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A Lesson Scheduling App Aids in Revenue Streams

A Lesson Scheduling App Paves Way for Revenue Stream

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Lessons are a key player in a facility’s revenue stream. Whether it be baseball/softball, swimming, tennis, soccer, cheerleading, and even music and sewing – scheduling lessons is a huge presence in everyday operations. As a result, the more lessons you offer, the more revenue you bring in. But, with that revenue comes more opportunities for calendar confusion, double booking, and more. But here’s the solution – a lesson scheduling app. 

A lesson scheduling software with a web-based app included contains all of the benefits of the software, with the added bonuses of making scheduling even more on the go. Let’s get into some specifics: 

Increase in Cash Flow 

eCommerce Payment Options 

Within the lesson scheduling app, athletes and their parents can sign up and pay for lessons when booking. Learn more about Lesson Pricing Models here, if necessary. Your clients can even save their payment information in a secure account and pay with the push of a button.

24/7 Access

With more hours in the day, athletes and parents can book more lessons. Many times parents that are responsible for scheduling and paying for lessons have a lot on their plate. Having to call to schedule during business hours is nearly impossible for some, and easily forgotten by most. An app allows them to hop on their phone at any time of day, whether it be before they wake the kids up for school or before they turn the lights out to go to bed. This means less forgetting and more booking – resulting in more revenue for your facility. 

Cancellation and Refund Policies

Refunds and cancellations are a headache for every facility owner/manager out there. With an app requiring payment at booking, facilities are guaranteed revenue. However, some facilities do want to offer the ability to cancel or reschedule. Coupled with the app, facility managers can set restrictions and rules for these situations. These can include:

  • non-refundable booking fees (partial or all of the lesson fee),
  • time restrictions (cancel 48 hours in advance to receive a refund), and
  • lastly even special circumstances like doctor’s notes, team conflicts, etc. 

All of these rules can be adjusted based on your facility preferences. 

Reduce Administrative Costs

eCommerce Payment Options

Additionally, giving athletes and parents the ability to pay online, means there is no need to pay staff to sit at the front desk. Even more, no one has to make phone calls to ensure the lessons are paid. So the instructor doesn’t need to chase after payments! This frees their time to focus on the lesson. 

24/7 Access 

Gone are the days of hiring someone to sit and wait for the phone to ring. The app lets you leave your phones unattended while the staff in the facility is running lessons or classes. 

Facility and Calendar Management

Above all, you get great facility management. You and your staff will no longer worry about:  

  • double bookings,
  • availability of space for lessons in the facility, or
  • time blocking and coordinating lessons with the instructors.

What’s more, just have the instructors put in their availability. Then you can set the hours each space is available on a given day. And finally. let the app do the day-to-day scheduling for you!

If you are on the lookout for a lesson scheduling app with a web-based app that fits all of your needs, learn more about eSoft Planner.

eSoft Planner is flexible, affordable, simple, and perfect for small businesses and organizations. Request your free demo today. See how we can help you consolidate effort, save time, and increase revenue.

Plus, Follow us on Facebookor LinkedIn to stay current on industry news and the latest from eSoft Planner.

Organizations benefit from sports team management software

Get the Most Out of Sports Team Management Software

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Managing sports teams is a full-time job. Sports team management software can help with all the coordination:

  • fields for practices, games, and tournaments,
  • collecting and tracking payments and paperwork, AND
  • sometimes handling rentals and lessons with team equipment or spaces (e.g., batting cages, nets, balls, etc).

That’s enough work to make your head spin. Not to mention, almost everyone responsible for all this has a full-time job and family to worry about. That’s why every organization, no matter how big or small, could benefit from management software. 

Here are all the things you should get to make the most out of an investment in this software: 

Custom Player Registration Forms

When a player signs up or accepts an offer after a tryout, a sports team management software does the heavy lifting. It handles setting up the player’s account and gathering all of their information through one online form (contact info, uniform sizing/number, etc). It’s also fully customizable based on the information you need. For example, for high school/recruitment-aged players, things like GPA, ACT/SAT scores, height, etc. would be important for a coach to have on file. But those things aren’t necessary, or even possible, for younger athletes. Through this form, all liability waivers, medical releases, physical forms, and team agreements can be submitted and signed. 

