Software – it’s a world of it’s own and can be hard to pick which company will best fit your needs. We’re here to help. With 10+ years in this business, we’ve heard from new business owners, franchisees, seasoned business owners looking for a change and many others on the struggle of choosing a software to run their business.

We’ve gathered a few of the common themes that we have heard from folks just like you in an effort to help you think through this decision. No matter what software you choose, switching to another software is not ideal. Get your software set up, your staff trained, and your business organized with the best software solution – the first time.

1.Help when you need it. You’re working one evening, how do you get help? You’re busy and need help when it fits in with your schedule. Picture yourself processing electronic payments for the first time – you want to know somebody is there to help, right? This is a big deal and you want to do it right the first time. Are you able to get help quickly? Research each company to see what their support hours are and what their response time is to make sure you get help when you need it.

“Jackrabbit’s customer support is amazing because no matter what we need or when we need it, they are there to answer our questions and help us to understand how to do things in the best way for our studio using step-by-step explanations.  We even had a Jumpstart Coach to help us get set up! Great customer service is so rare that experiencing Jackrabbit’s way of serving customer is quite refreshing. Everyone is willing to go the extra mile to make customers happy!” – Sarita Zúñiga |Sarita’s Dance Studio

2. Give your parents the answers they want. How many phone calls, emails, and texts do you get everyday from parents asking what they owe? What if you could eliminate this? How much time could you save? Next time you get a question like this, what if you could just remind them that this information is accessible to them 24/7 through their Parent Portal? They can see exactly what they have paid, what they have left to pay, update their account information and so much more.

“Jackrabbit’s online registration and parent portal totally transform the way parents do business with your school and eliminate the drudgery of entering data and processing payments by hand.” -Buffy Folise, Chicago Swim School

3. Know where your money is. You can collect payments with the click of a button, but how do you link your income to your expenses? Having a system integrated with Quickbooks so you don’t have to manually enter any information will save you time and money.

“Online registration is invaluable in making enrollment an automated and efficient process, but Jackrabbit’s financial features – especially its total integration with QuickBooks – has the greatest daily impact to our operational efficiency.” –Cathy Siedlak, Buckeye Gymnastics

4. Trust the company is reliable. Just like your parents want to know you’re there when they need you, you want to know the company you’re working with will be there too. Relying on a software to house your sensitive information is only part of your trust; will the software be up and running at your peak times? There’s nothing like not being able to login to your database with parents waiting to sign their child up for a class.

“We found the robustness and reliability we needed in Jackrabbit. We never have to questions whether the system can handle whatever we throw at it.” -Randy Sikora, American Twisters Gymnastics

5. Get training when you need it. How do you find time to learn how to use a software or run your business more efficiently? When you’re picking a software company, research what options they offer for training. Is online training through videos and manuals enough for you? Or do you like interactive, in-person training so you can find out more about features and tricks you may not be using?

“Training is great to help us use Jackrabbit more efficiently. The opportunity to sit with other users, ask questions, and bounce ideas around the room is invaluable. The hands on approach of the training was well worth the cost.” –Grace Gorham, Cullman Gymnastics and Cheer Academy