Transferring with ease
1. CAREFUL PLANNING
oes your club operate all year? Are there any times of the year where you have downtime? For example, a few weeks off over Summer/Christmas? If so, this can be the perfect opportunity to get things into place.
This is probably the time where the least amount of people will be affected by any change. And if your coaches aren’t coaching during this period, it gives them the freedom to attend potential training sessions for your new app.
It’s best to get things into motion before your club breaks up though. This is because it usually takes a few weeks to test different club apps and decide on one you’re happy with. So, if you spend the weeks before hand checking out different apps, by the time your club breaks up for a holiday, you’re ready to set things up with your chosen app.
2. CHECK IF THE APP DOES A FREE SETUP
As one of the many benefits of using an
app for clubs, some providers offer to set your club up completely free of charge. All you’ll usually need to do is send them a copy of your member data/timetable etc. and they will do everything for you.
In this case, the time of year you bring the app on board doesn’t really matter. You just need to make sure you have some time to give your coaches some training before you roll the app out.
3. INVOLVE COACHES FROM THE START
Change can be difficult for some people. If you offer your coaches the chance to be involved in the selection of the app, or at least involve them in testing it, it can be one less barrier to getting a new system up and running. You’ll probably appreciate some additional insight/opinions from the people who’ll be using the app too.
4. KEEP EVERYONE INFORMED
As with most things, communication is key. When the time comes for getting the app into place, it may be worth sending out a quick email to your members/parents explaining what’s going on and your reasons for doing it. For example:
“Hi everyone! This is just a quick update to let you know that as of next month, we will be using a new app to run our club. This will mean that everything including membership, registers, subscriptions, communication etc. will be managed from within the app.
The reason we’re doing this is not only to make things easier and less time-consuming for our coaches, but to keep you/your children’s data more secure, to abide by GDPR best practice, to safeguard our members and more. If you have any questions, send them my way!”
Then, when you’re ready to go live with your new app, send out a similar message telling everyone what they need to do. For example:
“Hi all! The time has come for our new app to go live! We have input your data into the app so you don’t need to register. All you need to do is complete the payment request that will soon be emailed to you.
This will set up your monthly subscription - it’ll be taken on the 1st of each month. Both you and the club will easily be able to view payment history/print receipts etc. from within the system.
If you have any questions, get in touch!”
Overall, the transition to a new club app can be as smooth as you make it. With careful planning, accepting help and the right level of communication with everyone involved, the process can be easy, fast and effortless.