Team Agreement Signatures

No more file cabinets of paperwork and tracking who has and hasn’t signed. Your software will handle it all for you. It will notify each player of documents ready to sign, organize them into team folders, and let them e-sign from their devices – or straight from their registration form mentioned above. 

Payment Schedules 

Do you offer payment plans, one-time payments per season, or other options? Then sports team management software can keep track of it. Both parents and coaches can set recurring payments or even pay additional charges for lessons and clinics throughout the season, and more. 

Build a Budget

Operating a sports team is expensive. It’s essential that each team pays its dues to keep the organization up and running. Having a budget laid out that includes fundraising, player payments, and more can help organizations see which teams are paying their part, and which teams (or parents) need to do more. It is also a great option for transparency with the parents. They get to see exactly where the money is going, and the efforts they still need to make. Some software allows you to decide to show or hide the budget from the player’s accounts (or show just parts of the budget to the parents). A great software is fully customizable to your needs. 

Build a Team Schedule

A sports team management software makes the process of coordinating a team’s schedule and their player perks with all of the other teams in the organization a simple and on-the-go process. Coaches can see available times for courts, fields, cages, and more all from their phones (or PCs). They can then build out their team’s schedule without conflicting with other teams’ reservations or rentals. It can also allow players and their parents to go online and check the team schedule so that they can plan and coordinate with their day-to-day lives. 

Security

An online, protected software is the safest collection of information for the players, coaches, and parents. It offers secure payment as well as a safe storage platform for important papers such as birth certificates. 

Player Scheduling Capabilities 

A sports team management software can also open up your facilities and equipment for rental by the players for extra practice, lessons with coaches or other staff, and clinics you offer. 

If you are on the hunt for a sports team management software that fits all of your needs, learn more about eSoft Planner.eSoft Planner is flexible, affordable, simple, and perfect for small businesses and organizations. Request your free demo today. See how we can help you consolidate effort, save time, and increase revenue.

Court Reservation System Benefits

Court Reservation System Benefits and Usage

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Whether it’s basketball, volleyball, tennis, or even pickleball – courts are a hot commodity in the sports world. In a facility, courts are booked to teams and individuals that pay either a membership or rental fee. But there are also park/city courts open to the general public for use where cities can charge fees for guaranteed reservations. However, both facility courts and public courts fight the same battle, finding the proper court reservation system. 

Here are all of the features your court reservation system may need to include for you to maximize its full benefits. 

Mobile-Friendly Apps 

In today’s world, everyone is go, go, go. There is no time to sit down at a PC and book courts for their teams, children, etc. Mobile apps enhance the entire user experience. They make scheduling on the go an easier and more enjoyable process. 

Notifications from Court Reservation Systems

Whether it’s text, email, or both, your customers (and your staff) need software-automated notifications for reservations, rescheduling, and cancellations. It maintains communication between the facility/court and the user with less staffing expenses and minimal opportunity for error. It also helps customers track court info, times of their scheduled bookings, and more. 

Court Availability Tracker

Clients can coordinate their schedules with court availability and navigate other reservations at the same time. In most cases, the booked times and days either don’t show up or are marked so. Your staff no longer has to get involved or worry about two clients coming in at 2 PM for the same court. Court reservation systems make double-booking incidents a thing of the past! 

eCommerce Capabilities of Court Reservation Systems

This feature is more important than many facility managers or court staff know. It lets you require payment as the reservation is made. This not only confirms the revenue from each booking, but it eliminates the responsibility of collecting payment from the staff’s plate. Don’t need payment in advance, but still want to guarantee a little revenue? You can set a smaller reservation fee, with the rest of the fee due at reservation time. It can also track memberships, pre-paid packages, refunds from cancellations, and more.  

