News

CrossFit takes off in Ringwood with help from Debitsuccess

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 12:25:53 +1200

It’s become one of the most popular new fitness programmes of the last decade, inspiring a devoted following from fans across the world. Now, in the Melbourne suburb of Ringwood, one of the very first clubs in the city to start running the CrossFit programme exclusively, is growing its membership and expanding with help from Debitsuccess.

Since the CrossFit programme was founded in the US in 2000, its popularity has exploded with reportedly more than 6,100 gyms and fitness clubs globally now running CrossFit programmes in 2013.

CrossFit is an intense strength and conditioning programme that incorporates several varieties of exercise, but focusing on aerobics, gymnastics and weight lifting. CrossFit sessions are traditionally done in a group, and tend to be short, but require demanding, non-stop physical activity, with ever-changing combinations of workout elements, called WODs (Workout of the Day.)

CrossFit Ringwood’s owner and head coach, Tristan Nardella – himself a longtime enthusiast and certified CrossFit trainer – explains why the unique programme has attracted such passionate commitment from participants, both in Melbourne and around the world.

“A key principle of the CrossFit philosophy is to physically prepare people for whatever life might throw at them. This gives a CrossFit club a totally different feel to a regular gym, because you are challenged to push yourself beyond your limits and meet that challenge head on.

“What’s more, all CrossFit training takes place in a group, rather than individuals training alone on equipment. It’s this ‘community’ aspect which really makes it such a draw card, in my opinion, because working together inspires people to achieve more,” says Tristan.

“By training in CrossFit with a likeminded set of fellow members, you are simultaneously competing against them, as well as receiving support and motivation from the community. This forms a big part of the experience, and builds a very strong camaraderie between participants.”

Building a strong and growing club has always been a key goal for Tristan. So, for the last two years, CrossFit Ringwood has been utilizing the services of Debitsuccess for managing the growing memberships of CrossFit participants. Tristan says that he wouldn’t have been able to grow his club as much as it has without them.

“I am very happy with how Debitsuccess has helped with my club management. Their service has provided me with a solid basis for expanding and growing the business.”

Tristan says that when he started out, he was taking cash payments from most members, which was taking up a significant amount of time and administration. He tried a number of systems before starting with Debitsuccess, and found their systems to be the ideal solution.

“It’s a huge weight off my shoulders to see all the funds that were automatically collected be deposited into our business account at the same time every month, so we can focus on providing the best CrossFit training experience for our members,” he says.

“We are very mindful about being sustainable, so the fact that the Debitsuccess Direct Entry system for signing up new members is completely paperless is something we greatly appreciate. It’s great not to work from an office and be inundated with paperwork at your desk.”

“I would recommend Debitsuccess to any CrossFit club looking to set up payment plans for club memberships. It’s easy to use, and they are able to provide you with fast reporting and customer service so any problems can be sorted out quickly.”

Tristan is now getting ready for the next wave of interest in CrossFit, which he is anticipating following the regional CrossFit Games which were held in Wollongong in late May.

“This event was completely sold out, which goes to show just how much momentum is building around CrossFit in this country. We’ll be looking to run workouts at our club like the ones that were done at the games because people will want to see how they stack up.”

For more information about how Debitsuccess can help your club with sign-ups and billing of memberships, visit www.debitsuccess.com.au/services

Debitsuccess Clients and Staff Step into the Wild

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 11:50:21 +1200

On Thursday April 18, a group of Debitsuccess staff and clients met down at the Darling Harbour dock in Sydney for an intrepid journey for the annual Debitsuccess FILEX dinner. Anticipation for the event had built following the invitation to ‘Step into the Wild’ and we were not disappointed.

The adventure started as we piled onto a boat that set off through the beautifully calm waters of Sydney Harbour and made our way under the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge and passed the iconic Sydney Opera House. For much of the way, we were flanked by seagulls flying alongside the boat, perhaps giving a hint of what was to come, as we made our way to the Taronga Zoo situated on the harbour waterfront.

On arriving at the zoo at the base of the hill, we filed slowly onto gondola carriages that carried us six at a time over the treetops of the zoo, treating us to a spectacular view of the Sydney lights. A short wander through the labyrinthine paths of the Taronga Zoo eventually brought us to the venue, which also overlooked the softly glowing lights of the city – a perfect location for socialising and getting to know colleagues and clients in the Debitsuccess network.

Following the delicious entrée and main courses, the high point of the night came with a presentation by Shaun Quincey, Debitsuccess New Zealand’s Business Development Manager, about the remarkable journey he undertook in 2010 where he rowed across the Tasman Sea in 54 days.

Attendees were riveted by every detail of Shaun’s vivid tale, especially the moments when we heard how his boat was capsized by monster waves and blown so far off course that it took several days to row back on course. It was an inspiring reminder to all of the power of perseverance and never giving up in the face of life’s challenges.

As the dinner came to a close and we piled on to the buses waiting to take us back to the city, the night had only just begun for some, with celebrations of another successful year for Debitsuccess and our clients continuing well into the wee hours of the morning at several of the fine establishments surrounding Darling Harbour.

A thoroughly enjoyable night was had by all, and we’ll look forward to seeing more clients at our next event in Auckland later this year.

Debitsuccess stands out at Health & Fitness Expo

Fri, 31 May 2013 10:13:18 +1200

This year’s Australian Fitness and Health Expo was touted as the largest exhibition of its kind to ever be staged in Australia, featuring over 300 exhibitors from 11 countries, covering every imaginable aspect of the health and fitness business over the 20,000 square metres of the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre.

The Expo is without doubt the ‘must-attend’ event of the year for businesses operating in a variety of ways in the health and fitness industry, and with over 80% of Debitsuccess’ clients coming from this space, it’s the prime location for connecting with potential new industry clients as well as displaying the brand to the general public. It was also the perfect opportunity to speak to existing clients and keep them abreast of updates to our products and services.

This year, the newly designed Debitsuccess stand had prominent placement in one of the main thoroughfares of Hall 5 at the Exhibition Centre, and featured a large plasma TV screen where Debitsuccess staff could show visitors demos of the Online Management Gateway and Clubware in the cloud software.

With attendee numbers at this year’s Expo reaching a record 34,000 people over the three days, it was not surprising that the Debitsuccess team that staffed the stand were kept very busy. With the extra incentive of a raffle with the chance to win an iPad Mini, there were very few moments when the team were not engaging with attendees and securing new business leads.

Three days is a long time for anyone to stand in one location and talk to people for hours on end about billing service solutions, but several Debitsuccess staff stepped up and made sure that a bright smiling face was available at the stand for a chat at all times. Our thanks go especially to Margaret Weller, Laura Risbrook, Bev Moody, Karl Margrain, Ashley Simmonds, Alex Trollope and Tim Hutchison for their tireless work over the weekend.

