International School of Protocol

What International School of Protocol does

The International School of Protocol (ISOP) is a privately held, Towson, Maryland-based etiquette and protocol training firm founded in the early 1990s by Cathleen Hanson and Carol Campbell Haislip. The company delivers live, instructor-led training — in-person at client sites, at its Towson training facility, or virtually via Zoom — covering social etiquette, table manners, professional image, customer service, and public speaking for children, teens, adults, corporations, and colleges. It also serves specialized populations including individuals with special needs, at-risk youth, and adults in welfare-to-work transition programs. The company has served more than 1,000 organizations and individuals across North America and worldwide, with named clients including Johns Hopkins University, University of Maryland, Lockheed Martin, Bank of America, Accenture, Morgan Stanley, PNC, the U.S. Department of Defense, and the Baltimore Ravens.

ISOP runs two parallel revenue engines: a professional services training business and a curriculum-licensing business. The certification programs (Teaching Etiquette to Children and Teens at $1,089 and Teaching Etiquette to Adults and Business Professionals at $2,500) enable third-party instructors to deliver ISOP's curriculum, creating a quasi-franchise distribution layer. Supporting these are directly sold instructional materials — workbooks for young children ($600), children and teens ($1,049), and standalone titles such as Mad About Manners ($50) and Strategies for Success ($25). The business is essentially a content-and-expert-services company with no proprietary software platform; all delivery is human-led.

The firm is a 1–10 person micro-business, founder-owned, with no external funding, no M&A history, and no parent company. Go-to-market is sales-led and direct (phone, email, website inquiry), supplemented by earned media, organic social, and a small venue partnership with Miss Shirley's Cafe for children's dining classes. Pricing is per-program and per-material, with no disclosed subscription or recurring-revenue component.

Name

International School of Protocol

Legal name

The International School of Protocol

Website

https://schoolofprotocol.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

International School of Protocol is a Towson, Maryland-based etiquette training firm that delivers instructor-led programs in business etiquette, dining, public speaking, and customer service to corporations, universities, and individuals in person and via Zoom, and licenses its curriculum through two certification programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Towson

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Etiquette Training Programs: In-person and virtual etiquette training sessions for businesses, groups, and individuals. Programs cover social etiquette, communication skills, table manners, professionalism, and specialized topics. Sessions conducted at client sites, company training facility, or via Zoom.
2. Teaching Certification Programs: Two certification programs: Teaching Etiquette to Children and Teens ($1089) and Teaching Etiquette to Adults and Business Professionals ($2500). Includes electronic workbooks, training materials, and certification upon completion. $250 discount for registering for both programs.
3. Curriculum Materials Sales: Sale of teaching materials and workbooks for etiquette education. Includes materials for young children ($600), children and teens ($1049), Mad About Manners manual ($50), and Strategies for Success guide ($25). Licensed for use upon purchase.
4. Summer Camps and Day Programs: Enrollment-based day camps for children ages 4-15 covering etiquette topics. Programs held at company facility or partner locations like Miss Shirley's Cafe.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

International School of Protocol delivers instructor-led etiquette, protocol, customer service, and public speaking training to businesses, government, colleges, schools, outreach programs, and individuals via in-person sessions at client sites or its Towson MD facility, and via virtual Zoom sessions. It also sells proprietary teaching manuals and workbooks and offers two instructor certification programs that license graduates to teach etiquette to children/teens and to adults/business professionals.

Product overview

The International School of Protocol is a training services provider offering etiquette and protocol instruction across multiple delivery formats (in-person, virtual via Zoom, and hybrid). The core portfolio consists of age-targeted etiquette programs for children, teens, adults, and professionals, supplemented by specialized offerings for youth/adult outreach populations, individuals with special needs, and college/university students. The company also offers two instructor certification programs (Teaching Etiquette to Children and Teens at $1,089 and Teaching Etiquette to Adults and Professionals at $2,500) that enable participants to become certified etiquette consultants. Supporting the certification programs are purchasable teaching materials including workbooks for young children ($600), children and teens ($1,049), Mad About Manners manual ($50), and Strategies for Success guide ($25). All programs are customizable and can be tailored to meet specific business, group, or individual needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Mad About Manners: A Lifeskills Approach to Teaching Manners - a teaching guide addressing social skills, communication skills, table manners and character building, written by Cathleen Hanson and Carol Campbell Haislip
• Strategies for Success
• Teaching Etiquette to Young Children
• Teaching Etiquette to Children and Teens
• Teaching Etiquette to Adults and Business Professionals

