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MusicBiz Blog

MusicBiz Blog

For all the latest news and information from MusicBiz and ThinkSmart Software.

Ten Reasons To Break Free From Excel; It Is Holding Your Business Back
Ten Reasons To Break Free From Excel; It Is Holding Your Business Back
Wednesday, 13th February 2019 ThinkSmart Software

The future is calling out to you. Obviously, if you are using Excel, you know your way around a computer. Take this knowledge and start using a customised Class Scheduling and Registration software package that will enhance your business and your bottom line. It is time to bring your business into the 21st century and get ahead of your competitors. This change doesn’t have to cost the earth with many class scheduling and registration software packages being found at reasonable prices. This move will free up your valuable time and enable you to work on other aspects of your business. Here are 10 vital reasons to make the change today! 

1. Multi-user access

Sharing documents with other staff is difficult with Excel, even with cloud computing solutions. Sending copies of spreadsheets to other staff increases the risk of documents being lost or compromised and data being overlooked in staff inboxes. It also is difficult to work on spreadsheet data in real time unless you are cloud-enabled; a document is often received as a copy to reduce the chances of the data being accidentally deleted or changed.

2. Excel could be hurting your business financially

Using Excel to run the scheduling and finance areas of your business is certainly holding back your business’s financial potential. By using a custom-built software solution, you can be focussing on building your products, services and customer base. Alternatively, using Excel may cause you to miss potential customers and overlook data. Features such as an online registration and portal, automated invoicing and texting abilities will free up your time to focus on increasing your customer base and manage financials more accurately and efficiently.

3. Manual data entry will waste your valuable time

Let your software do a lot of the annoying admin tasks for you. Excel does not have the capacity to remember client information and booking activity. For instance, it cannot take client registrations online, communicate effectively with customers through email and text, automate invoicing and process payments for you. You are left to do all these tasks manually.

4. You need to be mobile so why shouldn’t your business go with you?

Data held in Excel is often on one machine and is shared by sending copies of reports or data sets. This is a very inefficient way to manage your client’s valuable information and other reports. You should be able to build and maintain your business from anywhere. Most software providers are cloud-based and enable you to use their software remotely either via phone, tablet or desktop/laptop computer. This capability gives you immense freedom to run your business anytime from anywhere in the world.

5. Reduce staff stress

No more losing important documents in email inboxes or misfiling them. With a software package, staff can access your business data (with user access levels) remotely. You can rest assured data they are working on is safely stored within your package ready to use when required. Keep staff informed about schedule changes, class alterations, client payments and have the ability to communicate student progress and skills development with parents.

6. Focus on running your business

While your software package works out the admin for you, you can focus on building your business, investing your time in marketing or employing more staff. Freeing up your valuable time will allow you to do what you love, which could include getting back to teaching.

7. Communicate with your customers

No more clients telling you that they didn’t know about a cancelled class or extra make up classes that were available. Miscommunication with your valuable customers can damage your bottom line. Class scheduling and registration software packages enable you to directly communicate with your customers through texting and emailing. This way you can promote new classes, advertise events/holiday programs, enrol students online, text customers with urgent reminders, class cancellations or important notices.

8. Easily assess your students’ levels and communicate progress

If your business requires you to assess students and their progress through your program, then look out for software that offers a comprehensive student grading system. This should include the ability to tailor skill sets and communicate students’ progress to their parents.

9. Manage customer attendance with ease

Check students off with a tablet computer and get rid of paper attendance sheets and doubling up of work. Stop repeating tasks, do them once and move on. Don’t miss out on students re-booking, just add them to a waiting list ready for next term’s enrolments.

10. Keep track of all money coming in and going out

The world is your oyster when you successfully integrate your business software with a financial package. This functionality enables you to link your invoicing activity with a service to process your regulated financial reporting. These useful tools will assist you to manage your finances an efficient and timely manner. Your accountant will love you for it!
It seems like a natural progression for most small businesses to seek out a more advanced software package than Excel that is custom built for their needs. Stop missing out on the numerous features and opportunities you could be using to advance your business. So, what are you waiting for? Get onto finding the right class scheduling and registration software for your business.


Caroline Leigh
Marketing & Sales – ThinkSmart Software

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