Building an AT Corporation

Now I am beginning to think about a talk to offer at the next 2008 Congress:

Building An Alexander Teaching Corporation

- what is meant by "corporate'?: working with colleagues within a financially unified legal entity that carries the "identity" of the group and is run corporate style

- history of corporate AT: Ashley Place, ACAT, ATA London, SATA, Bloomsbury Centre, Walter's CTC, other examples - Alexander family tree useuful here.

- consumer and non-consumer/Professional market: historically, AT mostly sold to non-consumer, professional market; very little thought to consumer market.

- use of brand names: e.g. 1. Art of Swimming  2. EyeBody 3. BodyChance
- 1. & 2. above are brands based on tangents of AT; 3. example of one centered on AT, but marketing a distinctive style of teaching

- pedagogical and marketing issues: style of teaching matches lesson/group; matching teaching method to the market you are aiming

- demographic of audience: using market research to determine distinct demographics, particularly in consumer market - ages; class; etc.

- definitions based on need: people who want to be fixed, people who want to know about body mechanics, people who want to transform; 

- budgeting and products: defining your products pedagogically, financially & demographically

- creating products: selling "packages" rather than "lessons" or "groups"

- growing without resources: free publicity, leveraging the AT history and prestige & famous individuals; leveraging client base with events to generate buzz

- developing life long training system based on community building: examples in Japan: tea ceremony, ikibana, martial arts dojos etc.

- BodyChance AT Training System: contemporary example of life long training system

- long term financial stability: using studio property purchases to increase equity, studio/training rental guarantee for mortgage

- resourcing graduates: offering financial, logistical, managerial support (at a cost) to engineer more successful career based AT Teachers

- defining mutually supportive roles of teaching training, studio network, master teacher role models within both the consumer and non-consumer markets.

Perhaps I will use this blog to flesh out each of these headings until something clearer emerges. Stay tuned!