Products and services

• Etiquette Training Programs for Children and Teens Interactive etiquette instruction covering social etiquette, communication skills, and table manners for children ages 8 and older, offered in a four-week, one-hour-per-week format or as private customizable sessions for groups and individuals.
• Etiquette Training Programs for Young Children (Ages 4-7) Age-appropriate etiquette curriculum using three activity and coloring books and corresponding teacher's guides to teach social etiquette, communication skills, and table manners to young children ages 4 to 7.
• Etiquette Training Programs for Adults and Professionals Business etiquette and protocol training covering professional image, communication skills, dining etiquette, civility, and networking for business professionals, college students, and executives.
• Customer Service Training Professional development program for retail, hospitality, and service organizations targeting staff professionalism and customer satisfaction through training on greeting, listening, body language, professional dress, and customer engagement.
• Public Speaking Training Instruction on developing and delivering speeches, presentation techniques, overcoming stage fright, and speaking in formats including teleprompter, camera, radio, and panel discussions.
• Colleges and Universities Programs Customized etiquette and protocol programs for higher education institutions covering dining skills, networking, interviewing preparation, international etiquette, and professional development.
• Teaching Etiquette to Children and Teens Certification Instructor certification program that trains participants to deliver etiquette classes for children and teens ages 8+, including comprehensive materials, activities, and hands-on training; investment $1,089 per person.
• Teaching Etiquette to Adults and Professionals Certification Instructor certification program that enables participants to teach etiquette to adults, business professionals, and college students covering professional image, communication savvy, dining etiquette, and civility; investment $2,500 per person.
• Teaching Etiquette to Young Children Materials Three activity/coloring books and three teacher's guides covering social etiquette, communication skills, and table manners for children ages 4-7; sold as a complete curriculum for $600, reduced to $450 for consultants certified within the last 30 days.
• Teaching Etiquette to Children and Teens Materials Three comprehensive workbooks (24-29 pages each) covering social etiquette, communication skills, and table manners for children and teens ages 8+, available in electronic format with or without page numbers; $1,049 under a license agreement.
• Mad About Manners: A Lifeskills Approach to the Teaching of Manners 41-page teaching manual by Cathleen Hanson and Carol Campbell Haislip addressing social skills, communication skills, table manners, and character building with reproducible handouts; $50 per manual plus $7 domestic shipping.
• Strategies for Success Compact 8.5x5 personal guide covering greetings, conversation, hosting, guest behavior, and dining etiquette for teens and adults; $25 per copy plus shipping, with discounts for purchases of 15 or more copies.
• Youth Outreach Programs Etiquette and communication skills training for at-risk youth and participants in youth outreach programs, focused on building confidence and self-esteem through hands-on role playing activities.
• Adults in Transition Outreach Programs Training for adults in transition and outreach program participants covering social etiquette, communication skills, dining skills, and public place decorum, with focus on job readiness.
• Special Needs Adults and Children Programs Customized etiquette and communication skills training for individuals with special needs (including blind and low vision), focused on developing confidence and appropriate social behaviors through hands-on participation; workshops presented throughout the U.S.

Quantifiable outcome

• Research cited indicates that acts of violence can be traced to single incidences of rudeness; teaching manners builds confidence and helps avoid aggressive circumstances

Named customers12 records

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Miss Shirley's CafeminorOthersVenue partnership for dining etiquette classes for children. Classes held at Miss Shirley's Cafe locations in Roland Park, allowing hands-on dining experience for young students learning table manners.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Toastmasters International: Nonprofit organization providing public speaking and leadership training through a global network of member clubs. Directly comparable in the public speaking and communication skills training category.
• Emily Post Institute: Long-established etiquette brand offering training, books, and consulting on manners and social behavior. Directly comparable as a competing etiquette training provider serving both consumer and corporate audiences.
• Dale Carnegie & Associates: Global training provider offering courses in public speaking, interpersonal skills, and professional development for adults and corporate clients. Directly comparable in the adult professional development and public speaking training space.
• The Lett Group: Specialized etiquette firm offering dining, business, and social etiquette training for adults and corporations. Directly comparable as a competing boutique etiquette training provider serving professional audiences.
• The Etiquette Factory: Provides etiquette curriculum and training programs specifically for children and schools. Directly comparable in the children's etiquette curriculum and instructor training segment.

Broad incumbents

• Sandler Training: Franchised sales, leadership, and professional development training organization serving individuals and corporate clients globally. Comparable in delivering structured professional training curricula to enterprise buyers.
• American Management Association: Large established provider of professional and management development training, seminars, and corporate education programs. Comparable as a broader incumbent in the professional development training category where the subject company competes.
• SkillPath Seminars: National provider of professional development seminars covering business writing, communication, and workplace skills. Comparable as a broader training provider serving corporate L&D buyers with overlapping content topics.
• FranklinCovey: Global consulting and training firm offering leadership, communication, and effectiveness programs to corporations and individuals. Comparable as an established provider of professional effectiveness and communication skills training.
• Center for Creative Leadership: Established global leadership development provider offering training, coaching, and education programs for executives and organizations. Comparable in the leadership and professional development training space, though focused on a broader leadership curriculum than etiquette-specific training.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SchoolProtocol
• Facebookfacebook.com/InternationalSchoolOfProtocol
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-school-of-protocol

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about International School of Protocol