With next year’s Expo due to make its way to Melbourne for the first time, we are looking forward to continuing our involvement with this event and building on our success in this industry in even bigger and better ways into the future.

Debitsuccess keeps PGA Members in the swing

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +1300

It is quite common today to pay your insurance premiums by the month, gym fees by the week, and dozens of others regular payments.

The attraction for many consumers is that they find it easier to manage their budgets by not having to pay annual fees all at once.

Professional Golfers can now join that group. The Professional Golfers Association of Australia (PGA) is providing its 2,500 Members with the option of flexible, regular membership payments. By utilising industry-leading direct debit initiator, Debitsuccess, PGA Members can now specify their own payment method, with fortnightly and monthly payments as an option.

Stuart Hergt, General Manager Corporate Services for the PGA, says that the greatest benefit of the Debitsuccess payment software is the flexibility offered to its Members.

"With so many Members across Australia and the world - many of whom are paying different amounts - the ability for Debitsuccess to work dynamically and autonomously has been impressive. It's terrific for Members to spread their fees out at a relatively low cost," said Mr Hergt.

One of Debitsuccess' unique features is an integrated capacity for declined payment follow-up and the associated debt collection. Since establishing Debitsuccess as its payment provider, the PGA has noticed a marked difference, with the outsourcing of the collections process alleviating a great deal of stress from their internal duties.

Mr Hergt is also buoyed by Debitsuccess' simple set up and ease of use. "The software has been extremely easy to use and navigate. The initial training was comprehensive - It covered everything we needed to know," he said.

"Debitsuccess is by far the most useful payment processing system we have used. Flexibility is key for us and essential for our Members, making the payment process smoother for everyone," Mr Hergt said.

For more information about Debitsuccess and how it can help your business succeed with customer payment solutions call 1300 473 463.

Debitsuccess makes business easier for Holmesglen, fee payment more flexible for students

Sat, 01 Dec 2012 15:31:12 +1300

It's no revelation that tertiary education students are notoriously cash-strapped, owing their struggles to a lack of financial security. The pressures associated with having to pay school fees, purchase text books whilst funding living and accommodation expenses makes the student life a challenging one.

However, when school fees aren't paid on time, it's not just the student that is inconvenienced - non-payment is also a significant burden for education centres.

Fortunately, Holmesglen Institute of TAFE has found an alternative to payment struggles. By embracing the Debitsuccess direct debit billing platform, the 53,000 student centre has incentivised students by enabling them to make regular fee payments.

Holmesglen's finance manager, Susan O'Brien, says that Debitsuccess is extremely important to the institution and provides essential support to the finance team.

"Debitsuccess has become an important part of the business. Not only does it lessen our workload but it helps the students to stay on top of their fees, allowing them to choose a manageable payment plan that suits their individual financial situation," Ms O'Brien said.

The Debitsuccess billing platform enables customers to allocate their own billing schedule to suit their needs. Rather than paying in one lump sum, Holmesglen students can arrange for their fees to be withdrawn weekly, fortnightly or monthly. On the scheduled day, the student's credit card is automatically debited.

"Many of our students are young and taking out a big loan to pay fees is very daunting, so being able to manage their fees with Debitsuccess alleviates some of the stress and encourages them to chip away at tuition on their own terms," Ms O'Brien said.

A significant point of difference between Debitsuccess and many other direct debit solutions is an integrated credit control offering, making them the only full-service payment processor in Australasia. Should a customer payment be dishonoured, Debitsuccess will contact the payee by phone, SMS, email and standard post. If unsuccessful following three cycles of this communication, Debitsuccess will refer the account to a debt collection firm with the authority of Holmesglen.

Ms O'Brien says that Holmesglen will need to hire extra staff in order to deliver an equivalent service to that of Debitsuccess.

"The credit control facility is a critical support asset of Debitsuccess and integral to the running of Holmesglen. We don't have the staff to perform follow ups or chase clients to the extent that Debitsuccess can provide," Ms O'Brien said.

The call centre and Debitsuccess team also provide invaluable support to customers; both Holmesglen and its students can seek payment advice and assistance from Debitsuccess' highly-trained call centre team.

"We are always impressed by the call centre operators. Problems are solved quickly and easily, taking the strain away from staff at Holmesglen," Ms O'Brien said.

The added benefit of 24 hour, 7 day access to customer data via the Debitsuccess website enables the institution to track payment history, future payments and any communication that has been held with a particular customer.

For more information about Debitsuccess and how it can help your business succeed with customer payment solutions visit www.debitsuccess.com.au/services or call 1300 473 463.

SME's that avoid PCI DSS compliance are more vulnerable to data security attacks

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 17:10:36 +1300

Billing solutions company Debitsuccess shares its PCI DSS experience as it secures Level 1 compliance for a second consecutive year.

Australia's leading direct-debit billing solutions company, Debitsuccess, says that small to medium enterprises that don't consider the requirements of the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) are leaving themselves open to potential data security attacks.

PCI DSS is a globally recognised information security standard for organisations that store and transmit cardholder information. The standard was created in 2004 with the collaboration of five major international credit card companies to improve controls around cardholder data with a view to reduce credit card fraud.

Mr Tamuka Nyawo, Group Compliance Manager for Debitsuccess, outlines why it is so important for small and medium size enterprises to obtain PCI DSS compliance as highlighted in an information event co-hosted with the American Chamber of Commerce last month.

"When it comes to electronic data theft, the most vulnerable businesses are those that process less than 20,000 credit card transactions per year. With many of these businesses performing their own self-assessments on credit card transaction security, they are often a prime target for hackers," said Mr Nyawo.

Acknowledging the trend of Australian businesses moving into the e-commerce arena, Mr Nyawo stressed the importance of PCI DSS compliance within the local market.

"If Australian companies want to protect their customer's data, it is vital that they comply with the requirements of PCI DSS - just as we have done for the past two years.

"Although Debitsuccess does not currently process the number of credit and debit card transactions that would mandate an external assessment to accredit PCI DSS compliance, we have done so to protect the organisations with whom we work.

"Debitsuccess handles billing for more than 1,200 businesses, making us one of the largest full service direct debit initiators in Australasia, so we take our data security very seriously," said Mr Nyawo.

Mr Nyawo says while there is a significant amount of work undertaken prior to the assessment, maintaining the PCI DSS compliance status is an ongoing process that requires constant vigilance.

"As well as reinforcing staff awareness of the importance of PCI DSS compliance for the business, we have also initiated monthly tests of our systems to ensure that they are watertight in terms of compliance with the Level 1 accreditation," he said.

Roger Greyling, an experienced security consultant from Security-Assessment.com, was the Qualified Security Assessor that undertook the external report on compliance carried out at Debitsuccess in 2012. He says that Debitsuccess is a leading example of a company that is fulfilling its PCI DSS obligations.

