ClassKid. Annual Recap (and three big announcements)

What a year at ClassKid! Did you hear the news already?

• ClassKid just raised a $375,000 seed fund at a $2.5M valuation!
• We’re launching a new trial class/marketing product called ClassKid lite.
• Studio Suite is sunset and will go offline on Wed, Feb 1st, 2023.
• We’re adding new, robust billing features (credits system, cash/check payments, weekly and termly billing, customizable fees, and more!).

Keep reading for the full scoop!

— — —

Every once and awhile, a new product comes along that shapes an entire industry and reframes what’s possible.

I’m grateful to have witnessed many of these products in my lifetime — including Apple’s iPhone, Tesla’s self-driving car, and Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas (world’s largest cruise ship).

And while all of this technology is certainly impressive — even remarkable, I get far more excited about the human potential that’s unlocked as a result.

Creating the first SRM (student relationship manager) — what you might call an all-in-one class marketing and class management tool — is a pivotal and challenging initiative for our industry. The vision to build a product that helps kid’s activity centers market and manage their classes is what originally got me excited about building ClassKid, after having launched Studio Suite in 2018 (more on Studio Suite in a moment).

And today, it’s in that same spirit of excitement that I’m grateful to announce we have secured a $375,000 seed fund at a $2.5M valuation — from MVP to venture-backed in less than 7 months!

This funding was lead by industry investment firms, Provident Capital and Sequoia Wealth, as well as a handful of individuals — all of whom I deeply respect. I also need to thank our Founding Advisory Members, Australia Pilot Group participants, and my co-founder — Misty Lown. All of you graciously stepped up in the very beginning to advance our work and this wouldn’t have been possible without your early-stage support. Finally, I need to thank my wife for her undeserved grace, wise counsel, and encouraging support. I’ve been challenged in new ways this year and she has been with me every step.

Of course, we couldn’t just announce a new funding round without also announcing new product updates that will extend what ClassKid can do for you. Yes, this new funding matters, but what matters more is the funding it’ll unlock for you, our customer, as a result.

As you know, in June we launched the full version of ClassKid and we understand now that some of you are waiting for more robust/advanced billing features before you migrate. We also hear you saying that you can’t live without a trial class/marketing solution, like Studio Suite.

So based on your feedback, here are some exciting updates and initiatives that you can expect from us at ClassKid, starting now…

Fill your classes not your to-do list… Introducing, ClassKid Lite

We’ll deploy most of our development resources to trial class/marketing features starting immediately through the end of January. This effort is part of our first initiative — to create a marketing-only version of ClassKid that helps you fill and sell your classes, even if you’re not ready to migrate to our all-in-one tool.

So if you’re looking to replace booking tools like Studio Suite, Acuity, or Calendly, lead generation tools like ClickFunnels or LeadPages, lead management tools like Pipedrive or Keap, or communication tools like Drip or Active Campaign, ClassKid Lite is for you.

Perhaps the best part is that we’re planning to offer ClassKid Lite longterm, so you can easily use it alongside any class management tool to automate and streamline your facility’s marketing, even if you’re not ready for the full version of ClassKid.

— — —

ClassKid Lite (beta) is projected to release to the general public on Wed, Feb 1st, 2023.

• If you’re new to the ClassKid platform or you’re on the waitlist and you want to learn more, book a free, personalized demo with us here.
• If you prepaid and/or already use ClassKid, please register for office hours here (this includes founding advisors and pilot participants).
• Not ready for a demo, but want to stay in the loop? Join the waitlist over at ClassKid.com.

— — —

Studio Suite will stay online until ClassKid Lite is available (but it’s sunset)

If you’re not a Studio Suite user, you can skip this part.

We know that Studio Suite helps you solve a big problem — filling empty spots and classes. That’s why, in tandem with our first initiative, Studio Suite will stay online until ClassKid Lite is available.

However, consistent with our announcement back in June, we’ve “sunset” Studio Suite. This means we’re no longer providing bug fixes, maintenance, or email support. As such, the majority of Studio Suite users have already switched to alternative booking tools like Calendly or Acuity, while they wait to migrate to ClassKid Lite or Enterprise.

On Tues, Jan 17th, we’ll offer a private pre-release for Studio Suite users (past and present). If you’re not ready to make the transition to ClassKid Lite at this time, that’s totally cool! You can hang tight until the public “beta” release, projected for Wed, Feb 1st — after which point you can migrate as quickly or slowly as you’d like.

On Wed, Feb 1st 2023, we’ll begin deleting data and accounts at Studio Suite.

We anticipate this process to be completed within a few days, so even though only a small handful of users still exist at Studio Suite, if that’s you — don’t wait to migrate!

— — —

Studio Suite users (past and present) can migrate to ClassKid Lite (beta) during the private pre-release starting Tues, Jan 17th, 2023.

• If you’re new to the ClassKid platform or you’re on the waitlist and you want to learn more, book a free, personalized demo with us here.
• If you prepaid and/or already use ClassKid, please register for office hours here (this includes founding advisors and pilot participants).
• Not ready for a demo, but want to stay in the loop? Join the waitlist over at ClassKid.com.

