Jeff Shields, President and CEO of NBOA, takes a deep dive into the effect that the 2008 economic downturn had on virtually ever facet of operation of independent schools, especially the marketing office. Challenges are many: the effect rising tuition, ever-expanding facilities, increasing sophistication of both the business offices and the MarCom offices, and virtual schools. What you’ll learn…

• The changes in the business side of independent school management over the last 10-15 years.
• The effect that the 2008 recession had on independent schools both as it regards the business side of schools and on how schools market themselves.
• How tuition levels, which have been hyperinflationary for 15-20 years, affects the ability of independent schools to attract students.
• How the economic downturn of 2008 set in motion a widespread effort to increase the sophistication and capabilities in of the business offices at independent schools, including increasing the understanding of the markets we operate in.
• How a renewed focus on building new facilities is affecting they way schools market themselves, talk about themselves, and compete with other schools.
• The critical and changing nature of how a school describes its value to the families in its market.
• How schools are adapting their focus and spending on MarCom departments in the face of an increasing number and sophistication of communications channels that need to be managed.
• How virtual schools compete with and enhance traditional bricks-and-mortar schools.
• The challenges that independent schools face in the next five+ years.

For show notes and more brilliant ideas and brain food for school MarCom, go to http://www.inspiredsm.com/podcasts/. While there, sign up for our newsletter to make your job easier.