Love life. Shoot more hoops.

“It’s true to say that without the SALTO system, we simply wouldn’t have had such a viable business, and definitely wouldn’t have grown so fast.”

Client - Swisherr Hoops Academy

Location - Statewide

Solution - SALTO KS Keys as Service

“It’s true to say that without the SALTO system, we simply wouldn’t have had such a viable business, and definitely wouldn’t have grown so fast.”

DAVID BARTLETT - Business Owner and Co-Founder Swisherr Hoop Academy

Background

Basketball is one of the top participation sports in Australia. Like any sport, performance comes with practice, which in basketball terms, means shooting hoops. The world’s best basketballers take anything from 500 to 1000 shots a day. But for aspiring players in Tasmania, getting to shoot hoops isn’t always easy. Hiring a whole court is an expensive way to practice unless a player can get a whole group of friends together; if you’re shooting alone, the number of shots you can take is limited by having to run and retrieve the ball; and in the chilly southern winters, outdoor courts are not always suitable or appealing.

David Bartlett, IT business owner, former politician and basketball aficionado, realised that this was a very real issue for basketballers keen to improve their skills. Along with business partners Mark Nash and Anthony Stewart, both former pro-basketballers, he saw opportunity to bring something new to the world of basketball - and Swisherr Hoops Academy was born. David explains: “Swisherr runs self-service basketball gyms, which we call ‘SHOTLABs’. Each SHOTLAB is set up in a converted squash court, and is a high tech, members only shooting room, complete with lighting, music, speakers and a ball return machine that enables a player to take 500-600 shots an hour.”

“Players pay a monthly membership fee, either to simply shoot on their own, or a premium membership that includes coaching. We can track each member’s shots taken and give them their own stats. One member has almost reached 50,000 shots - that will be quite a celebration!” David and his colleagues have clearly hit on a very real need because demand has grown rapidly. The first SHOTLAB, which opened in Hobart in October 2020, was fully booked out every day from the moment it opened, and the network has grown to 10 SHOTLABs across Tasmania. Every time a new venue opens, Swisherr gains 50- 100 new members.

"Codes for the keypad sometimes got shared, so we didn’t have full control over access. We knew we had to find a smarter access solution.”

The Solution

Members access the SHOTLAB via an access code. When Swisherr first started, each SHOTLAB had a keypad where members entered “ the code they had been sent. But this approach was not scalable or secure enough as Swisherr grew. “Codes sometimes got shared” explains David, “so we didn’t have full control over access. It was workable for the first 25 or so members”, explains David, “but we soon found ourselves at 200, then 400. We knew we had to find a smarter access solution.”

David’s research led him to SALTO, and to their Tasmanian agent, Kaleb Lehman of Securatech. “The SALTO system was exactly what we needed”, says David. “We use the SALTO KS solution to send members a digital key, straight to their phone. It makes access easy for the member, and at the same time keeps the venues secure.” The SALTO system is integrated with the Swisherr membership and booking app, and the process of sending out digital keys is fully automated. SALTO’s installation partner, Kaleb Lehman of Securatech has played an important part in Swisherr’s success: “We’ve now got a ‘cookie-cutter’ approach to new venues”, explains David. “We have three contractors - one for walls and lighting, one for floors and Kaleb for all the technology. It means that once we’ve identified a site and signed a lease, we can have a SHOTLAB up and running in a week. Kaleb has not only solved every technical issue we’ve had, but has improved our business model with his advice and insights.”

"Securatech has not only solved every technical issue we’ve had, but has improved our business model with his advice and insights.”

Key Benefits

Scalability

being able to manage acess remotely has enabled Swisherr to open new venues faster, further afield and with minimal need for on-site staff. “I can see everything remotely from my desk”, says David. “I can remotely open a SHOTLAB - I don’t have to drive across the state. That makes a massive difference to our rate of growth.”

Integration

being able to integrate SALTO with the membership and booking app is a ‘game-changer’ for Swisherr. “It really transforms who we can sell to and when”, says David

Better member experience

the joining process for new members is smoother and faster - with a fully automated process, members get their digital key as soon as they join, and can be using a SHOTLAB almost instantaneously

Expanding to non-members

Swisherr can now also offer non-members access to SHOTLAB too. Casual users can book a SHOTLAB timeslot using the Swisherr app, and via SALTO, receive a temporary digital key that gives them access for only the time they have booked

Efficiency

being able to manage access remotely

Foundations for a franchise model

having a templated, repeatable installation model means that David, Mark and Anthony Stewart have their sights firmly set on taking Swisherr from its Tasmanian roots out to the wider wold. “There are squash courts everywhere”, says David, “just waiiting to be turned into SHOTLABS. Swisherr is an ideal opportunity for any former pros wanting to get a coaching business up and running.”

"Working with SALTO and Securatech was a great decision and has made all the difference to the success of Swisherr and our SHOTLABs.”

Are you looking for a simple, secure and cost-effective access control solution for your facility? Please contact SECURATECH for more information.

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