Scheduling Restrictions

There are tons of restrictions and limitations you can set in a court reservation system, all based on your preferences. Set your facility hours to not allow reservations before or after close. Limit how far in advance or how late leading up to the reservation time that clients or patrons can book. For example, reservations are open a month in advance, or reservations must be made an hour before the reservation begins, etc.  It also allows you to set time restrictions or booking limits for specific courts. Have a busy court location in your park? You can restrict reservations to one hour so that everyone gets a chance. Have a location that needs in-person staff? Restrict the reservation times to staff hours. Your options are endless. 

Pricing Settings

Each reservation has so many different aspects that can impact its expenses on the facility or city. In that case, make the pricing change accordingly. In a court reservation system, you can set a pricing structure based on who books the court (e.g. an individual, an organization, a member, etc.). You can also set different pricing structures depending on the type or size of the court, or the time frame of the reservation. Again, this is all controlled based on your preferences.

If you are on the hunt for a court reservation system that fits all of your needs, learn more about eSoft Planner.

eSoft Planner is flexible, affordable, simple, and perfect for small businesses and organizations. Request your free demo today. See how we can help you consolidate effort, save time, and increase revenue.

Park and Pavilion Scheduling Software bring residents together

Park and Pavilion Scheduling Software Transforms City Rentals

Parks and pavilions are known for family gatherings, birthday parties, weddings, and more. However, the general public either doesn’t know the process exists or doesn’t understand the complexity behind renting and securing these spots. Unanswered calls to the city, rentals or reservations lost in the shuffle, and more can occur. It’s why more and more cities are using park and pavilion scheduling software.  

Here are just a few of the benefits to make the switch worth it: 

Revenue Source 

Many aren’t aware that booking time at parks and pavilions is an option. Some cities don’t even offer it. People use those public locations with no guarantee of availability. Local taxes cover any and all expenses. With park and pavilion scheduling software, cities can charge small fees for guaranteed reservations. They can then put that profit toward maintenance and additions to each park and pavilion. All without going through the state or city tax systems. 

Staff Communication

If the park or pavilion could be reserved, many cities have an outdated tracking system. This often leads to miscommunication. To avoid any mix-ups, some cities use park and pavilion scheduling software as a centralized calendar for the staff. This way, the staff knows what events are happening, when to schedule maintenance, city events coming up, and more. The staff also has a central spot for all relevant information like reservation contacts.

Limit On-Duty Staff

So, it helps with communication and provides a new revenue source. In addition, it limits the number of necessary staff, clears up phone lines, and saves the city money. Now, the staff is no longer directly in charge of scheduling reservations and inputting them into a staff-wide or city-wide calendar. Instead, park and pavilion scheduling software will let residents book their own reservations online, 365 days of the year. 

Additional Features That Make This an Easy Decision

Overall, park and pavilion scheduling software has huge benefits to the city staff that handles its management and maintenance. Further, there are smaller features that make great changes to the internal operations that we would like to note. 

Documentation Collection 

Before even allowing access to the booking platform, the scheduling software can require documentation. Above all this protects the city and the public. This can include insurance documentation, liability waivers, special licenses for events with food or alcohol, and more. 

Scheduling Restrictions

Based on preferences and city rules and regulations, staff can set specific restrictions through the software that limit booking ability. For instance, this can include things like:

  • time limits for specific events,
  • set park and pavilion hours,
  • blocked days for maintenance,
  • how far in advance they are able to reserve, and finally
  • how much notice the city needs prior to the event.
Set Pricing Structure

The scheduling software allows a variety of options when it comes to pricing. Cities can choose to bill based on event type, hours of the reservation, who/what is booking the spot, how many people will be attending, the location being used (a specific spot in the park), and more. It even allows the ability to add on charges based on event type (larger events like weddings may include a clean-up or maintenance fee). 

If you are on the hunt for park and pavilion scheduling software that fits all of your needs, learn more about eSoft Planner.

eSoft Planner is flexible, affordable, simple, and perfect for small businesses and organizations. Request your free demo today to see how we can help you consolidate effort, save time, and increase revenue.

Youth organization scheduling for urban community athletics programs with baseball fields, tennis courts, and parking lots.

