As a rodeo software program company, we have worked with many rodeo associations and producers to develop and enhance our software. One of our overriding concepts has been to build in flexibility, not to force an association to “do it our way”, but to let them do their way. We understand rodeo associations have boards of governors, and rule books, and making changes to fit how a software program operates is unlikely to happen. So flexibility means creating software that can be tailored to the needs one association one way and then tailored to the needs of another association in a very different way. Over the years, as we brought on-board our second rodeo association, then our third, then our one-hundred-and-fiftieth, we continue to learn about how associations rules are never the same. Let’s discuss how this applies to charging fees from the association to the competitors.
In the Rodeo Management System, this is found in Members – Manage Admin Fees.
Rodeo Entry Fees
These should be obvious, but still we had a few quick lessons to learn. Enter in event A, pay entry fee A. Enter in event B, pay entry fee B. Simple. What could be more obvious? Well, it turns out the same event, at the finals rodeo, has a different entry fee. That was an urgent scramble, but we made it. Then we learned that at some season rodeos, the entry fees are different. At rodeo A, Barrel Racing is $50, but at Rodeo E, Barrel Racing is $55. Solution, a default price and the ability to override at a specific rodeo.
Per Event Fees
Turns out, entry fees were quite easy to handle. In addition to entry fees, rodeo associations also charge several admin fees which can be charged per each event a competitor enters. These come in many names such as Secretary Fees, Finals Fees. So we build an Admin Fees set up feature. Name your fee and provide the amount. Our programming then applies this to each event entered.
Per Entrant Fees
Some fees are only charged once for each rodeo you enter. So we added to the list of fee types and added the programming to charge a fee once per an entrant to a rodeo. Arena Fees are a good example, enter one event and get charged $5. Enter 3 events and get charged the same total $5. Name the fee and click the box to indicate per entrant.
Per Specific Event Fees
So what about fees for equipment that only some events use? Many associations have a specific fee in place to offset the cost of timer equipment, often called a timer fee. This fee only applies to events using the timer, such as Barrel Racing. So now, name the fee, pick the event it applies to, enter the amount.
Should have everything covered now, right?
Rodeo Specific Fees
Wrong.
These fees can vary at a specific rodeo, or there could be another fee charged at a specific rodeo, such as an indoor arena fee, a gate fee, or anything else. So now, choose the rodeo, choose if it is to be charged for each event, or once per entrant, or specific to an event, enter the amount, save.
Now the challenge is in the programming and how to know what to charge. We sorted through it an made it really simple. Work from the least specific to the most specific. That is, use the default, unless something more specific to the event, or the rodeo, or the event in the rodeo, replaces it.
Conclusion
As we said at the beginning, as a rodeo software program company, we keep learning, and we expect there will be more examples, of how the next rodeo association does it their way. Flexibility in our fees, options, settings helps to accommodate their way.