Marketing is one area where coordinated activities on behalf of hundreds of members is more structured with more planning and thought than if we were each doing our own thing.  The collaborative creative input, the innovative ideas and the post-activity feedback from hundreds of members drives more effective marketing results. There might be a single national message.  There might be recognition, testimonials or success stories to tell.

The BwP Marketing Calendar is an example of association resources benefiting your business.  Something that BwP can do on behalf of hundreds of members that hundreds of members would not do for themselves.  Who has the time? 

Every month the association will provide a marketing campaign and materials to leverage a market segment to promote your programs, recruit new Boxers and build referrals.  BwP starts several months in advance collecting ideas from members and developing the message and creative materials.  To support our members, BwP will submit articles to magazines and watch for opportunities such as trade shows, seminars and retreats.

Here is our preliminary marketing calendar.

• January:  Parkinson’s Support Groups month
• February:  Partners in Parkinson's month:  American Parkinson's Disease Association, Parkinson's Foundation, Brian Grant Foundation, Michael J Fox Foundation
• March:  Open House month:  Cycling for PD; Music for PD; BIG; Silver Slippers, YMCA, Rotary, Kiwanis, etc.
• April:  Boxers with Parkinson’s for Boxers with Parkinson’s (Sweaty Bucks)
• May:  Physical Therapy month:  Physical Therapists & University Physical Therapy programs
• June:  Neurologist & Movement Specialist month
• July:  Senior Residence / Assisted Living Homes month
• August:  Rotary / Kiwanis month
• September:  VA month
• October:  Senior Center month (Sweaty Bucks)

RSB has boxing BoxingVision.  Boxing tunnel vision.  Understandibly. 

BwP's members have ClientVision.  A focus that drives them to put the client first, not any specific exercise program.  For Joe, it may be boxing.  Ann needs Yoga or Pilates.  Sam needs boxing, Tai Chi and biking.  Our members can do this.  RSB alone cannot meet the needs of every Parkinson's sufferer. 

You also have business vision and community vision.  You need an association where you have multiple voices, where you know you are heard because it is your association.

The RSB paperwork for boxer intake and assessments is 14 years old and has never been updated.  Until the BwP Project. 

The development of the BwPP App.  The enhancements in data collected, the symptom severity sliders, the 100-point scoring system, the TWET interactive exercise planning tool are all examples of how BwP can make your programs stronger and more professional.  The BwP Project is the largest long term study of exercise as therapy for symptoms of Parkinson's ever conducted.  BwP members have the greatest tools for boxer evaluations,  assessments and consultations.   

Your Boxers cannot get a similar Boxer Assessment Report anywhere else form anyone else.  Not their neurologist, their PT, their yoga instructor or their Tai Chi guy.

This is a difficult question.  Specially when we don't know the questions, much less the answers.  There is the time, the expense and the lawyers!

The questions are endless.  What are the advantages of being for-profit?  Nonprofit?  If I want to run boxing for Parkinson's as a nonprofit, do I have to run my Zumba classes as nonprofit too?  Is it OK to ask for donations and apply for grants if you are for-profit?  What is a reasonable cost to file?  Why is this so complicated?

Coming soon, BwP will offer its members the opportunity to become a BwP Chapter allowing you to run your gym for-profit and your boxing for Parkinson's program as nonprofit.  Clear guidance, an expert to go to with questions, and very affordable. You will be eligible to accept individual tax-deductible donations.  You will be able to apply for grants as a nonprofit. 

We are working with our tax accountants to be able to provide a non-profit chapter status to BwP members under the BwP 501c3 umbrella.  Details to follow.  No promises on timing. 

Another example of how your membership in your association can help you succeed.  Watch for details!

and I am very excited about the changes and directions I hear about. 

RSB affiliates want a voice.  You are very smart and you have direct in-the-field experience different from what they have.  They have 250 boxers, we have 30.  They have more square feet in their gym, more equipment, more coaches and more volunteers.  They charge half what I have to charge just to break even. And they can use nonprofit fundraisers to subsidize their gym operation. 

RSB HQ is very busy working on the next shiny new thing.  Important things and they do a great job.  What they don't have is time to provide individual affiliate support.  In my 3 years as a RSB affiliate, RSB has never called me to ask if there is anything I need, anything they could do for me, or, anything I can contribute to things they are working on.

I want a voice in RSB's strategy, tactics and direction.  How about you?

RSB is working on new affiliate contracts.  What will be in them?  Will it be take-it--or-leave-it?  

There is a difference the attention my voice alone will receive compared to the attention a BwP RSB Council would receive if 100 or 400 of us speak with one voice.  Here are some areas where we need a voice.

Territory protection:  RSB just authorized a RSB affiliate just 3.8 miles from one of my locations and they did not notify me.  It is naïve to think being a RSB affiliate is not a business subject to traditional business and pricing pressures of competition.  

In the agreements we have already signed, on Page 7 under Confidential Information, Section C, the agreement says:

“Affiliate acknowledges and agrees that if Affiliate develops any concept, process, design, service, or improvement in the operation or promotion of the Curriculum, RSB will be deemed to own the improvements and may use them and authorize other RSB Affiliates to use them without any obligation to compensate Affiliate. Any such Improvements will also constitute Confidential Information. Affiliate shall, at any time requested by RSB, execute assignments or other similar documents of all such intellectual property to RSB, including but not limited to, worldwide copyrights, moral rights, patents, right to obtain registrations, renewals, and reissues, and any and all such other rights of whatever kind now known or hereafter devised.“  Essentially, anything you have thought, said or done related to a Rock Steady workout... is theirs.  An issue to address in one voice.

Did you know this?  Did you read the contract before signing it?  BwP will.

This announcement was just made on the Facebook coach's forum:  In 2020, it will be a requirement that every NEW Rock Steady Affiliate Head Coach(s) have a baseline fitness certification (and/or a medical background) that is accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies - (NCCA) and The Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC).  This is probably a good thing.  But did RSB consult with you?  Did you have any input?  Does this make coaches more expensive?  What else is RSB working on that you don't know about?  You do need a voice.

New affiliate qualifications have already been announced.  Did you get a call asking for your input?  Could they really call all 900 of us?  We certainly welcome a change in this area.  But, we want a voice to make sure it is reasonable and to insure it is fair to those of us who are already invested.

Tougher affiliate qualifications keep our Boxers safer, bring greater professionalism to our programs, and, lift the credibility and reputation of the entire network of affiliates.  They also reduce gyms from applying who are only after one more program to generate income. 

Through the RSB Council, BwP members can find their voice.   

RSB needs some protections too.  The non-compete clause.  Once an affiliate has been trained, downloaded everything from CMS and has a year's experience delivering classes, why do they need to keep paying the annual fees?  Beyond the ethics of it all, they have much to protect as well.  Through a BwP RSB Council we could provide valuable feedback and solutions.

As BwP grows its membership, the pool of gym owners will represent a compelling marketing opportunity for some products and services.  

Liability insurance is just one example.  As your association, we may be able to negotiate a great plan and prices.  BwP might be able to negotiate a special plan custom designed for what we do and who we serve.  No promises, but an association with hundreds of members is an attractive referral channel for some insurance company.