"After initial due diligence, Debitsuccess decided to seek Level 1 compliance under the new 'version 2.0' standard, which was not a compulsory requirement at the time. It is now one of just a few companies in Australia to meet the latest version 2.0 requirements," said Mr Greyling.

For more information about Debitsuccess, visit www.debitsuccess.com.au/services or call 1300 473 463.

Silver success again for Debitsuccess at annual CRM Contact Centre Awards

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 17:07:53 +1300

Payment solutions company Debitsuccess has secured a Silver award in the ‘Outbound Business to Consumer Calling’ category at the annual CRM Contact Centre Awards, once again punching above its weight against some industry titans.

The competition, now in its 15th year, was established as a means of providing an annual snap-shot of how New Zealand Contact Centres are responding to customer enquiries over the telephone and Internet. The quality of the customer experience provided over the phone by the entrant companies is analysed, with transparent criteria that recognises industry best practice.

This is the second time that Debitsuccess has entered this event and their second Silver award in a field of entrants that included big banks, international telcos and other companies that specialise in outbound calling.

Laurie Smith, Director of CRM Consulting which organizes the event, said “It’s great to see Debitsuccess fare so well against some of the traditional call centre heavyweights. The payment collections space is a tough one, but as this award demonstrates, the true professionalism of their agents and operations made a great impression on the judges.”

“Debitsuccess was the only collections operation to feature with the judges, who were impressed with the call centre agents’ tenacity whilst also remaining empathetic to both the customer and client needs,” says Smith.

Smith said Debitsuccess ran close runners up in the category to the Diamond Award winner Telecom, and Gold Award winner Lantern Insurance, which places them alongside some of the country’s highest performing companies in Business to Consumer calling.

Operations Manager for Debitsuccess, Wayne Pointon, says he is thrilled with the win, which he credits wholly to the cohesion, energy and efficiency that he says is generated and nurtured every day at the call centre by the operations team.

“Working in a call centre can come with its share of stress, but we work hard to build an atmosphere of trust so that the centre is also a fun place for staff to be,” says Pointon.

“The professional customer service and credit control elements of our full service billing solution are what set Debitsuccess apart from competitors in the direct debiting space.”

The Debitsuccess contact centre is staffed by 80 professional agents who handle up to 3,000 incoming calls and over 2,000 email and fax enquiries per day, while making over 3,000 outgoing calls to customers.

Annually, Debitsuccess initiates over 18 million transactions for more than 1,200 businesses across Australasia.

For more information about how Debitsuccess can help your business with customer service and payment processing, visit www.debitsuccess.com.au/services, or call 1300 473 463.

Becoming a Part of the Small Group Training Movement

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 14:57:08 +1300

Small Group Functional Training (SGFT) is becoming the next big movement in the Australian and New Zealand fitness industry.

Trainers and coaches in the sporting field have been using functional training methods on athletes for years, but it is only in the last two to three years that it has become prominent in the fitness industry. Now that it has arrived, many experts believe it is going to reshape the industry altogether.

Industry veteran and Filex Keynote speaker, Thomas Plummer, claimed during his recent Filex speech that SGFT is the most dynamic change for the industry in the past 30 years. His statement was justified by recent developments in the USA.

Now that the 24-hour club phenomenon has reached its peak, the most common new model of clubs opening in America (typically two to five years ahead of the Australia and New Zealand industry) are Small Group Training Facilities.

There are new independent models (Frank Nash Training Systems), franchise models (Orange Theory and Kosoma, the same founder as SNAP Fitness), Cross-Fit models, and outdoor models opening up across the States at an incredible rate.

Australia is following suit with new SGFT Facilities increasing in numbers by the day.

As a result, suppliers are now stocking up on Functional Training equipment, education providers are creating SGFT events (Fitness Network have just hosted their first Small Group Training Summit in October this year, and existing big box clubs are reviewing how SGFT can work within their facility.

After witnessing the changes in America, listening to Thomas Plummer’s Filex presentations and experiencing this training approach at the Small Group Training Facility in Brisbane I attend, I decided it was time to join the movement and launch SGFT in the regional QLD market that we operate Voyage Fitness.

The Benefits of SGFT

Before launching, our team researched the key benefits of SGFT. We talked with SGFT facility owners and industry experts, and were told of some clear benefits for both the club and the member.

For the SGFT members, the benefits in comparison to regular training or gym models included:

• Increased member engagement, due to motivation and camaraderie created from training with a team and receiving one on one feedback from a coach during SFGT workouts

• Increased member results. The High Intensity Interval Workouts (typical of SGFT) have been scientifically proven to be more effective with fat loss from higher calorie expenditure during workout and increased resting metabolic rate after workout, than regular low intensity cardio and weights routine

• Increased performance and functionality in member’s day to day life and active hobbies through greater mobility, flexibility, strength and balance gained from SGFT.

• Increased enjoyment due to the variety of exercises and the need to master skills to complete the exercises.

For the SGFT owners the key benefits included:

• Higher valued membership (members willing to pay 3 or 4 times the regular gym membership rate)

• Higher retention rate, due to highly engaged and satisfied members

• Lower costs to set up due to minimalistic equipment required for SGFT facilities

• Greater member capacity than one-on-one PT set up for trainers and the club

THE DIFFERENT SGFT MODELS

After determining these simple and significant benefits, we started to look at the different models of SGFT.

We needed to work out whether we should set up a separate side business for SGFT, or integrate SGFT into the club.

After scouting the industry, there seemed to be a few common models.

Cross Fit Club – A phenomenon around the world at the moment. Reaching personal bests in varied workouts including power lifts, gymnastics, functional movements and intense cardio intervals. Fees are typically $40 to $50 a week. Cross Fit requires trainers to undertake accreditation courses and requires commitment and effort from members. Cross Fit clubs are almost always stand alone clubs. The sizes vary, but tend to be 50 to 300 member facilities.

Fitness Training Facilities – The club I attend in Brisbane falls under this category. Small Group Training timetables include Strength and Conditioning, High Interval Training, Metabolic Training, Boxing, Postural, Cross-Fit style classes in typically smaller 300m2 facilities. Memberships include unlimited classes, access to primarily free weights and functional equipment (minimal cardio/machine weights). The key to successful Fitness Training Facilities are the quality of training programs and quality of trainers, because these businesses depend on the quality of their member’s results. A Fitness Training Facility charging three to four times that of a low service 24-hour club, need only retain a 250 membership base to generate the same revenue as a 24-hour facility with a 750 to 1000 membership base. Secondary revenue comes from one-on-one PT, supplements and regular challenges such as Strongman and 8 week programs. A variation of this model is the increasingly popular MMA clubs - similar size and training philosophy with the addition of MMA training.

