Three steps to reducing admin for aquatics clubs and swim schools

Drowning in paperwork or digital administration? Nobody wants that. Staff and volunteers at aquatics clubs and swim schools would rather spend their time doing things that truly benefit the organisation and its members.

Manual payments can be especially draining. Handling cash, chasing members for bank transfers, or checking statements against payments due are all hugely time consuming. 

What’s more, missing and late payments affect an organisation’s cash flow and its ability to invest in equipment and facilities.

Here is a three-step process for reducing your administrative load, so you can spend more time on the activities that matter most.

Where does the time go?

Start by understanding where you are spending your time. 

Look at the entire process for collecting payments, including working out who’s paid their bill and who hasn’t. 

For many swim clubs and swim schools, this involves studying spreadsheets, standing orders and manual bank transfers, as well as counting up cash.

Things get tricky when fees vary based on the membership type, competitions attended and events entered. Payment references might not match the organisation’s records, leaving staff to pair them up. 

Reconciling the accounts and money received can be so big a task that it requires a dedicated staff member. 

When a payment is missing, someone also has the uncomfortable job of chasing it. There’s only so much staff time available, so it’s a shame when that time is spent on avoidable and unfulfilling admin.

Dip your toe in the water with technology

Many of the tasks that occupy the time of staff and volunteers can be automated today but small organisations might find digital payments technology intimidating. 

It might feel easier to stick with what they know, however frustrating that is.

Swim clubs and swim schools might be worried that digital payments will be too expensive, complicated to learn, or perhaps go wrong. 

However, modern tools are user-friendly and reliable. 

It’s also easy to put them to the test because they are often available on free trials or short-term, low-cost subscriptions.

In reality, there’s little risk to running a trial so you can see for yourself how digital payments work and how they can help you. 

Instead of diving in, you can just dip your toe in the water first.

Automate payment collection

Now you’ve reassured yourself and your team about digital payments, it’s time to really put them to work.

Most swim clubs or swim schools invoice customers either in advance or in arrears for their membership or lesson fees, competition fees and shop purchases. 

These kinds of recurring payments are ideal for automating with Direct Debit. 

It puts you in control – you pull the payments from your customers’ bank, with the flexibility to adjust the amount when the customer owes more. 

Bills are automatically paid when they’re due, so staff don’t have to chase them. In addition, the Direct Debit process can be integrated with your membership management system, or an accounting solution like Xero, so that payments can be reconciled automatically. 

As well as reducing administration work, digital payments reduce uncertainty and improve your cash flow. 

You get money sooner, with less work, and have greater confidence you’re getting what you’re owed. 

That means you have more resources, including time, to invest in coaching and equipment.

You can’t eliminate administration altogether but you can minimise its impact. 

With digital payments, you can put your organisation in the fast lane.