— — —

Bill better, faster… Introducing, ClassKid Enterprise

As you probably know, the vision for ClassKid has always been to create a start-to-finish, class marketing and class management system that helps you fill, sell, and run your classes all in one. This means it’d manage every touchpoint in the customer journey — from the initial inquiry to the final show, and every payment, message, attendance, booking, make-up, etc., in between.

That said, some of you told us that you’d need more robust/advanced billing features before you can migrate to the full version of ClassKid — features like the ability to accept cash/check payments, post credits, turn off auto-pay, bill for classes weekly and termly (in addition to monthly), all-inclusive tuition, customizable fees, and more.

So as part of our second initiative, we’re doubling down on adding new billing features starting in March, after “beta” testing for ClassKid Lite is complete.

We’ll also redesign the store to provide a more seamless booking experience for your customers and we’ll add a handful of other enhancements like multi-tasking, a redesigned email/sms builder, and more.

This initiative also includes a new “Express checkout” option which allows parents to book faster, without creating an account. That way it’s easy for you to increase conversions, make more money, and impact more kids in your community.

See our development roadmap and timeline here.

While you’re there, checkout all of the new features we’ve launched since June (packages, subscriptions, discounts, and more!). You can also upvote ideas that are under consideration or submit a totally new idea. We’re all ears and we’d love to hear from you!

Please note: If you already have an account, you have the full version of ClassKid, what we now call “Enterprise”. So new features will show up automatically, no further action required.

— — —

ClassKid Enterprise is projected to be available in April 2023.

• If you’re new to the ClassKid platform or you’re on the waitlist and you want to learn more, book a free, personalized demo with us here.
• If you prepaid and/or already use ClassKid, please register for office hours here (this includes founding advisors and pilot participants).
• Not ready for a demo, but want to stay in the loop? Join the waitlist over at ClassKid.com.

— — —

A special thank you to our customers

We know that ClassKid wouldn’t be where it is today without our customers. Many of you have been with me since the early days at Dance Studio Desk, where I managed the marketing websites, funnels, and Facebook ads for more than 100 studios all over the world. You’ve bought my products, attended my events, and some of you even purchased ClassKid before it launched. As I reflect on the last few years of life and business, just know that I’m truly grateful and humbled by your support.

I’m so excited for all that lies ahead and can’t thank you enough for your early-stage support. If you’ve got an idea for a feature or a way to improve ClassKid, let me know here.

As we move forward into the new year, we’ll continue updating the development roadmap and this post to provide additional clarity. Of course, you can feel free to reach out to me directly if you can’t find the information you’re looking for: austin@classkid.com.

If all else fails and you’re not really sure why you’re still reading this post— be sure to join the ClassKid waitlist here.

Wishing you and your family the merriest and most enjoyable Christmas. Happy Holidays from all of us at ClassKid!

Austin Roberson
Co-Founder/CEO, ClassKid™

— — —

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does ClassKid Lite cost?
We’ll release the pricing for ClassKid Lite closer to launch. For now, you’re welcomed to book a free, personalized demo to learn how it works and get pricing along with a personalized walkthrough.

Can I use my credit/pre-paid plan for ClassKid Lite?
The short answer is yes, you can! However, because we’ve offered a few different deals ahead of our initial launch, please email help@classkid.com to get clarity on usage of your credit/pre-paid plan.

Can I still use Studio Suite? When does it go offline?
Yes, you can still use it but it’s “sunset” so we’re not providing support. It goes offline on Wed, February 1st, 2023. As we’ve already extended the original deadline (Sept 1st) twice, no additional extensions or exceptions will be offered. Please do not wait to migrate from Studio Suite.

How do I know when a specific feature is available?
The easiest way to stay up to date is by opting in for notifications for a specific feature in the development roadmap. To view the roadmap, please go here. When you find a feature you want to track, click on it and prioritize it, then share you email address.

What’s included in ClassKid Lite? How’s it different than ClassKid?
ClassKid Lite is a marketing/trial tool that helps you fill your classes. ClassKid is a start-to-finish, class marketing and class management system that helps you fill, sell, and run your classes all in one. To learn more, book a free personalized demo.

How do I get access to new features?
If you already have an account, that means you have the full version of ClassKid, what we now call “Enterprise”. So new features will automatically show up in your account. If you decide to use ClassKid Lite, you won’t have all features but you can upgrade at anytime.

What if I have a beta account? Should I still use it?
In anticipation of ClassKid being thoroughly tested and fully built out by April 2023, we’ll ultimately retire the beta program completely. This would include full deletion of beta accounts.

What is User Acceptance Testing? Same thing as beta?

User Acceptance Testing (sometimes called beta testing) is a phase of software development in which the software is tested in the real world by the intended audience to make sure it can handle the required tasks in real-life scenarios, while operating according to the original description of how it should work.