Spreadsheets have long helped small businesses get organised. From Excel to Google Sheets and Mac, these programs are both cost-effective and easily accessible which makes them a popular option with startups.
However, they’re also notorious for being inaccurate, difficult to use and not completely fulfilling their users’ needs, especially when it comes to bike rental businesses. While multiple industries have overcome this by developing their own bespoke software tailored to their needs, we noticed that the bike rental industry was being left behind.
That’s why we created yoyo. Read on to learn more about the challenges bike rental managers face when making do with spreadsheets, and how swapping to yoyo can help make life easier while growing your business.
Common spreadsheet challenges
1. Human errors
Entering data into spreadsheets is a manual process that leaves room for human error. This could be as simple as putting a 9 instead of a 0 or inserting figures into the wrong cell.
There are so many opportunities to enter information incorrectly, and more often than not, these are going to be hard to spot. This increases your chances of producing inaccurate figures and reports, which could greatly impact your business.
2. Out-of-date information
Manual data entry can also lead to other inventory mishaps. Between multiple staff members taking bookings, walk-ins, getting riders prepared and carrying out that all-important bike maintenance, it’s easy to get distracted.
This can lead to incomplete data entries, causing you to lose track of available inventory and leaving your business open to potential double bookings, disappointed customers and missed maintenance.
3. Poor visuals
It’s quick and easy to input data when you first start out, but as your bike rental business grows, the more complicated your spreadsheet will become. This leaves you with rows upon rows of data which can get pretty confusing to look at. Creating graphs and charts might help with this, but that takes time and opens you up to more opportunities for error.
4. Lost data
When using computer software, there’s always the risk that the program is going to crash. We all know that data should be backed up and saved regularly, but in the hustle and bustle of a bike rental shop, it’s easy to forget. This means that any new data will potentially be lost and need inputting once more, but you might not remember the details of a booking made several hours ago.
Then there’s also the risk that your computer itself might break. From a spilt coffee to a knocked over laptop, lost data is much more common than it should be.
5. They don’t always work how we want
You might want to merge certain cells for better visuals or repeat a formula used elsewhere. Unfortunately, spreadsheets aren’t the best at guessing our intentions and unless things are done in a very specific way, this can cause them to get a little confused.
Both merging and copy and paste can cause formulas to change or lead to errors, which means it’s best to take the longer route and write all your formulas out individually.
How yoyo can make it better
1. Real-time, automatic updates
We’ve made human errors, out-of-date information and lost data a thing of the past. Our data management system is all online, which means that when a booking is made, your availability, revenue and any other data is automatically updated.
The result is accurate reporting with no risk of double bookings or missed maintenance, and your data is protected from any technical malfunctions.
2. Clear visuals
The yoyo dashboard puts everything you need in one place with an intuitive layout that’s easy to read. This also makes things easier for new staff members, helping them pick things up quickly and reducing training times.
In terms of inventory, we know it can be tricky to keep track of an ever-growing fleet. That’s why we’ve added the option to include photos along with individual prices and descriptions, making it even easier to keep track of every bike, helmet and pannier within your shop.
3. Instant reports
Gone are the days of working out complicated formulas and searching for potential errors. Simply click a button and our bike rental system will generate an instant report that’s clear, simple and easy to read.
Whether you need to assess your venues, prove maintenance for liability or look over your finances, all the information you need about your growing business is at your fingertips.
4. Easily scalable
From 1 to 150 bikes, yoyo offers a range of packages for all business sizes. With monthly payment plans, you’re not tied down to any contracts which means you can scale your package to suit your needs.
If your vision is to grow your very own bike rental empire, then you can also add multiple venues to one yoyo account. This keeps all your data in one place, making it easier to make smart decisions and build a sustainable bike rental business.
5. Helping you grow a better business
From online bookings and automatic inventory updates to venue reports and friendly maintenance reminders, every feature has been designed to help grow your bike rental business. By streamlining your processes and reducing paperwork, yoyo is here to offer bike rental managers a helping hand so that you have more time to focus on delivering an awesome customer experience.
Start your free trial
To get you started, we’re offering bike rental managers a one-month free trial so you can see how yoyo could help make life easier for you. We have a range of packages available for all fleet sizes, and if you’re just getting started with a small fleet of 10 or less, yoyo is free forever.
Say goodbye to spreadsheets and wave hello to the future of bike rental businesses!