Direct Debit Blog

First impressions count.

Being punctual for a job interview. Offering a firm handshake at the start of a meeting. Checking your teeth for stray spinach before a blind date.

These memorable manners in the real world are just as important when it comes to email etiquette.

As a subscription-based business, welcoming new subscribers with effective and enticing emails is a crucial component of your marketing plan.

Make a fantastic first impression during the first steps of the customer journey and your database will thank you for it in the long-run.

The demands of the digital age and the growing expectations of your customers mean your business needs to be offering a slick, modern payment system.

With one in place, you can take payments online quickly, easily and safely.

Without one, you risk losing out to the more tech-savvy competition.

Giving customers choice when it comes to parting with their cash is an increasingly important part of any business strategy. They want to pay you quickly and conveniently, with the peace of mind that their transaction is secure.

Continuing to rely on old-fashioned methods will soon start to eat into your retention rates, as well as your profits.

The solution is to accept payments online.

If you run a club, guild or society that charges regular membership fees then you’ll know that using Direct Debit is the most efficient method to collect recurring payments.

Direct Debit offers a whole host of benefits from helping with cash flow to reducing admin time. But do you know who the best third-party provider is of this tried and tested money collection service?

Read on to find out why FastPay is the best choice for your club’s Direct Debit.

For clubs and societies, managing membership fees is an unavoidable – and often unenviable - part of the job.

Whether you have a dedicated treasurer or accounts team, or are personally responsible for collecting regular payments, it can be a challenging chore.

While some members prefer to pay by debit or credit card, others like to write a cheque or even pay you in cash at meet-ups. This results in a payment puzzle that can confuse your cash flow and baffle your balance sheet.

Back in 1760, the Industrial Revolution marked the beginning of the Industrial Age. Fast forward to the 1950s-1970s and the Digital Revolution kickstarted the period we’re currently in, known as the Information Age, Digital Age, Computer Age or New Media Age.

We’re experiencing first-hand an exciting time where traditional industry has been replaced by a continually evolving digital, knowledge-based industry. New technologies, device and software applications are conceived, developed and launched on a daily basis.

In the UK today, 90% of households are connected to the internet and 86% of adults use it daily. And according to recent research, 85% of Brits own a smartphone and 78% have a laptop. Schools are now educating our children using the latest gadgets, with technology used for an estimated 58% of learning time. And 84% of UK businesses have internet access, with 82% of micro-enterprises (0 to 9 employees) being online.

Running a membership organisation comes with a raft of responsibilities, not least of which is collecting fees from numerous individuals.

Whether you manage a database of thousands or dozens, processing these regular fees might be causing a few headaches.

Maybe you rely on accepting membership payments via a combination of cash, cheques and card payments: a recipe for admin hassle and inconvenience.

A guild or club treasurer has an important role. They’re responsible for handling the money side of things and ensuring that the club runs efficiently.

There are a number of potential financial issues a club treasurer might come up against. In this article we highlight what eight of those problems might be and explain how to solve them.

Another supermarket trip, another assault on the senses by brands, brands and more brands.

Eager to persuade you to reach up and move their product from shelf to trolley, every packet, bottle and tin is clamouring for your attention.

So why exactly do you always reach for the PG Tips or the Persil?

Loyalty.

Over time, you’ve been convinced that these are the only tea bags for you. You trust them to produce the perfect cup of tea. You’re not sure if the own-label washing liquid will make your whites quite as sparkling white. You trust your chosen brand to work wonders in your washing machine.

When it comes to building loyalty within a club or society, the principles are the same. Meet expectations, create perceived value and develop an attachment.

Once you have your members’ trust, they’ll be coming through your doors time and time again.

Here we explore five ways to build this loyal member base to ensure it goes from strength to strength.

The wonderful thing about humans is that we’re all different and love to partake in varied and interesting hobbies.

We could spend our leisure time playing sports, painting with watercolours, dancing salsa or leading boy scout groups. We could choose to meet with others sharing a similar characteristic, such as a club for deaf people, or with those who have the same political outlook. Or we might like playing chess, or discussing the latest books.

Whatever the favoured pastime, clubs and associations are led by passionate and dedicated individuals who enjoy their hobby and want to help bring together others who enjoy it too.

No matter what your preferred leisure pursuit – from martial arts to amateur dramatics – if you’re thinking about starting a club, group, society or association then read on. Below we go into more detail on how to start a club and manage it successfully.

FastPay has been providing clients of all shapes and sizes across the country with an easy-to-set-up, cost effective and efficient Direct Debit service since 2008.

Our many happy clients span numerous industries from schools to IT support, gyms to private healthcare.

We also work with businesses in the equipment leasing sector, including copiersandprinters.co.uk. Read on to find out how setting up a Direct Debit scheme with FastPay helped this equipment leasing company streamline its customer payments, improve cash flow, and save time and money.