Customer stories


Dharma Tribe

Creators of management software for Yoga, Pilates, Dance, and Martial Arts studios power their hosted solution with FileMaker Pro 8

Reaching out to the wellness studio industry with a product that meets a fundamental need, Dharma Tribe provides efficient and user-friendly management tools for studio operators. Whether it is a yoga studio, a Pilates center, a dance institute or a martial-arts school, there's a Dharma Tribe application to keep operations running smoothly and efficiently. Operating from headquarters in South Pasadena, California, Dharma Tribe provides software and support for top wellness studios around the world.


Business Challenge

Wellness studios focus their attentions on the health of the body, the mind, and the spirit – but there is also a need to keep an eye on the bottom line. Business operations require the same focus as in any other enterprise – accounts and records need to be kept, client lists must be maintained, contacts must be managed. There is plenty of software out there to manage such functions – but much of it can be cumbersome and intimidating, especially to people who are not necessarily focused on technology. "Many wellness studio owners are laypeople around technologies," comments Dharma Tribe president Stuart Hanna. "They need things to be as simple and straightforward as possible."

That is where Dharma Tribe stands out as a product designed with studio owners in mind – performing a full range of management functions designed especially to meet the needs of wellness studios of all sorts. Moreover, with its hosted version powered by FileMaker Pro 8, the product is easier to use than ever.


Successful Solution

Dharma Tribe's FileMaker Pro hosted solution streamlines studio operation and management functions, allowing clients to track and schedule sessions, monitor students' progress, and effectively market products and services. One-click reporting simplifies sales, attendance, and inventory recordkeeping, and makes it easy for the studio operator, at a glance, to keep ahead of trends. Web access is possible via multiple computers and studio locations, through a simple but secure online interface. "We considered a php model for our hosted solution," Stuart explains, "but FileMaker Pro 8 won out because of its control and versatility."

FileMaker Pro 8 is also a vital tool at Dharma Tribe headquarters – tracking and managing all international prospects, clients, sales, and sales representatives. Up to ten internal databases are in use at the company at any given time, organized into two workgroups. This efficiency allows the company to accomplish a great deal with a small staff.


Customer Benefits

Stuart's relationship with FileMaker Pro goes all the way back to his grad-school days, more than fifteen years ago – and he's used every version of FileMaker since version 3. With plenty of background in FileMaker Pro development and with daily use, he's brimming with enthusiasm for the timesaving new features of FileMaker Pro 8. "FileMaker Pro 8 is the natural and easy progression from FileMaker Pro 7," he says. "Its enhanced features are especially appealing. Our programmers love the new relationship graph!"

Internally, FileMaker Pro 8 makes a daily difference in simplifying contact with the company's worldwide network of sales representatives, minimizing the expenses involved in reporting and communicating. "Using a FileMaker Pro 8 server allows our sales reps in different parts of the globe to add and follow up on sales leads," Stuart continues. "The global community we've created with FileMaker Pro 8 allows us considerable savings. And the PDF Maker feature allows us to send instant invoices with no questions about HTML conversion issues."

End users also benefit. Wellness studio operators enjoy fast, secure online access to their vital information – and FileMaker Pro 8's enhanced features make that process even simpler than ever before. "Our customers are benefiting greatly from the external aspects of FileMaker Pro 8," declares Stuart, "such as the drop-down calendar in the date field, the Excel Maker and PDF Maker features, and the esthetic differences allowed for by the new tab functions. FileMaker Pro 8 is easier to use, easier to develop – all in all, it's a super product!"


"Using a FileMaker Pro 8 server allows our sales reps in different parts of the globe to add and follow up on sales leads. The global community we've created with FileMaker Pro 8 allows us considerable savings. And the PDF Maker feature allows us to send instant invoices with no questions about HTML conversion issues."

Stuart Hanna, President, Dharma Tribe



Contact information

Contact Info for Customer:

Stuart Hanna
President
Dharma Tribe
626-205-3738/888-729-4040
stuart@dharmatribe.com
http://www.dharmatribe.com


Filemaker Contact:

Kevin Mallon
Public Relations Manager
FileMaker Inc.
408-987-7227
kevin_mallon@filemaker.com
http://www.filemaker.com


Overview
  • Creators of software specifically designed for the management of yoga, Pilates, dance, and martial-arts studios.
  • Based in South Pasadena, CA
  • Approximately 5 employees
Industry
  • Small Business
Solutions
  • FileMaker Pro 8 powers the hosted version of the Dharma Tribe product, and provides vital internal information management functions for the company itself.
Benefits
  • Hosted FileMaker Pro 8 solution greatly simplifies system for non-technology oriented wellness studio owners
  • FileMaker Pro 8 provides simplified round-the-world management of prospects, clients, and sales leads
  • PDF Maker function simplifies invoicing process, eliminating formatting conflicts and HTML issues