Youth Organization Scheduling Software Benefits

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A youth organization is a machine with many moving parts. What’s more, each part needs a volunteer (or volunteers) to ensure they are running properly. With volunteer priorities focused primarily on the kids, organization and facilities management can sometimes fall short. That is why investing in a youth organization scheduling software is highly beneficial to all key players in the organization. 

Whether your youth organization includes indoor/outdoor court scheduling, indoor/outdoor field scheduling, or all of the above, the benefits are endless. So take a look at a few things to consider when choosing facility management software.

1. Saving Field/Court Coordinator’s Time 

A Field/Court Coordinator’s workload can be cut in half. With online scheduling software, they no longer have to answer calls, texts, and emails on availability and scheduling. And, they don’t have to organize and update the calendar to avoid overbooking. As a result, they can focus on the organization’s facility maintenance.

2. Gives Coaches Flexibility

In short, a coach’s first job is not coaching. Creating ease and simplicity will prevent headaches and let coaches focus on their passion, teaching kids to play their sport. Most youth organization scheduling software options include many features for coaches to schedule. This includes games and practices, as well as adding on details such as field maintenance and light requests. Coaches won’t have to worry about these details on game day, and coordinators will be aware ahead of time. 

3. Customization and Organization

A field scheduling software (or court scheduling) can be customized to fit any organization’s needs. For example, some youth organizations give each team a set number of field/court reservations and games per season. But they don’t have a tracking system in place. Scheduling software can handle this tracking. In addition, the software offers features like:

  • special field hours,
  • restrictions on booking in advance, and
  • rules for the amount of notice needed for cancellations.

4. E-Commerce Capabilities 

No more checks/cash exchanges and bank trips. A youth organization scheduling software allows coaches from outside organizations to reserve field/court space, and pay for it on the spot.  

A Youth Organization Scheduling App Makes It Even More Mobile

Choosing software with an app brings even more benefits into the mix. Coaches will be able to see the field schedule 24/7 and book their teams from a phone or tablet. Finally, the app offers automated communication. That is, it sends reminders to coaches on their field reservations, any updates from the organization, and more. 

Do you run a youth organization? Are you looking to make everyone’s jobs easier?Learn more about eSoft Planner and how it can help. 

eSoft Planner is flexible, affordable, simple, and perfect for small business owners. Request your free demo today. We can show you how to consolidate effort, save time, increase revenue, and grow your business.

Plus, Follow us on Facebookor LinkedIn to stay current on industry news and the latest from eSoft Planner.

Swim Lessons during Covid-19

Swim Lessons in a COVID 19 World

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Much has changed forever due to the Coronavirus, but the advantages of offering swim lessons stay the same. To keep this impactful revenue stream open and safe, you need options. Group learning was the past go-to method for most clubs, but now we must consider a new approach to swim lessons in a COVID 19 world? 

It all depends on your members and offering various opportunities to fit their preferences. 

*Make sure to have a set COVID-19 policy in place for the safety of your staff and your members. Refer to trusted sources like the CDC guidelines for the best practices. 

Keep Your Group Swim Lessons

If your members are comfortable bringing their children to group activities, by all means keep group lessons for steady revenue. It saves staffing costs and brings in more paying customers at one time. Continue hosting these sessions with 4-6 children per instructor in each lesson. 

Promote Private Swim Lessons

Many families are still hesitant to take a step back into group activities. With new COVID variants forming often, it is best to offer alternatives. While it doesn’t bring in as much revenue, it is an opportunity to teach children to swim safely and protect them from potential exposure. 

There are additional internal benefits from private swim lessons as well. Newer instructors at your club can use their private lessons as practice in a safe and controlled environment. Then you can thrown them in the deep end with a group of children to teach! Instead, these private lessons will act as paid training opportunities for the club and the instructor. 

Managing Multiple Lesson Types

Additional administration efforts to keep the schedule up to date and accurate can be a result of the added variety of lessons. Online scheduling and registration can help. It can save you from additional staffing fees to answer phones and oversee sign-ups. It also keeps your facility paperless by allowing online signatures on liability waivers, online payment, and more. There are plenty of methods to create an effective process for moving this to a digital platform. With this in mind, be sure to do your research and pick what fits your needs. 

