CAPITAL MMA & ELITE FITNESS CASE STUDY
BUSINESS PROFILE
Since 2003, Capital MMA and Elite Fitness has provided mixed martial arts and fitness programs to anyone interested in achieving their fitness goals in a fun and safe environment. With four locations surrounding the Washington, D.C. area, Capital MMA provides a wide variety of fitness programs but focuses primarily on CrossFit™, Jujitsu and Muay Thai. Capital MMA members range from elite athletes to moms and children. The studio also provides supplemental classes of takedown, boxing and yoga. With the current success and growing popularity of mixed martial arts in the U.S., owner Jeremy Lafreniere has planned to open a fifth location slated for mid 2014.
CHALLENGE
With multiple locations to manage, Capital MMA needed an MMA software system that could be utilized by their staff and members from any location at an affordable price. The first software system they tried was a payment solution provider, but they found that their fees were too high. Nearly ten percent of Capital MMA’s revenue was paying for the payment processing services and their services didn’t include the all-in-one software solution that they needed. They then tried another software that was designed for martial arts business. Although the fees were lower than those of the payment processors, it could not provide the needed functionality from multiple locations. “The amount of money we were paying for the payment processor was way too high and contained features I didn’t need. The other software was lower in price, but didn’t provide the functionality that I needed,” said Lafreniere. Once again, Capital MMA started their search, but this time it was a side-by-side comparison of the two leading fitness software providers, MindBody™ and Zen Planner.
SOLUTION
After a thorough examination of the two companies by the Capital MMA’s tech team, Zen Planner was chosen to provide the business with an all-in-one software solution. The deciding factor for the team was that the system could be accessible to their members and staff from multiple locations and could manage the database and billing process easily at a reasonable price. “I was looking for software with features that were well thought out and designed for my business to succeed,” said Lafreniere. “Zen Planner provides my business with software that I need at a price I can afford. They’re the best in the business.”
Zen Planner also helps Jeremy sell merchandise from his online store, track member attendance, send automated alerts to members when fees are due, keep track of class schedules and monitor member account information. “Zen Planner has helped me manage my business the way I need to manage my business,” added Lafreniere. “I travel between the schools and have to manage three different offices at the same time. Zen Planner allows me to view all of the data from each school regardless of which school I’m at that day.”
