My Top Must Have Software for your Fitness Studio on a budget
You’ve done it! You have started your own studio or are ready to level up your current business. Everyone keeps talking about you need to automate and get processes in place.
I remember when I first opened up my Pilates studio and CrossFit gym I hear this and thought I get it, but where the heck do I start. What software do I need and how much does it all cost?
I totally get this it’s all so overwhelming and I don’t want to spend money I don’t have too and that’s the bottom line. I have even been sucked into this in the past and ended up spending $197 a month for 6+ months for a software someone said was the only way to do it I assure you there was another way.
I’m not sure about you, but I really, really, hate wasting money. I’m a pretty frugal person and I have zero problem spending money on something that provides me with an appropriate amount of value (ie. makes me money or saves me time/money_
I want to help you find the best FREE or low-cost Software to get you started.
I’ll be breaking this down into my must-have Software, nice-to-have software, and maybe someday in the future.
While this list is not all-inclusive it has most of my favorites.
Must-Have Free Software:
Email Marketing (many options)
Canva (free version)
Grammarly
Google-Drive or One-Drive
Appointment Scheduling Software
Social Media Scheduling Software
Zapier
Linktree
Email Marketing
Your first question might be why do I need this? Well, you don’t actually need it, but I would highly recommend this. If you collect email addresses and you should this is a great place to collect them and an easy way to consolidate your time and send out blanket emails to your entire email list. Also if you don’t have a website yet and you’re not ready for one yet most free versions of email marketing software will have an option for you to create a landing page with all your information (more on this below)
Mail Chimp (2,000 contacts, landing pages, forms
Convert Kit (1,000 subscribers, landing pages, forms
Mailerlite (1,000 subscribers, landing pages, forms, Email automation)
All of these are great options and can get you started with collecting emails. If you don’t have a website yet this is a great way to have a single page location to send someone to learn about your offerings, where you are located, and how to get in touch with you. All for free and without having to pay a thing
Sample Mail Chimp Landing page, the bottom will show the Mailchimp logo and the domain will not be your own. You can still style and brand it as your own.
Canva: I absolutely love this software and there are so many things you can do with the free version. I would stay with the free version as long as possible. You can use this software to make branded social media posts, business cards, banners, e-books, flyers, basically all of your marketing needs. What you can’t do with the free version is create transparent files, logos, and use premium graphics. Honestly, I didn’t upgrade and start using the paid version of this software until at least 5 years in. If you haven’t checked out this software yet I encourage you to.
Now if you need help using this one of my favorite people is the person to follow on Instagram. She also used to run a fitness studio and this lady is amazing with tips on Canva and picking your colors and fonts. Check ou Emily with the Creative Bodega this is her Instagram
Grammarly I can’t believe I didn’t know about this until last year. Writing was not my best subject and I really struggle with it (I was definitely a math and science girl) This software has literally changed my life. The free version is amazing and once you install it with your browser (I usually use Chrome) It will work in all of the programs you use to help check your grammar and spelling.
Google Drive or One-Drive: These are free if you have a Gmail account or a Microsoft account. If you’ve upgraded to a professional email address with your domain then you will have the paid versions with a bit more storage. This is a great place to store all of your important information. Here are some examples.
Book Keeping: Google Sheets, I use this to keep track of all of my expenses and income. Now there is a point I would recommend upgrading to something like Quick Books or using a bookkeeper, in the beginning, or if you are a solo practitioner this is great.
Client Feedback: Google Forms
Client Waivers: Google Forms
Fun fact if you have Google Workspace it can actually be HIPAA compliant
.
Appointment Scheduling Software:
There are many different options available for this my favorite Free option is Calendly. This is great to schedule free consultations or individual appointments. If you’re looking to schedule classes or more complex options my favorite is Acuity (Now called Squarespace Scheduling)
Social Media Scheduling Software:
If you’re using social media and you haven’t started using scheduling software now is the time. This is one of the biggest time savers ever.
My favorite free software for this is Later. I know there are many free options, but I’ve found Later to be the most user-friendly, and the upgrade price when you’re ready to go to the paid version isn’t too bad. Another free platform is Planoly I haven’t tested this one out, but it seems to have some great options and the pricing jump from free to paid is a little bit less than Later.
Something to keep in mind with the scheduling software you need to have a business Instagram and business Facebook account for all of this to work.
This software is going to be for the more advanced user. Basically what this does is allow you to automate a workflow. Here are two examples.
Example 1: You collect an email from a landing page in Mail chimp and you want to add that person to a google spreadsheet. You create what is called a Zap and it will automatically add that email to your google sheet.
Example 2: You offer a free consultation using Calendly and you want to have that person’s email address added to your email marketing list. You create a ZAP and when that person books an appointment they are automatically added to your email list.
If this seems overwhelming don’t worry that’s where I can help out. I do offer an hourly or project-specific time where I can help you set up all of your automation. If you’re interested in booking a free consultation use this link
The free version of Zapier will allow up to 100 tasks/ month. The paid versions start with 750 tasks /month
Linktree
There are free and paid versions of this software. The free is really all you need to get started. This is for you if you use Instagram. Basically what this allows you to do is have one link you can put in your Instagram bio and within that, will have buttons with links to all of your important information.
