When Elizabeth Oliveras opened Burbujas Swim School in Puerto Rico, she didn't expect spots to fill up almost immediately. "From day one, those spots filled up close to capacity," she says. What did surprise her was how fast the administrative load grew — unanswered WhatsApp messages, unidentified payments, and notebooks full of information that only existed in her memory.
A Mission That Goes Beyond the Sport
Burbujas teaches swimming safely and joyfully, for children and adults of all ages. In Puerto Rico — an island surrounded by beaches and rivers — Elizabeth doesn't see it as just a sport: "More than fun, it's necessary."
She started giving lessons at clients' homes with a clear goal of eventually having her own space. When she achieved it, growth was immediate. And with that growth came a problem nobody anticipates: how do you manage 40 students, their parents, their payments, and their schedules when you're one person?
Before: Everything Everywhere
Elizabeth is honest about her limitations: "I'm definitely low tech." Not because of age — she's 23 — but by natural preference. "I've always gone for writing things down in a notebook." Her system before Puny was a mix of whatever she had available:
- WhatsApp for messages and coordinating with parents
- A physical notebook for client data
- ATH Móvil to receive payments
- Google Docs when she needed to save something
- Her own memory to connect all of the above
The problem wasn't that any of these tools were bad on their own — it was that they didn't connect to each other. "So many things depended entirely on my memory. And that's not sustainable."
The Payment Problem
One of the most frustrating pain points was ATH Móvil. Without a way to require people to identify themselves, payments would arrive without context:
- People would send payment without adding a note
- Sometimes they'd send the wrong amount
- Sometimes they'd send it to her personal number instead of the business account
- A payment would arrive from someone she didn't recognize
She always figured it out. But always after unnecessary work — checking history, sending messages, verifying one by one. She estimates it happened up to five times a month. "We always caught it, but it took a little extra effort every time."
The Breaking Point
When Burbujas moved into its own space and started receiving a high volume of inquiries, Elizabeth was also starting graduate school. Two big things at the same time.
"It was pretty overwhelming. And I had to find a way to improve this, to minimize the time, because I wasn't going to be able to serve my clients well or keep up with my academic responsibilities."
She had tried other options: doing everything manually (not sustainable), attempting more complex websites (never finished them, never liked them enough to publish). "I'm not going to publish something I don't even understand myself. How am I going to help a client if I can't figure it out either?"
How She Uses Puny Today
Today Elizabeth uses Puny in two main ways, and each one solves a specific problem she had before.
Intake forms. Before having any conversation with a potential client, she sends them a Puny link with an intake form. It captures the key details upfront, and then she sends them all relevant information based on their profile.
"Before it was a flood of different questions that could drag on for days. Now the most important details reach them from the start, and if someone wants to enroll, the process is already clear."
The private shop. This is her favorite move — and the smartest one. Burbujas has a shop on Puny, but it's not public. Only people who have the link can access it. It doesn't show up in any search or on her Instagram profile.
When it's time to renew class packages, she simply shares the link in the parents' WhatsApp group. The shop asks for the student's name and phone number. They pay. Automatic confirmation. Done.
The shop also requires clients to identify themselves when paying, which completely eliminated the unidentified payment problem she had with ATH Móvil.
And since her groups are small — three kids of similar ages and skill levels — keeping the shop private lets her control the logistics. "We don't just distribute spots and groups randomly. There's a system behind it. That private shop gives me that control."
Two Services, One Link
Before opening her own space, Elizabeth used Puny in a simpler but equally strategic way: a link in her Instagram bio with information about Burbujas — swim lessons and lifeguard services.
"Sometimes I'd send the link to someone asking about lifeguard services. If they didn't know we also offered swim lessons, they'd see it right there. And students came from that."
One link that served as both a sales tool and a marketing tool at the same time.
"Before Puny, the business was just starting. Now we're running."
The Results
- Less than half the time spent managing payments and renewals
- Zero confusion about who paid what
- Repetitive questions dropped significantly
- Clients receive complete information from the first contact
- Looks more professional to clients
- Went from ten different tools to three
"There's always a worry that something is out of order. Now it's much less. Much less."
Who She'd Recommend Puny To
"Mainly small business owners who are just starting and looking for ways to simplify everything. But I see it being useful for a lot of things — you don't necessarily need to run a school."
And for anyone still on the fence: "If you're looking for something simple, effective, local to Puerto Rico — I recommend it a hundred percent. Especially if you're just starting out, this is a great option to begin with."
What changed most for Elizabeth was simple: saving steps. She didn't need a perfect or complex solution. She needed something that worked, was easy to understand, and would grow with her. At 23 years old, with 40 students, graduate school, and a swim school still running at full capacity — it sounds like she found it.
Does your business still depend on your memory? Get started free on Puny and discover how many steps you can skip.
