One of the big mistakes health clubs make when they’re looking for technology is look for an all in one solution.

This may seem logical however can be flawed thinking. In today’s environment business you’ve got many areas of a health club business that are very specialized such as accounting, content management, retention management, sales etc.

Each of those areas is very specialized but they’re all important parts of your health club. The problem in looking for an all in one solution is that typically an all in one software is good and in many cases average in all of those areas.

They’re not excellent at all those areas.

What you end up having is average capabilities for all the core important areas of your health club.

This is not a great thing to have because if you’ve got a competitor that has more resources in each of the core areas of running a health club through more specialised systems they’re naturally going to be at an advantage.

The best approach to your software should be what we call “best of breed”.

This means you should be looking for the most powerful solution for managing each specific area of health club operations.

If you look at most large and innovative companies that really have a strong technology focus, such companies often have up to ten different systems. They might have WordPress is their content management system. They might use you know Infusionsoft for their email broadcasts and marketing automation. They might use Lead pages for their front end opt in pages, they might use FitDesk for their retention management. They might use Hootesuite for their social media management.

They will have a number of different specialized software’s for specific area of managing their business.

The key here is that we do not want to create inefficiencies by having multiple systems. We want to minimise inefficacies and double handling as much as possible.

We want to try and keep a clean flow of information.

That’s where integration comes in!

Most up to date technology platforms or providers will have some form of API which allows their software to integrate with other services. Usually market leaders will already have integrations with all the other best of breed applications which allows clients to have a seamless solution whilst enjoying the benefits of the specialized functionality for different areas of the health club.

Be mindful of those technology solutions that do not have an extensive API because as technology moves faster the need for a more integrated an multi solution approach will be required.

The best type of software to look for these days is typically an online or software as a service model.

You can see this trend when you look at things like QuickBooks online and Xero, these accounting systems are all web based now.

There’s several advantages to this including the speed at which software can be developed, the backup procedure and managing regular updates. This makes maintaining the software a lot easier and less expensive.

You want to really avoid software’s that are based on the you know 1990s or early 2000 architecture. With the rate of technology improvements that’s a recipe for disaster.

Such technologies will become limiting as new technology evolves.

Once you know what to look for you then must attempt to choose the right software for your health club. In some cases there may be several different options to consider.

Obviously you want to focus on technology that has a proven track record.

You want to look for suppliers that have a great customer list. If a lot of people are using a technology this typically means that it is good. (Not always the case when relating to older software programs)

Testimonials are also a great evidence that a software delivers on its promise however you cannot always rely on testimonials.

Therefore best practice when reviewing technology options is to ask for 5 to 6 references, current customers that you can speak with directly for feedback.

That’s the best way to work out if a technology is you’re going to produce what the company says it’s going to produce. One reference is not enough because most companies can find one customer who will provide some positive feedback. Five or six references will ensure you can get a good picture of the true value a solution delivers.

There is one final consideration for those health club owners willing to push the envelope.

This is trying a completely new software program. This is a tricky one to consider as a health club. Often there’ll be new innovative software that comes into the market that is brilliant however the problem is there’s no track record, there’s no customer experiences and no references.

There is an element of risk with implementing new software however there is also a significant upside in being an early adopter. You’ll see this in any industry, there’s always a set of early innovators that will adopt new technology and they’ll be big winners if the software provides a new competitive advantage.

Our advice is to not be afraid to try a new software program if you are an established health club. If you are a new club it may be best to stick with a more proven solution.

If you do go down the path of a new and unproven technology you should always manage your risk by limiting the downside. Perhaps you can agree to a short term trial agreement or a discounted pricing for being an early adopter. Therefore if the project fails you can quickly move on with minimal loss.

If you follow the tips in this article you can be confident about making the right software choices for your business.