Like your Website, Free Downloads, Booking links, etc.
This image shows you how it could look. With the free version, you will have the linktree logo at the bottom of your link.
The pro version is $6 per month and will allow you to have detailed analytics, custom themes, email collection. If you are just getting started or a bit budget conscious this isn’t the first paid software I would start with.
Linktree Image
Now moving into the nice to have paid software options
Website (Domain):
Let’s start with a website and domain. If you’ve done all of the above and you’re ready to have your very own website you have many options on what platforms to use and if you should DIY or have it done for you. For today let’s assume you’re going to do it yourself.
I’m a big fan of Squarespace websites since they are pretty easy to DIY and get started with a low upfront cost. If you want it done for you by a design like myself they are also really easy to maintain.
When you sign up for a Squarespace site there are a few things you’ll get with it that make it even more affordable your first year.
First Year Price $190 + tax if you use my 10% off link
First Year Domain FREE
First Year of Google workspace FREE (professional Email single user)
All in that’s $190+tax your first year. You can use this link to get the 10% off your first year of Squarespace
Following Years Pricing
Squarespace Website $212 Plus Tax
Domain $20 plus tax
Professional email address (single User) $72 plus tax
Total per year after your first year $304
Things to keep in mind with this platform. You don’t have a monthly maintenance fee and there are no surprises. This is the price! with a bit of sweat equity, you could have you’re website up and running.
If you’re not ready to DIY I have several options available to design your site for you. From full site design to 1/2 for a Full day of my time to help you with your site. If you get started with me your first-year software prices will be even less at $172 +tax for the first year.
Email Marketing:
The big question is when do I have to start paying for my email marketing software. The real answer is it depends. There are a couple of things that are going to push you into a paid version.
Your email list has grown and you have over 1000 or 2000 people on it depending on what software you are using.
You want to start sending automated emails. An example of this would be if you have an opt-in gift and you want to send a series of emails to your new subscriber.
The pricing range for this paid version is going to be anywhere between $10-$40ish per month.
Professional Email:
My favorite professional email to get started with is going to be Google Workspace (formerly G-suite). This will run you $6/monht per user. Don’t forget you’ll need a domain name to get started with this. You can get all of this directly through you’re
Scheduling Software
The options are endless in this area. For the purpose of this post, I’ll break it into my two favorites, but it all depends on if you are a single practitioner or running a full gym or studio with many different class options.
If you are a smaller studio, an individual running classes, and private sessions, or doing many remote training sessions I recommend getting started with Acuity. For a single user, this software will start at $15 per month and for up to 6 users it will be $25/month if you pay annually the prices are a bit less.
Why do I love this software?
It’s really easy to use
It Syncs with Google Calendar, iCloud, Outlook.com, Exchange, and Office 365
You can match your branding
Customers get automatic reminders of their sessions
You can collect payment directly through the software
It integrates with all websites
You can make it easy for customers to book directly with you without any back and forth
You can integrate all your intake forms
You can offer classes, workshops, or events
You can connect directly with Zoom and clients will automatically get the link to join meetings.
Can you tell I really l like this software? I can also help you set it up and you can get a pretty deep discount for your first year. If you want to talk and see if it’s a good option for you book a free consultation
There are other options and many work great, this happens to be my favorite. You can get most of the same options with Calendly as well.
If you are a larger studio a few of my favorite booking software are MindBody, Zen Planner, Push Press, and Tribb. I know there are many others and it seems like each week a new one becomes available. My best suggestion is to make a list of everything you want the software to do and pick from there. From my experience, none of them are going to be perfect but having an automated option is going to be better than not.
Money Collection!
This one is so important. In fact, I’ve tried many of the different options. If you have a full-on studio management software like Mind Body you’re most likely going to collect your funds this way.
If you’re solo or a smaller studio there are a few different ways to collect money. The one I find the easiest is Square since you can collect money in person or via an invoice. While the processing fees might be a little bit more than others it’s really easy to use. Another thing is you can integrate this into Acuity Booking Software, Calendly Booking software, and Squarespace.
A few other easy-to-use money collection options are Stripe and Paypal.
I know this may have been a lot to take in so don’t worry feel free to pick and choose what you want to use out of this post. Keep in mind if you’re just getting started you have the option to do it all for free before you go all-in on a website and start paying for different software.
I’m here to help you figure it all out. If you don’t even know where or how to start I’m offering up a free consultation to help you figure out what you need and how to get started. I offer these consultations on Monday’s so take a look at my calendar to book
In addition to the free Consultation take a moment to download my free homepage workbook. This will guide you through my top 3 recommendations for your home page regardless if you are on a Free landing page template or using your own website. These strategies will apply no matter what platform you are on.
Hi I’m Sara
While I’m not working on helping awesome people with their website and automation you can find me outdoors in Utah or teaching Pilates and Fitness classes.
Would you like to chat about designing or updating your fabulous Squarespace website?