Online Office Hacks: How to set up new software + checklist!!

Online Office Hacks: Our Software Set-up Checklist

Setting up new software isn’t something you do every day, why would you? BUT as more and more stuff is moving online, setting up new software and becoming familiar with it is only the first hurdle small business owners face.

You may have a system in place that’s working for you and doing the job. You know that old adage if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it. Many of us function with this belief as a basis for our business and the decisions we make affecting it. Something to ask yourself from time to time is what about when there is a WAY better way to do something? 

Testimonial of Katie setting up software for a client.

Would you want to fix it then?

If you answered YES, then this post is for you! In this blog, we want to share with you some of the criteria about when it’s time to consider changing your tech stack (software tools) and how to choose the right one for you. We will be giving you our outline for the setup process we follow internally and for our clients.

When is it time to consider changing software?

We like to approach this question the same way we would approach getting new gear. Is it time for a new bike? All the same, considerations would apply; your skill, your budget, your amount of shiny object syndrome, and your current needs. In regards to determining if you need new software, we recommend you ask yourself the following; 

  1. Have your needs outgrown the software?
  2. Do you feel you’re limited in your capacity to serve clients, manage bookings, etc?
  3. Do you want to staff up or automate?
  4. Is there money available to buy new software and spend the time or get help to set it up?

How do I choose the right software for my adventure business?

Every business is unique and adventure businesses have lots of quirky demands. Knowing how to choose the right software can be difficult. As soon as you realize there is no such thing as the perfect software then you are heading in the right direction. You will get close and find something good that works, but like life, it will never be perfect (unless you custom build it with 3 coders!). You will need to assess;

  • What kind of software do you need? 
  • What is your business volume?
  • Are there functions or views that are must-haves?
  • What functions or views would be ‘nice to have’?
  • What other software are you already using? 
  • Will the new software integrate easily with existing software?
  • Can you set this up internally (do you have time/team) or will this require support to set up?

Key set up steps for successfully adding new software to your adventure business

Once you have decided on all the above and chosen what you want to use, the work begins!
This is the biggest part and must be done well. There are 4 key stages with any new setup: 

  • Planning – what does this new software need to do and how?
  • The system set up – settings, integrations, building automation, importing products and contacts etc.
  • Planning for team onboarding and training  – creating SOP’s, user manual creation and videos.
  • System maintenance – ongoing management of duplicates, tags, zaps etc.

Our Software Set-Up Checklist

There are always multiple ways to do things and often it comes down to personal preference. Disclaimer this is our opinion and what we find works for us to make it a super smooth process when setting up new software. 

EVERY time we set things up we follow our twelve-step checklist whether it’s for our clients or internally. We are going to be providing you with the first six steps and then giving you the link to download the rest. This way it will be a handy document you can download and always refer back to.

Step 1 – Update your company information

The first step you will always complete is importing your company information. This is as simple as it seems. Complete the Name, Email Address, Physical Address, Contact Number, Website URL, etc. Make sure everything is in place and nothing gets missed.

Step 2 – Update system preferences

This will be all about branding and setting up notifications. This is where you decide what notifications you want to receive. Do you want to get notified about every single thing or do you want it more generalized? Make sure your account is set to be on-brand with your business – colours, fonts, images, etc. 

Step 3 – Connect your preferred payment method

You want to be able to take payments from clients ASAP. We personally connect our Stripe account but you have the option to connect your preferred payment gateway. As software is developing and progressing it is possible to connect different currencies that you will be billing your clients in. So remember to make sure you select the correct one, more often than not it is set to the default of American Dollars.

Step 4 – Connect integrations

You may need to use a third-party integration platform like Zapier to connect your CRM>Booking Software>Waiver Software etc. This is when you will integrate other important software that you are currently using such as your invoicing platforms like Quickbooks, your email marketing platforms like Gmail, your reservation systems, etc.

Step 5 – Create templates

If the same task will be repeated often, create a task template with all the details team members need so they can get it done fast. Communication templates which are client-facing automated emails are a great thing to also create templates for. This allows you to stop rewriting emails and just select the templates so you can send more emails in the same amount of time!

Step 6 – Importing your products and services

Depending on which system you are setting up importing your data/product/services might be a duplicate. Import any of your trips, rentals, swag, or activities. We recommend starting with your most popular ones. This can be difficult or very time-consuming so we recommend asking for/finding a CSV template on the software site to make sure it is done correctly. This method allows for bulk product import.

Useful Resource

Katie recently went live on the Business of Adventure Facebook group. She discussed in great detail our checklist for setting up new software and important things to think about. We recommend watching this so you can see the steps we go through every time we set up new software for ourselves and our clients.

In Conclusion 

Installing new software and integrating it with your business doesn’t have to be scary or disrupt the flow of your business. If you’re thinking of adding or changing systems, please reach out! We are happy to recommend software or help determine what’s a good fit for your business. We are able to help you fully set up new software if you prefer a ‘done for you’ solution.

Join the Conversation

We would love for you to join our Business of Adventure Facebook group. This is a collaborative space for business owners or freelancers in the adventure travel and tourism space. The focus here is to share best practices and tips about online presence and digital marketing (front end) and online systems (backend) so you can establish a rock-solid foundation for your adventure business. If this is something you could benefit from, please join!