The SGFT Upsell - City Fitness in New Zealand has recently launched Training Zones within some of their facilities. The Training Zone includes TRX, Boxmaster and Cross Fit training, which are charged at an additional rate on top of regular membership fees. The idea of the move by City Fitness was to deliver a program that catered for the public that wanted something different, or more than just a gym membership. City Fitness gyms are large 1000m2 plus facilities with 1000 plus members. The target of this model is to upsell a portion of the membership base, and attracts a new market attracted to the SGFT style of training.

The Group Fitness Add On – A number of independent clubs have created a selection of SGFT classes as part of their group fitness timetable such as kettle bell classes, TRX classes, the new Les Mills GRIT class and other functional training classes. There is no extra charge to the membership with this model. The club’s view SGFT as another way to increase value to the membership. As a result, SGFT helps sell more memberships and keeps members for a longer period of time.

THE DECISION

Our existing club is a medium sized 600m2 facility with approximately 1050 members in a regional centre with a population of 15,000.

We firstly determined that the population was not quite big enough to operate two fitness models in the one town. There were already 3 other facilities in town, (not including ours) and we didn’t want to risk bleeding our own membership base by setting up a separate SGFT business. On top of this, we would need to take on another lease, pay for a fit out and, most challenging of all, find a new group of competent quality trainers and managers to operate the facility; a common issue in regional centres.

We compared the inclusive as part of group fitness timetable model and the non-inclusive City Fitness model, and determined that with our current membership numbers and space available for SGFT, that the City Fitness model was the most suitable and had the greatest earning potential for our club.

With our SGFT space, we could manage a maximum of 12-14 for a group and estimated averaging 8-10 per class. We decided on upgrade options of $8 DD for one SGFT a week, $15 DD for unlimited and $10 for a casual fee (Figures were decided based on our market being mid-low income earners). With these figures, we only needed 30-40 people, or around 3% of our membership base, to upgrade for us to cover the costs of the trainers planning and taking the sessions. As a worst-case scenario, if we could only manage to upgrade 30 to 40 members, we would still gain some profit from these members staying longer with the club and referring more friends, due to the great experience and results they will enjoy through SGFT.

THE ACTIONS

Once deciding to go ahead, we followed these 14 steps

1. Set price points for upgrades. $8 for one class a week and $20 DD upgrade unlimited and $10 for a casual session. Suitable price increase for our demographic.

2. Set out training model – Kettlebell, TRX, variety of other functional training methods, using 3 grades for each exercise type so it would be suitable for different fitness and strength levels. Each week has a different program, if a member comes more than once a week they can progress through the different grades for each exercise.

3. Set out a timetable – Peak times, except for those that clashed with Group Fitness classes that would draw the same crowd i.e. we didn’t want to affect our Group fitness numbers.

4. Elect SGFT team leader responsible for updating training model, coaching trainers and leading some classes.

5. Create and train up staff on sales process for upgrading existing and new members to SGFT.

6. Research equipment then set budget, our budget for equipment was 7K

7. Set up new area, approximately 60m2. Budget 4k. Involved new mats and reshuffling of equipment.

8. Create new name/brand for the SGFT that excites the member and builds the value of the $8 or $15 upgrade.

9. Send a letter to all members explaining the program.

10. Launch through internal POS and social media.

11. Conduct 1 month period where members can book in for up to 4 free trials. After that, they start to pay.

12. At end of the month, if still need more numbers, launch to general public.

13. Continue to educate SGFT trainers (through cert courses and in-house) to improve their coaching and training skills.

14. Continue to progress SGFT members results with new exercises for them to master.

THE RESULT

Two months into the launch and the result so far is positive.

The first month of free passes had the fitness junkies and early adopters upgrade to the SGFT membership with a number of other members paying on a casual basis.

In the second month the numbers continued to grow due mainly to our 8-week challenge involving numerous SGFT classes each week.

It seems the more members that have a taste test of SGFT the more become addicted to it. Therefore the most important factor is simply getting members to take up a trial.

As a result all new members (fitness and health allowing) are now given two free SGFT classes as part of their start up pack and after the 8 week challenge finishes we will continue to have internal promotions for existing members.

On top members upgrading their membership it has also enhanced the atmosphere in the gym. Now, we feel we have the full package, free weights, machine weights, cardio, group fitness ladies only and the excitement machine SGFT.

A club in a neighboring town in QLD has changed its entire inductions and programs to revolve around the higher priced SGFT memberships, creating a new philosophy to training at their club. Due to the size of our SGFT we are not ready to completely change our model but we do absolutely see that this SGFT movement is going to become a very important part of our business.

If you would like to compare notes or ask any questions on setting up SGFT in your facility, please email me on michael.jordan@cfm.net

Breathing life into new business with Debitsuccess

Tue, 04 Sep 2012 15:11:37 +1200

As one of Australia’s most experienced fitness industry consultants, Roger Westerman knows how much of a challenge it is to run one successful fitness club, let alone three.

Roger’s fitness industry experience spans over 25 years, and includes the roles of rollout Manager for Fitness First Queensland and Chief Operating Officer for Goodlife Health Clubs, where he was instrumental in growing that chain from one club in 2001 to 40 clubs in 2010.

So, when Roger established the third club in the Breathe Health Clubs chain in Queensland, he knew that this new business would benefit from the same progressive, innovative billing administration system that has helped the first two clubs in his chain get on their feet and experience solid growth.

Throughout his long career, Roger has utilized the business administration tools available from Debitsuccess to ensure his member payments are processed quickly and efficiently. Those tools are used in the Breathe Health Clubs in Hervey Bay and North Lakes and soon, Toowoomba.

“Debitsuccess provide a strong, cost-efficient platform for the member programs and services that we run. Without these we would require at least one full time and one part time staff member just to keep track of and chase up payments,” he says.

As a consultant to the wider fitness industry across the state, Roger assists clubs in improving their bottom line by optimising their operational administration.

One of his key recommendations to any club starting out in the fitness business is to ensure that their new member processing is done quickly and efficiently so to maximize cash flow.

“Without guaranteeing this regular revenue stream, a fitness centre business is going to struggle,” says Westerman.

“The benefit of Debitsuccess is that they provide full functionality for the running of a club. They have a great product and their service team really makes the effort to build a strong relationship with you to assist in any issues along the way.”

Westerman says Debitsuccess’ full service model has also been beneficial to Breathe Health Clubs for credit control.

“Their tried and tested processes for handling every stage of the billing process mean huge cost savings for us in terms of time, energy and money,” he says.

“I highly recommend them for their strong track record of reliability and how they listen and respond to client needs.”

For more information about how Debitsuccess can help your business succeed with customer payment solutions and administration, e-mail sales@debitsuccess.com.au or call 1300 305 011.

BECOME A MOVEMENT, NOT A BUSINESS!

Sat, 01 Sep 2012 21:28:03 +1200

A “business” is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers.

Over the past two decades many fitness clubs have entered the market to be the most successful fitness business in their communities. To achieve success, some clubs set out to sell as many memberships as possible to make as much money as possible. While this created success in the short term, some of these clubs began to build a reputation of being businesses more concerned about the money than positive change that they could make in their communities.

