and converting our existing students/campers through transitions.   Below are my recommendations to set you up for a successful Fall enrollment season: Load Calamatic with your Fall Belt/Path schedule BEFORE Summer camps begin. This will give interested parties the ability to enroll immediately (otherwise you risk losing the sale!) Set up your promotions. Promotions should not be combined with other offers, so plan out which method makes the most sense for your campus. Early Bird Special Set up a promotion where the earlier they sign up, the more they save (i.e. Offer your best discount before July 4th. Offer another discount tier after July 4th until around Aug 1 before school starts). This creates a sense of urgency to enroll sooner and not wait until school starts (after school starts, many parents take about a month to figure out schedules before adding in any new programs). 10% Rebate Promotion The more Summer camps they enroll in, the…

Your response time to leads is critical to whether someone decides to enroll in a camp or class with you. If you can catch someone while they’re still in ‘search mode’ and looking for answers to the problem they are trying to solve, you are more likely to reach them and make the conversion. However, if you wait hours to respond to a lead, they will likely find another solution in the meantime.  For this reason, it’s a good idea for the director/franchisee to check the campus email VERY frequently (this includes before and after your ‘open’ hours). Utilizing the email function on your smartphone makes this quick and easy. If your campus receives a lot of emails daily, you can set up rules to filter your Gmail to make lead emails stand out. For instance, if lead emails all contain the words 'a new submission from’ in the subject line, you can set a rule for Gmail to send these emails to a specific folder or ‘flag’ the emails. Don’t let a slow response time be the reason you miss out on an enrollment! Put a plan in place to ensure a prompt response to each inquiry.

Franchise Buying 101 Want to start a business but not sure where to start? Have you considered buying franchise businesses, but you’re not exactly sure how it works? First things first: How do franchises work? A franchise is a proven business model where you leverage the power of an established system and brand to help you turn a profit without having to figure everything out on your own. In this article, we’ll take you through the process of buying a franchise company, explore the costs involved, and answer questions you might have before jumping in. When to Buy a Franchise Before you make a decision, it helps to consider when you should buy into a franchise opportunity. When is the best time for you? To make that decision, you’ll want to consider your circumstances, financial situation, and business goals. To start, ask yourself the following: Do I have enough money saved for startup costs and ongoing expenses? Do I have access to financing? Do the market conditions in my local area make sense for this right now? Is this business model feasible within my current lifestyle and goals? Will my past experiences support my success in this venture? Does the…