Meet Tyler LeClair, from IYG Baseball/Softball
Located in Richmond, VA, IYG Baseball / Softball has been operating since 2009, with Tyler LeClair taking over ownership in 2020. At 12,000 sq. ft, IYG has a simple mission: development over everything.
It is their goal to provide athletes with every opportunity to improve their life and athletic skills. IYG offers travel teams, private lessons, weight training, camps, clinics, and various development programs.
Before Swift: Manual Mess
Prior to joining Swift, IYG only accepted checks for memberships, and Tyler tracked everything by hand in a spreadsheet. Cashing checks doesn’t sound like a big deal, but as Tyler puts it, cashing a lot of them is very time consuming.
As the business grew, so did the challenges around operations. Tracking incoming revenue manually had become overwhelming, and as a result - the IYG team was losing key rental opportunities to outside teams and players.
Swift was actually the first software IYG ever used to run the business. Since then, more than five other companies have pitched Tyler on software that’s “similar” to Swift, and he hasn’t taken a single meeting.
Bookings were also challenging as he describes:
Enter Swift: Getting Setup
With a large group of coaches & staff under Tyler, the ease of use of Swift was a big advantage. He was able to get his entire team trained and set up within a few hours. Noting that the centralized drag & drop calendar has made it easy for everyone on his team to manage their bookings despite the wide range of computer skills.
After covering the basics, Tyler told us he keeps learning “new things all the time” as the Swift engineering team is constantly making improvements to the product built on feedback from clients like him.
The Results: A Home Run
Within a few months of joining Swift, IYG has regained control over their growing businesses and automated their operations. With our nested spaces feature, Tyler and his team were able to maximize their space and offer new revenue-driven activities.
The biggest unexpected win was control. Tyler can now see exactly who is in each cage and when, which makes booking cages much easier and frees up space for other programs that bring in revenue.
Payments moved online too. Customers love being able to pay by credit card (Tyler used to hear “do you take a credit card?” all the time), and IYG can now require payment before anyone even walks in.
The MVP: Swift is Leagues Above
Here’s what Tyler LeClair had to say about Swift when asked if he would recommend it to other sports facility managers or owners:
FAQ
What did IYG use before Swift?
Nothing, really. Swift was the first software IYG used to run the business. Before that, Tyler took checks for memberships and tracked everything by hand in a spreadsheet, and working out cage availability for lessons and camps was a constant hassle. IYG was also missing out on rentals to outside teams and players.
How long did it take IYG to get set up?
They were up and running right away and took booking and membership payments from day one. IYG has a big staff with a wide range of computer skills, and Tyler says one central calendar made it easy for everyone to see and manage their own bookings.
How did IYG triple its lesson and camp bookings?
Bookings for lessons and camps more than tripled after IYG moved to Swift. Tyler is upfront that the business was growing anyway, but he says easier booking has made IYG easier to market and easier to sign up for. Knowing exactly who is in each cage and when has also freed up space for more programs.
Can customers pay online before they arrive?
Yes. IYG requires payment online at booking, so nobody has to be chased for money later. Tyler says collecting money and tracking people down was a huge problem before Swift, and customers love being able to pay by card.
