4 Reasons Martial Arts Schools Switch Software
Have you ever considered switching software providers for your martial arts school? If you have, then you know just how big of an undertaking it can be. Your software is the business hub of your academy—memberships, attendance, belt tracking, communications, billing and more are managed in your martial arts software. That’s a lot of data to move from one provider to another. Plus, your staff and your students have to learn a new system to manage their weekly activities.
Deciding to switch martial arts software is not a decision that should be taken lightly, but if the pain of staying with your current software provider is starting to outweigh the pain of switching, it might be time. Factors such as hidden costs, an outdated user interface, weak martial arts-specific tools and bad customer support are some of the most common reasons martial arts school owners decide to switch—and they are things you should look to avoid when choosing your new software.
Let’s take a closer look at the four most common reasons martial arts school owners decide to switch software providers.
1. Hidden Costs/Price-Locked Features
Now more than ever, a common pricing tactic in the software industry is to advertise a low starting price, but not mention all the add-ons, “premium” features and upgrades required to actually use the software. Extra staff logins, texting, marketing tools and advanced reporting tools are some of the most common features that come at an extra cost, resulting in a monthly software fee that could be 2–3x higher than you expected. This practice can leave martial arts schools stretched thin financially and feeling like they are being nickel-and-dimed just for wanting to use their software.
2. Clunky, Outdated Software
Martial arts software has one job: make the business side of running a martial arts school easier and quicker so school owners and instructors can spend more time doing what they love—teaching martial arts. Software platforms that look, feel and work like they haven’t been updated in a decade can build frustration and slow work down in a hurry.
Whether the system simply runs slow, the interface is confusing and hard to navigate, or tools and features don’t work like they are supposed to, any one of these problems can force martial arts school owners to spend more time in the office and less time on the mats. Owners and instructors shouldn’t be sparring with their software – they should be teaching their students how to spar each other.
3. Weak Attendance and Belt/Rank Tracking
If you run a martial arts school, you want a software that was built for martial arts. Two of the most important martial arts-specific software features are attendance tracking and belt/rank tracking that work together seamlessly. Many fitness management software solutions are built with gym and fitness studios in mind. They might track attendance, but require manual workarounds for belt and rank tracking. Not being able to relate attendance data to rank progressions and promotion eligibility creates headaches and long nights of admin work.
A good martial arts software will feature robust attendance and belt/rank tracking tools that talk to each other and make life easier for martial arts school owners and instructors.
4. Bad Customer Support
Despite being the last reason on this list, bad customer support is often the breaking point that pushes martial arts school owners to switch software. Slow response times, unresolved tickets and being pushed to a knowledge base of articles rather than talking to a real human being can leave a school owner feeling helpless. Martial arts school owners are martial artists and instructors first and business people second, so they need a software that partners with them rather than avoiding them.
When To Make The Switch
Switching martial arts software isn’t an easy decision to make or an easy task to carry out. But, if you find yourself frustrated, stressed out, or just plain upset every time you sit down to complete admin work for your martial arts school, it might be time.
When looking for a new martial arts software, look for the inverse of the four reasons above: transparent pricing, a modern and user-friendly interface, attendance and belt/rank tracking built specifically for martial arts and high-quality customer support from real human beings.
The good news is, Kicksite checks all of these boxes. Our pricing is clearly stated on our website and what you see is what you pay—every tool and feature is available to every customer. We have a talented team behind the scenes working hard every day to ensure our software makes your life easier. We have been rooted in martial arts for nearly 20 years and know exactly what martial arts school owners need to track attendance and belt/rank progression. Lastly, we have a dedicated, in-house customer support team ready to help you make the switch seamlessly at no additional cost.
Book a demo with our team today to see why 2,100+ martial arts school owners trust Kicksite.
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