Software to run a Dive Center

[McHow2]

I really wonder what software you use to run your dive centers! I mean it cannot be, in nearly 2010, to still use pen and paper to catch all the thousand processes that happen in a daily dive shop life.

What a drag to find out who did what with whom and when at the end of the month. And who gets paid for what now? Ah yeah, and then someone gets commissions and the customer would like to have an invoice and he needs a place to stay and he wants to rent a bike or one of your kayaks and wants to buy some diving equipment and so on....

But even if you get that all done with a lot of effort and time, you still won't be able to look anything up from the past, without spending a lot of time again... Let alone that there is still no book that can give you any statistics on what has cost how much during the past three month, and how much money did you actually make during that time?? Now if that is hard to tell, how are you going to make a budget plan for the next three month, not really knowing what happened during the past three month?

And what about all the customers that have been diving with you? Do the get a Christmas card? Or a birthday mail? Did you know that up to 10% of the clients that are being remembred by their dive center in this way are coming back, or sending their friends to dive with you? It's a pity that you now can't really tell how many people these 10% actually would be and how much an average diver spends in your dive center; else you could exactly tell about how much money I'm talking here...

Now if you still on the pen and paper side or you work with an excel sheet, you might want to have a look at that new version of DiveShopManager 2.5 that has just come out. Mighty cool! And it can do all the stuff I was talking about plus a lot more! No the best part is that everybody can try it out for a full month for free and if you don't like it, you can even export all your client data and your financial data to xml and use it elsewhere. Up to now the only thing i found missing on DSM was the Coffee Button!

Let me know what you think!

[DiveDevil1966]

It looks very good. Iwll have a work with it and review the software for possible future users.

Dive Devil

[DiveDevil1966]

It looks very good. I have been working with all sorts of Dive Centre Managment Software packages. There are some very good ones available, and then there are the others. I have just downloaded the trial version of the software package and will work with it. As a consultanat within the diving industry I am dealing with a lot of different operations. Testing it in this environemnt will show quickly the potential of such a software.

I will then review the software and post it in this forum for possible future users.

Always sfae diving
DiveDevil

[McHow2]

Originally Posted by DiveDevil1966

It looks very good. I have been working with all sorts of Dive Centre Managment Software packages. There are some very good ones available, and then there are the others. I have just downloaded the trial version of the software package and will work with it. As a consultanat within the diving industry I am dealing with a lot of different operations. Testing it in this environemnt will show quickly the potential of such a software.

I will then review the software and post it in this forum for possible future users.

Always sfae diving
DiveDevil

Cool DiveDevil; Im looking forward to read your review! There is only one detailed review of DiveShopManager I could find so far and that was still 2.02. I have worked myself in a dive center with DSM for about seven month a while ago and i wouldn't want to run a dive shop office without it anymore. Especillay when it comes to make salaries for staff....

[DiveDevil1966]

I agree that it is essential to have management software in any dive business regardless of size. Just to priorities and maximise the existing customer database and also the day to day running of any operation. I am working with a wide variety of operations with various products at hand. By having a few workable options enhances the opportunity for any operation.

All the best

Dive Devil

[McHow2]

By having a few workable options enhances the opportunity for any operation.

Are you refering to the live aboard section and/or the rental section? I like that too. Many dive centers also rent out all kinds of things like kayaks and kite boards or surfboards in addition to the usual dive gear and such, that can be rented on daily bases. So i like the new hourly rentals for that. The live aboard section is cool for dive operators who run a live aboard company as well as for other dive centers, to make some extra $$ by selling live aboards for third party operators. That can turn out to be very profitable especially if one has all the information for several operators and boats at hand, including schedule and prices. :-)

[McHow2]

Originally Posted by Term Paper

I really wonder what software you use to run your dive centers! I mean itcannot be, in nearly 2010, to still use pen and paper to catch all ...

Especially since version 2.6.2 of DiveShopManager has been released last week. This software is only getting better. The new user manual and the new tool tips will help every beginner to work DSM with ease. Dive centers need to work with a software otherwise they loose money every day by not re-using their customer contacts for special offers, newsletters, birthday emails and other opportunities.

[NetBookings]

Hi Guys

Have you had a look at www.divebookingsystem.com?
It has over years of development in Australia and links up YouTube videos for each dive site.

Brett

[McHow2]

The new version of DiveShopManager is 2.6.3 and includes new features and many small improvements. It's now possible to have a webform on the dive center's website so that students can fill in the complete student record file information at home and the data can be imported easily into DSM with a couple of clicks. This saves a lot of time for the customer and the dive shop and the data is not likely to contain wrong written emai addresses or names and such. In version 2.6.3 you can now invoice agents for diving packages they sell for your dive center! Check it out; the trial version works for up to 50 customers without any time or feature limit. If you don't like it you can even export your customer data after the trial period. No love lost.

[NetBookings]

Online Dive Booking System software - Dive Booking System July 2010 update!
Now integrated with Facebook, when you schedule a dive or course and it automagically places it on your facebook wall with the date and time, photo, description and a Book Now. Facebook then puts it on all your friends facebook walls for you

Check out the Facebook Page here

Confirmations now contain an iCalendar file which is then inserted into your guests electronic calendar such as: Outlook, Google, Yahoo or Hotmail calendars!

Free Setup, use it forever without any limitations.

Test drive now >