Learn More About eSOFT PLANNER
eSOFT PLANNER is flexible, affordable, simple, and perfect for small business owners.  Request your free demo today to see how we can help you consolidate effort, save time, increase revenue, and grow your business.

Follow us on Facebook to stay current on industry news.

Swim membership revenue tracking maximizes opportunities; helps determines future goals

Swim Membership Revenue Tracking for Swim Clubs

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In the spirit of getting ahead, colder months are the time for swim clubs to sit down and look at the numbers as they prepare for the upcoming season. It’s all about being proactive with swim membership revenue tracking. Maximize opportunities and make sure all membership slots are full on opening day. 

Membership coordinators take special note. This is an essential responsibility of your role in setting and planning goals every year. 

Here are a few of the important revenue reports to take a look at and why they matter in determining future goals: 

Past Membership Reports

This report evaluates the overall success of the swim club year-over-year. It can show growth as membership numbers increase, slower summers where the membership slots didn’t fill, and more. These should be the base numbers for each goal for the upcoming season. This report can also show the demand for the swim club. If there is a waitlist, the club could consider growth opportunities to increase the number of membership slots each year.

Swim Team Reports

Swim team reports contain all details related to team numbers year-over-year. This can include how many swimmers signed up for each age group, how many have moved age groups, etc. This is another revenue channel that can determine membership success. Most clubs require membership to join the swim team. By using the numbers from this report in comparison to the Past Membership Report, it is possible to determine how much revenue the swim team makes for the facility. It can also determine growth potential and give insight into where promotional dollars go based on the ROI of the swim team.  

Swim Lesson Reports

Swim Lessons are another revenue source for many swim clubs since they can occur before and during open hours. Treat this report just like Swim Team Reports. Focus on past reports, demand, and impact on overall membership numbers. Use those numbers to decide the next steps for early promotional pushes.  

Rentals

The final revenue report is the club facility rentals (e.g., pool parties). This is a unique report. Attendees of these rental events are not always members. Based on the numbers here and consideration of total memberships, this could be another revenue source to evaluate. If rentals are common, think about dedicating some of the budget to event promotion. This can even be done during the events already booked for nonmembers attending. 

Overall, these reports are designed to help determine the strengths and weaknesses of each source. Owing to these swim membership revenue tracking aids, the club can now build a plan to target them.

Learn More About eSOFT PLANNER

eSOFT PLANNER is flexible, affordable, simple, and perfect for small business owners.  Request your free demo today to see how we can help you consolidate effort, save time, increase revenue, and grow your business.eSoft Planner is also equipped to pull these revenue tracking reports for planning and goal setting.

Plus, Follow us on Facebookor LinkedIn to stay current on industry news and the latest from eSoft Planner.

Demo Days let athletes try out new equipment

Baseball and Softball Demo Days: What You Need to Know

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Looking to take advantage of the holidays with an opportunity for an additional revenue stream and more? Demo Days are a holiday in baseball/softball facilities that just keeps giving. 

Here’s what you need to know – Baseball and Softball Demo Days are scheduled events at a facility where athletes (both members who regularly attend camps/classes and new athletes to the facility) come in and try out different bats, gloves, etc. in action. It gives parents a great idea for Christmas gifts making their shopping that much easier. Along with the revenue from the sales, this event can be a great recruiting moment for new athletes coming in to try out some equipment before buying. 

Overall, Demo Days will increase sales, expand facility exposure, and make customers happy. 

Here are some steps to take to get it all set up: 

Find Your Vendor 

For those with a fully-stocked, established pro-shop – go ahead and skip this step. 

However, if this is not previously set up, it’s time to do some research and start looking into vendors. Fortunately, most know about Demo Days and have information readily available. 

For those that don’t or facility managers unfamiliar with vendors, here are a few things to check before choosing a vendor*:   

  • Pricing 
  • Commission rates
  • Minimum inventory orders 
  • How they help on the day of the event 
  • How they help promote and sell the products 

*For facilities using eSoft Planner, we can introduce you to our wholesalers. It saves money on upfront inventory pricing and reduces time on this step of setting up a Demo Day.