At the same time a mix of old and new clubs have been making it clear that they want to be more than just businesses, and instead have become MOVEMENTS for change within their communities and the fitness industry.

A “movement” is a type of group action. Large informal groupings of individuals or organizations, which focus on specific political or social issues. In other words, they carry out, resist or undo a social change.

Which way is your club/facility perceived in your market?

Are you perceived as a money hungry business engaged in trading services to consumers or are you perceived as a large group of individuals joined together to carry out social change within your community?

In the bestselling book from Simon Sinek, “Start With Why”, Simon states the aim in business is not to sell to people who need what you have, the aim in business is to sell to people who believe in what you believe.

Ground breaking companies around the world such as Virgin, Apple, Facebook and Nike have done more than just trading their services, but they have also invoked social change. By starting with a meaningful purpose, these companies have created active followers who have joined together to carry out a mission and in the process, have become powerful MOVEMENTS.

Apple’s purpose has been to change the way we communicate for the better, forever. Their advertising, branding and certainly their company culture conveys the message that Apple is more than just a business. The cheer you get in an Apple store when you buy an Apple product for the first time, the powerful images and messages in their advertising campaigns, the passionate lectures by the late Steve Jobs when launching a new product and the cult like Apple consumers, are examples of a large group of individuals around the world joined together to carry out a positive social change.

On a smaller scale, you see local coffee shops starting movements driven by a passion to provide a superior coffee experience, you see organic food stores becoming a movement for delivering fresh organic food to improve people’s health and energy through quality nutrition, and you see new living estates or unit developments becoming movements in improving the quality of living for residents of the area.

It is interesting to note that businesses that are perceived more and act more like movements than a business are typically the more profitable sustainable businesses. People want to believe in what they buy, as it represents who they are, so if you can make your customers believe in your movement for change, their loyalty will strengthen and your following will grow.

IN THE FITNESS INDUSTRY

‘Go Health Clubs’ is a relatively new, but very successful profitable chain of clubs in Brisbane. They have a very clear mission “To be the spark that inspires people to live a healthy lifestyle.” Everything they do relates to providing this spark from the marketing, staff culture, club design and layout to the resulting member experience. The club has won numerous awards such as Fitness Australia Club of the Year and Les Mills Asia Pacific Club of the Year; all based on providing an unrivalled atmosphere and entertainment experience for their members while they workout (Eg - The night club quality lighting and sound systems, Australia’s first DJ Tower, interior design, funky chic graffiti artwork). By making the workout experience such an entertaining and enjoyable experience it has driven a remarkably high number of 18 to 30 year olds in the GO HEALTH communities to spend their social time working out instead of the usual less healthy alternatives of going to the movies, drinking at a pub or watching TV. Improving the way young adults spend their social time is definitely the spark for a movement instigating positive social change.

On a different level, for over 150 years, YMCA has helped build “Strong individuals, Strong families and Strong communities around Australia”. YMCA was formed on the notion of 22-year-old man George Williams. His belief was young men should join together to support one another and build stronger bodies, minds and spirits to cope with the working conditions of England’s 1840’s industrial revolution. This small society George created has developed into a worldwide movement which supports 125 countries with youth services, volunteer programs, camping and outdoor education, accommodation, sport and recreation programs and affordable heath and wellness centres. Whilst George Williams may have never predicted the scale to which his movement would grow, it, like other movements, continues to stand the test of time based on a strong conviction for a need for change.

Another great example of a movement within the industry is the Cross Fit Movement. This cult like following has come from a strong belief from Cross Fitters that their philosophies on training and nutrition are helping people achieve new levels of health, energy, strength and happiness. This passion and belief is what drives the movement, and to no surprise, helps create numerous profitable and sustainable Cross Fit businesses around the world.

The facility I attend in Brisbane, Function Well has a mission to be the “Most Personalized and Effective Training Facility” in Brisbane and to set the standard in the way that gym memberships should be done. They deliver this mission with outstanding results through the quality of trainers and training programs, the education of members on the keys to success with exercise and nutrition, and the ongoing personalized feedback and support to help members reach their results.

A recent Customer Loyalty NPS survey Function Well conducted, received the highest score of the 35 clubs surveyed across Australia to date through CFM. The survey, which gives a rating on the strength of loyalty of members, suggests that Function Well members are believers in the clubs mission and want to actively promote this movement to their family and friends. Function Well’s upcoming relocation into a larger facility, demonstrates that if you create a strong movement, your business will grow.

HOW TO MAKE YOUR BUSINESS A MOVEMENT

1. Determine the purpose for your movement.

Is it strong? Is it believable? Is it worth following? Will it create a positive change? Is it something that society needs or wants to change?

At Voyage Fitness Warwick, our purpose is to make Warwick the healthiest regional centre in QLD. If we make Warwick believe and act on this movement we will achieve long-term success as a business as well as create a positive social change.

What are the core values and services relating to this movement?

2. Establish strategy to put movement into action

How will you create a strong following of your movement? How will this lead to a successful business?

Write up a business ‘plan’ to create a successful movement. You still need to be organised like a business and hit financial goals like a business, otherwise you won’t have the funding or systems in place to manage or grow your movement.

Include Business Plan, Brand Strategy, Sales and Marketing Plan, Member Service, Experience Plan, Results and Retention Plan. Just keep the purpose of your movement in mind when writing this out.

3. Recruit a team of believers in this movement

Question their beliefs. Test their beliefs. If your club philosophy is to help members reach their potential through testing their limits, take a new recruit through a workout and test their own ability to push themselves.

If they share the same beliefs, by joining them with other recruits with the same beliefs it will strengthen the movement. They will be the leaders of your movement.

3. Clearly communicate the purpose of your movement

Make your movement clear.

Staff - Write a mission guidebook that clearly sets out day-to-day, month to month, year to year how each team member can contribute to fulfilling this purpose. The clearer the instructions and actions required to achieve your mission the more likely it will be achieved.

Community - Create a brand and marketing strategy that makes it clear what change you want to make in your community. The clarity of this message, the consistency of this message and the content of this message (i.e. the ability to deliver on what you’ve promised) is what will create strong followers.

Members – The message should be communicated to the members every time they are in the club. Have your mission at the entrance of your club. Provide an overview of your mission on your website and introductory booklet and most importantly deliver an experience and service that will help the members achieve the club purpose. Function Well results-based training facility needs to make sure what they deliver to their members helps them achieve incredible results.

4. Grow the movement internally

Once you have converted enough members to your movement through achieving great results, strengthen the movement by encouraging interaction with other members and staff. Group challenges, social events, charity events, group exercise options, networking groups, social networking websites. The stronger the affiliation with the club the more proactive they will become in the movement.

