Local Voices

Money, Mentors and Messaging: How This Small Business Was Saved

Watch how a martial arts academy grew its business with the help of the Wells Fargo Works Project, and learn how you can win a similar experience, including $25,000 for your business.

A business can only be as big as its customer base, and growing that has been a struggle for James and Deundra Hundon of the Universal Martial Arts Academy in San Francisco.

Their business has a strong purpose and story—James was bullied as a kid, and he wants to teach others self defense to protect themselves. But without a functional website or a marketing plan, getting that message to the masses had their business on the brink of collapsing. 

The Universal Martial Arts Academy was selected to experience the Wells Fargo Works Project, in which they were given $25,000 to improve their business and received expert mentorship on growing their customer base. 

They used the money and mentorship to develop a marketing plan, create a more functional office, improve cash flow by setting up a way to accept credit cards and build a user-friendly website. Watch the video above to get the full story and learn more about the project.  

TELL US: What have you done to market your business or improve its website to grow your customer base? Share ideas and advice in the comments.

This article is sponsored by Wells Fargo Works. Watch the video series, then enter the contest where you could win a similar experience, including $25,000 for your business. Watch the videos and enter the contest here.


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