06.16.09
Posted in Business Builders, Direct Debit, Growing Membership at 10:36 am by matt
At PeopleHub, we service several different business types, but as specialists in recurring, direct debit type payments, it is usually subscription based services or clubs which have the greatest need for our products. We refer to these businesses as membership businesses and while they operate in different fields and service different demographics, the successful membership businesses share a common set of qualities.
Membership businesses are generally built around the following concepts:
- There is a common purpose or interest bringing a group of people (for example sailing, breeding canaries, sport or reading)
- Members are willing to pay an ongoing fee to be part of this group
- Members are provided with some material which identifies them as part of the group (for example a shirt, badge, certificate or piece of equipment).
We’ve been fortunate to speak to a number of successful membership organisations over the past 5 years and the list below describes the key activities they’ve undertaken to build their memberships from 1 member to thriving communities.
- Identify the key common needs of the group and go out of your way to deliver on those needs. Successful membership organisations are not built over night, but the fundamental element of any successful organisation or club is that they have identified the key, common need of the membership base and they deliver on it. Remember people don’t have to be part of your club, so unless you are delivering on that thing that made them become a member in the first place – they will leave.
- Provide a group identity – this is important whether you are a football group or a member of an exclusive club. Members like to be recognised by other members and other people who share their interest. A strong form of membership identity whether it be clothing (an AFL club), a membership card (a golf club) or some other trinket that provides an identity for the club or membership organisation (for instance BNI provides a badge and business card holder) is a common element in all the successful membership organisations we have observed.
- Reduce the barriers to entry – The goal of most (and I use the word most rather than all) membership organisations is to grow their membership base. Quite simply, the more members a club has, the greater its resources to fulfil the common needs of the group. Make it easy to sign up for club, collect an ongoing subscription fee rather than a large upfront fee and reduce the time taken to process an application.
We will add to this list of the upcoming months, but would love to hear your thoughts on growing a membership business or club. What strategies have you implemented, what worked and what didn’t.
Also if you have any questions about PeopleHub and how our direct debit and billing solutions can assist your club, please do not hesitate to contact us.
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06.10.09
Posted in Direct Debit at 1:37 pm by matt
Ok, by popular demand I am posting a series of questions we are regularly asked through the various forums and communities we operate in. This is by no meas an exhaustive list. Please feel free to post any further questions or comments and we’ll answer them where we can.
Q. How long has PeopleHub been in business?
A. PeopleHub has been helping businesses around Australia for 5 years now. During that time, our systems and procedures have been refined to give your business “MORE TIME, MORE MONEY AND MORE FLEXIBILITY.”
Q. I need a custom report for my business, can PeopleHub develop them?
A. Yes, we will gladly develop any additional reports you require at a small charge. These reports will be automatically sent to you at the intervals required by your business.
Q. I’m not really technically minded, how can PeopleHub help me with this?
A. PeopleHub’s online system has been built with you in mind. You want to be up and running quickly, without having to read large user manuals. If you are experiencing any problems getting started, simply call PeopleHub and we will step you through setting up your first 10 customers. We guarantee you will become an expert in PeopleHub Online within a week of using the system.
Q. Can I change payment and customer detail for individual customers?
A. Yes it is a simple process through PeopleHub Online to make these alterations. You can debit accounts on any working day and at whatever intervals agreed to with your customer. All changes through PeopleHub Online are made instantaneously.
Q. Can I alter a customer’s payment terms or payment schedule?
A. Yes, PeopleHub provides you with a simple editing feature that will allow you to change the payment amounts, edit a single payment within the schedule or skip one or more payments. We are committed to giving you MORE TIME and through our online system you can manage these alterations easily and simply.
If the contract between you and your customer changes however, you may need to complete a new direct debit form.
Q. When do I receive my funds from PeopleHub?
A. PeopleHub clears funds to your account daily. The basic clearance rules are as follows:
- Payments collected on Monday – clear to your account on Friday
- Payments collected on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday – clear to your account the following Monday
- Payments collected on Friday – clear to your account the following Tuesday.
At any time, you can log into PeopleHub and get live status updates on your payments. Every time PeopleHub deposits funds into your account, you will receive an email containing the payment details as well as having the same reports posted to your secure PeopleHub payment site.
Q. What happens if a payment fails?
A. PeopleHub will notify you immediately through our failed payment report. You will receive an email detailing the customer, reason for failure, how many times the customer has failed in the past and their contact details for immediate follow-up. We can also notify your customer of the failure through our SMS facility.
Q. Do You Charge for Defaults and Payment Failures?
A. No, there are no additional fees when a payment fails. At PeopleHub you will only pay your standard 88c transaction fee giving you more money to spend on your business.
Q. Can PeopleHub integrate with my membership software?
PeopleHub has a strong development area and have published a programming interface that will allow your software to integrate seamlessly with our payment system. You will be able to update customer details and payment information in your membership software and it will be automatically updated in PeopleHub.
Q . What kind of reports will I receive from PeopleHub?
A. PeopleHub will email you important reports such as out “Payment Summaries” which provide detailed information on the deposit PeopleHub has made to your account and “Failed Payment Summaries” that detail the reason why a customer’s payments have failed.
All reports are sent in a printable format as well as in a spreadsheet so you can also run your own analysis. All reports are sent daily.
Q. How quickly can I get my PeopleHub account set-up
A. We can have you set-up and ready to commence payment processing within 24 hours.
Q. Can PeopleHub automatically send out payment reminders to my customers?
A. PeopleHub can send both email and SMS reminders to your customers letting them know their payment is about to be made. No only does this give your customer peace of mind, it also reduces the chances of your customer’s payment defaulting – saving you time and your customer from incurring fees from their bank.
Q. Do I have to pay any set-up costs to get my clients on your file?
A. No, if you are creating customers in our system, you will never have to pay a set-up fee. We will simply provide you with our easy to use online system and you create the customer file. PeopleHub will only charge a small fee to enter the form at your request, otherwise it is FREE.
We always welcome your quesitons – if there is anything we have missed, please do not hesitate to contact us for further clarification.
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