5. Take the movement to the Community – Now with a strong army of followers, take to the streets and pursue your purpose. Attend local events relevant to your movement, visit businesses and groups within your community that you feel will benefit from the movement, network with business that share the same values as your movement, sponsor groups, teams and individuals that will inspire your movement.

6. Be a leader

Behind every great movement is a great leader with a strong belief. Barack Obama, Richard Branson, Martin Luther King, Henry Ford and Steve Jobs, are all examples of iconic great leaders.

To create social change and become a long-term successful movement you need to lead your followers from the front, push through the resistance and rise above the adversity and competition that will challenge you along the way.

Debitsuccess achieves highest level of PCI DSS compliance for second year running

Sat, 01 Sep 2012 15:28:36 +1200

Debitsuccess has achieved the highest level of compliance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) for the second year running.

The successful accreditation process, which was completed by Security-Assessment.com (a Dimension Data company) maintains Debitsuccess’ position on a very short list of Australasian businesses with the stringent Level One PCI DSS compliance rating.

Group Compliance Manager for Debitsuccess, Mr Tamuka Nyawo, says the company – which initiates close to 18 million transactions annually for more than 1,200 businesses across Australia and New Zealand – considers data security to be a primary obligation to its clients.

“As we saw recently, the danger of overseas hackers is an ever present reality for businesses that are increasingly engaging in e-commerce,” says Mr Nyawo, referring to the much publicised theft of over half a million credit card numbers by Eastern European hackers who racked up $25 million in fraudulent transactions.

“Level One PCI DSS compliance demonstrates to our customers that the safety of their data is our top priority, and it’s important that we raise their awareness of that compliance, so such breaches do not happen here.”

Mr Nyawo says that the rigorous compliance process that the company underwent over the past weeks showed that Debitsuccess’ processes for encryption and transmission of credit card information were robust and working effectively in unison across the business.

PCI DSS is a globally recognised information security standard for organisations that store, process or transmit credit card holder information. In 2004, with the collaboration of five major international credit card companies, the standard was created to improve controls around cardholder data for the purposes of reducing credit card fraud.

Transaction Services Group appoints new CEO as company registers significant business growth

Sat, 01 Sep 2012 15:23:38 +1200

Transaction Services Group, parent company of leading direct debit billing solutions provider Debitsuccess, has appointed Craig Marshall as its new CEO.

Craig has served on the Board of Directors for the Transaction Services Group since 2007 and now joins the company following three years as CEO of Labtests, New Zealand’s largest pathology company.

Craig was formerly a physical education teacher and since graduating from Otago University with a medical degree has for the last 27 years been involved in running various New Zealand businesses especially in the health sector. Previously he was one of the founding directors and the CEO of the White Cross Group and is currently the chairman of Corporate Cabs.

Craig joins the Transaction Services Group at a time of significant growth for the company, which has registered 13 per cent growth in revenue across its Debitsuccess Australasian operations in the past financial year.

Craig says he is looking forward to continuing this upward growth trajectory and expanding the variety of industries that utilise Debitsuccess’ business infrastructure tools and services.

“With Debitsuccess now handling almost 18 million transactions annually across New Zealand and Australia, we have consistently increased our market share across established industries,” says Dr Marshall.

“There are significant new opportunities for Debitsuccess’ services in the health and wellness sector, so we will be focusing some of our energy on that in the coming year.”

Debitsuccess has been providing billing services for Australasian businesses since 1994. It is now the largest full service direct debit initiator in Australasia, servicing a wide range of industries.

Debitsuccess has offices in Auckland, Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Brisbane servicing the national market and employs over 160 people in a number of positions including customer service, credit control, information technology, sales and marketing and account management.

For more information about Debitsuccess, e-mail sales@debitsuccess.com.au or call 1300 473 463.

Debitsuccess launches ‘Total Layby’ – an online lay-by payment tool for retailers under pressure

Sat, 02 Jun 2012 19:39:27 +1200

Outsourced lay-by solution will provide end-to-end service, says CEO

Australia’s leading payment solutions company, Debitsuccess, has launched a new web-based tool for retailers that enables them to process customer lay-bys with online direct debits.

Called Total Layby, the tool was developed by the transaction services company in response to a resurgence of consumer demand for the interest-free lay-by method of paying for goods, and the pressure faced by retailers who need to increase sales.

CEO of Debitsuccess, Davin Miller, says that the development of Total Layby was a natural step for the company, whose core business is providing full-service direct debit installment payment solutions to a wide range of industries, such as health and fitness, sports, insurance and education centres.

“If you can pay for your gym membership or sports team season ticket by small regular installments, why shouldn’t you be able to pay for clothes, toys or a TV in the same way, without incurring large interest penalties? This concept is about making things easier for retailers and more affordable for the consumer.”

Miller notes that the Australian Retailers Association has recently been promoting online lay-by methods, encouraging retailers to adopt systems that allow customers to choose products in store and make payments via the Internet.

“The resurgence of consumer interest in the lay-by option is a sign of the times. It is appealing to retailers and consumers who have had enough of maxed-out credit cards, and are returning to the tried-and-true responsible method of installment payments,” says Miller.

Miller says the Debitsuccess full-service solution will handle every part of the lay-by process from a paperless online sign-up to direct debit processing and credit control.

“Debitsuccess is ideally placed to deliver a highly secure, flexible online payment option that meets this need. We have already provided a similar lay-by payment solution for travel company LayAway Holidays that allows people to pay off their holidays via lay-by.”

Miller says unlike some other companies that only provide online lay-by software, Total Layby is backed up by its existing 80 seat call centre that can follow up any lapsing layby customers on behalf of the retailer.

“For retailers, providing a service like this has been in the too hard basket. Most would not have the staff or technical resources to be able to process partial payments for goods on lay-by, let alone chase up on missed payments. All those obstacles are now taken away with this totally outsourced lay-by solution provided by Debitsuccess.”

Miller says that the system can be customised to integrate with a retailers existing web site, and is backed up by Debitsuccess’ top-level compliance with international data security standards.

“Times are still tough for retailers, but with the Total Layby service they will have access to a paperless, fully secure service for processing customer lay-by purchases, which will expand their ability to secure income and satisfy the needs of today’s consumer.”

Debitsuccess has been providing billing services for Australian businesses since 2002. It is now the largest full service direct debit initiator in Australasia.

For more information about Debitsuccess, visit www.debitsuccess.com.

Create an Innovative Culture to Progress Your Business

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 19:46:33 +1200

OK, I admit it. I feel a little overwhelmed at the moment. I have just come back from Filex and my head is exploding with new ideas, philosophies and information and I don’t know exactly where to start.

However, I know I have to start because things are moving very fast in the industry at the moment and as an owner of one of the Voyage Fitness Clubs as well as a player on the CFM team, I know if we don’t keep up with the changes or stay at the forefront of the changes, we may very well be left behind.

Jack Welsh the former and famous CEO of General Motors stated a very simple quote as business owners or leaders we need to ‘Change before we have to change.’

