You know we love horse people.
Horse people work hard. Horse people are fun (mostly). Horse people would do next to anything for their animals. But technologically savvy?
Ehh—not so much.
It goes without saying that whether you’re the reincarnation of Steve Jobs or a total luddite in the tech department, managing a barn is no easy task. At a busy sales or training facility, there are horses, clients, and employees to organize; there are also health, training, and show records to manage. Not to mention scheduling appointments (eek) and billing (double eek) for all of the above.
Keeping track of all these things can be overwhelming, and that’s just what motivated lifelong equestrian and amateur show jumper Nicole Lakin to create the BarnManager online management system back in 2012.
“We never want to come into a barn and make [people] feel like we are telling them they need to change when something has been working for them for years,” Lakin says. “Instead, we are trying to supply them with tools to improve their existing systems.”
The new BarnManager Pro is an improvement on that improvement.
Launched in September and using cloud-based software, this update allows users to invoice, create revenue breakdowns, and have a secure payment method. The original features of BarnManager include the ability to create horse profiles, store medical records, schedule appointments, make detailed lists, and streamline invoicing. But since everything is stored in the cloud, it’s also available wherever you and your team are. That means whether you’re training at home or traveling from show to show on the road, it’s all right there on your computer, tablet, or smart phone.
BarnManager Pro streamlines billing
Because we all know that the only thing worse than sending a bill is receiving one, BarnManager Pro is helping take the pain out of the process.
“We want to make the payment process safer, more secure, more efficient, and easier to manage,” explains Lakin.
Among the highlights: effortless invoicing, comprehensive revenue breakdowns, and a secure payment method that your clients can access anytime. What’s more, BarnManager Pro allows users to integrate with QuickBooks Online, so billing and invoicing information can be stored in a single, centralized location.
BarnManager Pro consolidates all your records
“As a veterinarian who has worked with multiple software systems over the years, BarnManager Pro is right up there with [those] very expensive and sophisticated [programs],” says Joni Shimp, a veterinarian based out of Broken Dog Farm in Willard, N.C.
Shimp says before starting with Pro, she’d been using everything from a Facebook Group for her clients to a medical records system for the horses and a separate equine invoicing program to keep it all straight—plus QuickBooks to, “Keep my CPA happy!”
“It was a whirlwind!” Shimp continues. “[Switching over to] BarnManager Pro has simplified all of this tremendously.”
And, because no two barns (not to mention no two veterinarian, farrier, or sales businesses) are the same, BarnManager and BarnManager Pro allow users flexibility in how they organize schedules, records, payments, and invoices, so it all makes sense for your clients and your unique business.
The best part? When your life is all in one place, BarnManager helps to reduce not just the physical clutter on your office desk, but the need for dozens of unique website passwords, missed appointments that made it to your physical calendar but not your phone’s calendar **facepalm**, and the kind of crazy, Post-it Note-covered reminder wall that only Homeland’s Claire Danes could decipher.
BarnManager Pro allows customized records
Plus, BarnManager and BarnManager Pro have solved another common barn dilemma: how to flag and send information that’s only relevant to a certain horse or client, while still being able to share the week’s plan and information with the whole team.
“BarnManager allows me to make announcements to the group, tag specific horses, and notify specific clients for things that are relevant to their horse only,” explains Shimp.
“I can keep track of all the farrier, physio, veterinary records, and daily happenings all in the same place. The calendar feature is effortless, and my clients love being able to see what the schedule looks like.”
And, when it comes to the minutia of complicated equine billing (think: owner invoices for multiple horses, splitting shared expenses among multiple clients, billing for clients and/or trainers that co-own horses together, etc.) BarnManager Pro has it all in the bag. “The invoicing feature is great,” Shimp notes. “I am able to split charges effortlessly and send a professional invoice with a link to pay easily right from the program.”
Did we mention? BarnManager Pro is here for you
Finally, if the technical side of things gives you pause (and then maybe pause again), you’re not alone—and BarnManager knows it.
The company offers live, one-on-one demos for its Starter, Essential, and Pro levels, all tailored to a customer’s specific barn and needs.
“The staff and technical support at BarnManager have answered every question and concern right away,” says Shimp, adding that the company has never left her hanging, even after hours.
So, whether you run a boarding and training stable, a lesson program, show barn, retirement or lay-up facility, or offer a mix of services, BarnManager can help to simplify your business, letting you spend less time in front of the screen, and more time with the horses you love.
For more information on BarnManager and the new Pro version visit www.barnmanager.com.
About BarnManager
BarnManager is a cloud-based software solution that provides horse owners and managers with the tools they need to streamline and simplify their daily management responsibilities. The program offers digitized record keeping for the many facets of horse care and has developed intuitive and simple business tools to make small business management accessible and easy.