From a Manual Spreadsheet to an Automated Empire
When Karl first opened his gym in Tamworth, he managed everything manually. Membership sign-ups, payments and access control were all tracked from a computer on the reception desk using an Excel spreadsheet.
“I had all the members manually put into Excel. And I’d have to check everything manually. Every expiry date. We never did direct debits, always pay as you go. Always cash. It was so much admin”. – Karl, Kingdom Gym Owner
While cost effective and perfectly functional for a business just starting out, especially one that was born of opportunity (the previous fitness business in the facility had closed), it was hardly ideal. Like many short-term solutions Ashbourne comes across, a single spreadsheet is time-intensive and prone to error.
“Started with a very small gym, gradually built up equipment. Paid for everything that I own. I know that if it is in the gym, it is paid for and I own it. Nothing leased”. – Karl, Kingdom Gym Owner
Not only was the system time-consuming, as the membership grew it became increasingly difficult to manually reconcile who had paid and to stop unpaid members slipping through into the training areas.
And so, early into his gym owning career Karl placed the fateful call to us here at Ashbourne Club Management.
The Ashbourne Solution:
- Automated Direct Debits: Ashbourne’s payment system eliminated the need for cash transactions, ensuring consistent revenue.
- Digital Membership Tracking: No more manual checks—Ashbourne’s database provided real-time insights into member activity.
“Having Ashbourne took a lot of stress off my plate. Just the direct debits make such a difference. So much easier to manage”.
– Karl, Kingdom Gym Owner