This is relevant in almost every industry today with new innovations, new business models, new technology and new consumer trends and demands, leading to businesses having to adopt and change their model, service or method of delivery at a pace unseen in the history of business.

It certainly is relevant for our industry as well as 30 year industry veteran Thomas Plummer exclaimed at Filex he has seen more change in the industry in the last 3 years than the previous 30 years.

So what do we need to do in our organisations, to be set up to lead the way in adopting the positive progressive changes within our industry?

The key according to every business magazine and book I have read in recent times is in setting up your business to have an INNOVATIVE mindset and culture.

WHAT MAKES AN INNOVATIVE COMPANY

According to the CNN Money Website last year the top 10 most innovative companies in the world were in order:

1. Apple 2. Google 3. Nike 4. Amazon 5. Charles Schwab 6. 3M 7. Statoil 8. Exxon Mobil 9. Walt Disney 10. Whole Foods Market

It’s no coincidence that 7 out of the top 10 most innovative companies were also the number 1 ranked company in terms of revenue within their industry. (The other 3 companies were ranked number 2 or 3). What this indicates is if you are set up to be the most innovative business within your industry or market you are very likely going to be the most successful.

Now think of your business in your market? If you have 10 competitors in your area where would your club rank?

Not sure? Lets break it down then.

According to Business Matters Magazine there are 5 ways you can be a more INNOVATIVE COMPANY.

1. EXTERNAL (Product and Service Innovation) – Bringing more profitable products and services to the market. (Eg – Amazon Online Purchase and Delivery)

2. INTERNAL (Competitive advantage) – Saving money through making internal processes as efficient as possible. (Eg - Automated production lines)

3. EMPLOYEE ABILITY – Having people who can genuinely out-think their competitors. (Eg – Steve Jobs)

4. CULTURAL – A focus on innovation leading to a significant increase in employee engagement. (Eg – Apple)

5. PERCEPTUAL – Companies that live and breathe innovation become a workplace of choice for the best and brightest. (Eg – Again walk into an Apple Store you want to be a part of the innovation. You want to be a part of “What’s next”)

Now lets put it into context for our industry and businesses.

What are some examples of fitness businesses being INNOVATIVE in one of these 5 areas and how does your business compare.

EXTERNAL (Product and Service Innovation) - The most prevalent example of this is the innovation in the way many fitness clubs are training their clients. Functional training, Metabolic Training, Cross-Fit Training, Results based training are now the most in-demand methods of fitness training in America. So in demand is this type of training due to the improved results (Ie – Fat Loss), more enjoyable experience (Flipping tyres, climbing ropes) and improved functionality (Improves golf game or day to day functioning) that clients/members are paying 3 to 10 times the amount they would for a regular gym membership. This is an example of bringing a more profitable product or service to a fitness club.

INTERNAL (Processes) – As a fitness business we have a very difficult time to keep track of our member interaction. New developments in club software make this tracking and member interaction process more automated. If this automated process saves you or your team 10 hours a week or 520 hours a year that would be a significant internal innovation that would save money and provide a competitive advantage.

24 hour clubs have reduced overheads of their business by taking out the majority of staff hours that a regular club would have. As a result their overheads are much lower and they can provide a lower priced membership and a competitive advantage.

EMPLOYEE ABILITY – This comes down to the club recruitment process. Do you hire employees that are set in their ways or employees that are progressive and open to the progress and innovations in the industry? Do you restrict your hiring to those that are already in the industry or look at those with a unique set of skills that could improve your innovation as a company?

CULTURAL – During his seminar at the Filex Business Summit, Managing Director and Founder of the Fitness Network, Nigel Champion, referred to using FedEx days with his team to improve innovation and engagement. FedEx day is an invention of an Australian software company, Atlassian, who once a quarter gives every one of their employees 24 hours to work on anything that relates to improving the product or service of the company and deliver it to the management at the end of the 24 hour period. Encouraging your own team to brainstorm and create ideas that will improve your business is a fantastic way to spark an innovative culture.

PERCEPTUAL – From an outsider perspective how innovative does your business look? What does your club brand, website, marketing, social websites tell the prospective golden employees about your business? If you go to the GO HEALTH CLUB website without having to visit one of their clubs the perception is this is a very innovative company. In summary, you will gain and retain better staff by communicating that you are an INNOVATIVE club that is at the forefront of the industry.

STEPS TO ADOPTING THE INNOVATIVE CULTURE

Business Matters magazine suggests as an owner or leader of your business there are 6 steps to creating an INNOVATIVE Culture.

1. LEAD THE WAY – Your club must dedicate resources, money and time to innovation. It must start from the top. You need to commit, listen, support, and provide autonomy and encouragement for your team to be innovative.

2. REWARD AND RECOGNITION - Atlassian, the creators of the FedEx days, have trophies and awards night at the conclusion of the FedEx days. Provide incentives and give recognition to employees that spark innovation within your club.

3. CREATE A PROCESS - Identify what the challenges and opportunities of your business are so your team is focused on what they are creating innovative ideas or solutions for. Next, create opportunities for staff to brainstorm (Eg - once a quarter or ongoing), have an effective decisions making process about those ideas (Management meeting), have a testing process for these ideas (Eg - sample size marketing campaign) and finally a process for implementing them.

4. COMMUNICATE - You need to make the process and purpose of innovation within your business crystal clear. Relate it to their day-to-day jobs through KPI’s and job descriptions. Communicate your innovations externally to the public as this builds pride and recognition of your team. (Eg – Fitness Australia awards, Local community business awards, Social Media)

5. MEASUREMENT – Evaluate the effectiveness of your innovation. Measure the % of ideas that are implemented and the % of those ideas that save or make money for the organization.

6. GET MOVING –Change provides great opportunities but can also create challenges if you are slow to act. Work hard to get your club moving with the times and you can be a part of the exciting progressive changes that will make you the leader of your pack within your market and the industry.

Clubware moves into the cloud

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 19:31:10 +1200

Clubware, Australia’s leading fitness centre management software, is now available in a new, online platform that will let club managers access their facility data remotely via any device, and integrate across multiple locations.

Clubware is an industry specific facility management software package that was designed and developed with feedback from the health and fitness industry. Originally launched in 2001, with version 2.0 released in 2006, Clubware is distributed in Australia by payment processing company Debitsuccess. Today, more than 550 health and fitness clubs use it across Australasia.

Steven Holmes, Group IT Manager for Clubware, says that the new cloud based version means it is now “better than ever”, as it addresses several key areas of development that were highlighted by its engaged user base.

“The ability to choose an end point for accessing Clubware is definitely the most compelling aspect of this new solution for club managers, many of whom run facilities across several locations. Whether it’s a desktop PC, iPhone, iPad or other tablet or smartphone, the mobility that the Clubware cloud solution now provides makes it an incredibly compelling offer.”