Plan Your Baseball and Softball Demo Day

Once the vendor is set, pick a date and begin marketing. Just like any other camp, class, or clinic, the sooner the marketing starts, the better. 

Need help on that? Here are a few steps to follow: 
  • Contact Your Network: Use social media, email lists, other events, and anything going on in the facility to get the word out. Don’t just stop at one marketing push. Above all, send multiple reminders.
  • Reserve the Space: Like any other event, camp, or class in the facility, make sure spaces are available for the athletes to try out the equipment. 
  • Prepare Your Staff: Get the products and information to your staff before the event. The vendor may offer information or even a run-through with a rep to get all the details. All in all, this knowledge will help your staff make the sale as they speak to athletes.  

Launch Your Baseball and Softball Demo Day

With Demo Day approaching, get the facility gameday ready! 

  • Display Your Products: With equipment coming in different sizing, colors, etc. it is important to have a mobile device. This gives customers access to the vendor’s website for additional browsing. Don’t have a device for this? Use a QR code so they can do it on their own devices. Also, have a station or table with their branded cloth to display the test equipment. 
  • Prepare Your Order Forms: With orders moving toward digital, there’s another opportunity for a QR code. If there are extra devices in the facility, have the order form loaded up and the device fully charged for the day of the event. If you use eSoft Planner, you can use the Point of Sale feature to submit orders as they are made.
  • Promote the Facility: Along with the sales of equipment, your staff should treat everyone as potential new customers. Have them try to collect contact information (name, email, phone number) for future promotions. Also, consider offering coupons and discounts on other facility services such as lessons, cage rentals, etc. By all means, encourage them to come back! 

*Not going to be able to implement a Demo Day before the holidays? Use the upcoming spring season to your advantage instead!  

Learn more About eSoft Plannerand how it can help your facility with Demo Days and more.

eSoft Planner is flexible, affordable, simple, and perfect for small business owners. Request your free demo today to see how we can help you consolidate effort, save time, increase revenue, and grow your business.

Plus, Follow us on Facebook to stay current on industry news and the latest from eSoft Planner.

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Venmo/Cash App Are Changing – Here’s How to Approach Future Payment Methods and Credit Card Fees

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There’s some big news in the world of Venmo, Cash App, Zelle, and more peer-to-peer payment methods. Starting January 1, 2022, any seller of goods or services receiving more than $600 per year will receive a 1099-K and be required to report that income on their taxes. This is a game-changer for small businesses that use those platforms for all kinds of payments. 

Not only will the taxes increase on the business, according to an article covering the update, facility owner workload just increased. Owners/managers will need to print all transaction reports, sort through and distinguish each transaction from the peer-to-peer payment apps, and gather invoices and receipts as supporting documentation for the IRS. 

That is a lot of additional work, right in time for the busy season.

The Alternative – Credit Cards (But Without The Crazy Fees) 

With credit card companies forcing facility owners into 2-3 year contracts, constantly changing their rates, and requiring monthly minimums – all topped with horrible customer service that will keep you on the phone for hours – payment methods and processing seem like a hopeless case. 

But here’s our approach… 

CardConnect/CardPointe

eSoft Planner’s partner CardConnect/CardPointe is the fix that facility owners are looking for. 

Here are the benefits our team negotiated for facility owners in need of a new payment method: 

  • 2.75% Flat Rate for Visa, Mastercard, and Discover
  • No Monthly Minimums
  • No Contracts 
  • PCI Compliance Check Ins from eSoft Planner – yearly reminders for facility owners
  • Customer Support through eSoft Planner – no bouncing from person to person, we can answer your questions.

Learn more About eSoft Planner.

eSoft Planner is flexible, affordable, simple, and perfect for small business owners. Request your free demo today to see how we can help you consolidate effort, save time, increase revenue, and grow your business.

Plus, Follow us on Facebook to stay current on industry news and the latest from eSoft Planner.

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