Holmes says the earlier versions of Clubware did allow for integration of data across multiple sites, but it was something that the clubs had to set up themselves. He says all existing Clubware customers can upgrade to using the cloud solution immediately.

“All data can now be consolidated in real time with this cloud solution, which will help clubs provide a consistent service across all branches. What’s more, the external hosting now offered for Clubware means that your crucial data is secure and protected in the event of unforeseen disasters.”

Holmes says the flexibility of the ‘infrastructure as a service’ model allows smaller fitness clubs to take advantage of capabilities that were previously available only to larger chains who could invest in such an infrastructure.

“Essentially, the Clubware 2.0 cloud solution combines all the benefits of a mature, trusted application, with all the added advantages that external hosting technology provides.

“It is serviced through an industrial grade high end data centre with robust IT infrastructure, and backed up by an Australia-based technical support team that offers free introductory training.”

Holmes says a key aspect of Clubware’s capabilities is its seamless integration with the billing services provided by Debitsuccess, meaning that club managers can also easily sync their billing and credit control with Clubware.

For more information on Clubware, visit www.clubware.com.au, or contact Clubware Australia on 1800 114 777.

Distance education on the rise as online solutions help Australians fit study into busy lifestyles

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 17:39:21 +1300

Hundreds of students per month opting for online payment solutions at Open Colleges

More Australians are choosing to improve their work prospects by studying via distance education thanks to innovative online services and payment options that fit in with their busy lifestyles, says the country’s leading online education provider.

Open Colleges has been operating in Australia for more than a century and taught more than 700,000 Australians via distance education over that time. Launched as the International Correspondence School in 1910, the college today offers over 140 courses on everything from Business Administration, Accounting and Management to Natural Therapies, Photography and Tourism, which are accessed by students from every part of the country.

Greg Fordred, General Manager Finance & Corporate Services at Open Colleges says that the college’s service capabilities have expanded exponentially over the past two decades with the growth of Internet services, which has revolutionised traditional correspondence learning models.

“Open learning is all about flexibility and the removal of barriers. Learners should be able to study what they want, when they want, where they want, and at a pace that suits their individual needs,” says Mr Fordred; “Our students now complete their courses entirely online.”

Most recently, Fordred says the college’s introduction of an online payment solution for students to pay their fees through direct debit payment company Debitsuccess has seen hundreds sign up every month to the service.

“Providing an electronic interface for students to pay for their fees has not only made it easier for them to sign up to courses, it has also enabled us to provide better service for their courses, as we have greatly reduced administration. In addition to the administration benefits, Debitsuccess has assisted us in increasing our collection rate which has led to improvements in our cashflow.”

“As a Registered Training Organisation we need to ensure privacy of student records. The Debitsuccess solution provides us with a completely secure, robust end-to-end service, which manages sign-ups right through to the collection and follow up on missed payments.”

Fordred says that improvements in flexibility and the removal of barriers has made open learning increasingly attractive to Australian workers who are short of time, but aware of the need to upskill for improving their careers.

“All of our courses are designed in consultation with industry to ensure we provide work ready graduates who are ready to excel and make a real difference in the workplace with a qualification that is practical and relevant,” says Mr Fordred.

“We are constantly innovating and evolving our offering to ensure we provide the best education to our students in a highly flexible and supportive manner.”

Mr Fordred says that Open Colleges is looking ahead to a year of further growth, aided by the partnership with Debitsuccess.

“It’s pleasing for me to see how the open learning model continues to be so well received. It’s exciting to be able to provide a community service in this way and hear how we are making a difference to the careers and lives of so many Australians.”

For more information about how Debitsuccess can help your business succeed with customer payment solutions and administration, visit www.debitsuccess.com.au or call 1300 305 011.

NZ Warriors increase membership and ticket sales thanks to Debitsuccess payment plans

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 17:25:54 +1300

The New Zealand Warriors are set for a stellar NRL season in 2012 thanks to a surge in revenue from the club’s famously die-hard fan base, which has been made possible thanks to an easy billing solution provided by Debitsuccess.

Dave Curran, Finance and Operations Manager for the Warriors says that 2011 was a huge year of growth for the club, boosted by the team reaching the NRL Grand Final for the second time in their sixteen year history in the competition.

“Although we fell just short of the flag this year, it’s still been one of the best years for new membership – despite the challenging economic climate,” says Mr Curran. He believes giving members the flexibility to pay off membership fees in regular instalments, as the Debitsuccess service allows, has led to the 60% increase in yield per customer.

The Warriors debuted at the Winfield cup in 1995, with retired All Black John Kirwan on the wing. Since joining the NRL, they have established one of the most passionate and enthusiastic followings of any team in the competition, drawing support from league fans throughout New Zealand.

Since the club began using the services of Debitsuccess to sign up new members and manage the payments of their fees, Mr Curran says the average number of tickets purchased per customer has risen from 2.21 tickets to 3.32 tickets.

“We know the best way to grow our support base is to get the fans to see their team play live. In efficiently facilitating the ticket buying process, Debitsuccess has basically made it easier for fans to attend local games and connect with the team.”

Integration between the NRL web portal and Debitsuccess’ paperless direct debit technology means that new members can sign-up completely online, and then nominate the intervals at which they will pay their fees.

”I was impressed by how easy it was to set up the new system, and the ongoing service we have received has been fantastic.”

“Debitsuccess’ service has allowed the Warriors to function more efficiently as a club, without the administration hassles we’ve had in the past,” says Mr Curran.

“Using Debitsuccess was a great choice and is already proving to be far more effective than the in-house system we had before,” says Mr Curran. “It’s certainly saved the club countless hours of work and costs for administration. This has put smiles on the faces of management, as the memberships have grown.”

The ongoing partnership between the NZ Warriors and Debitsuccess suggests this increase in membership will only continue throughout 2012.

“With that sort of support behind us, we know we will be competitive again in 2012, and reward the loyal support we have received from the fans,” says Mr Curran.

For more information about Debitsuccess’ Online Management Gateway, call NZ: 09-4810498 or Australia: 1300 305 011.

Belgravia Leisure’s Dandenong Oasis manages smooth transition with Debitsuccess

Sun, 18 Dec 2011 14:58:53 +1300

Transferring more than 3,500 memberships in two weeks turned out to be a breeze for Belgravia Leisure’s new acquisition, Dandenong Oasis - a leisure centre southeast of Melbourne that recently underwent a change in management.

Having worked with Debitsuccess since 2002, Belgravia Leisure had no problem making the decision to update Dandenong Oasis’ old membership billing program to the simple and efficient direct debit system provided by Debitsuccess.

The leisure centre’s regional operations manager, Frank van der Kraan, took charge of the transfer, and values it as an integral part of their operating system that has eased the transition.

“During the process, I really appreciated the support and on-the-ground training Debitsuccess provided. For the first two weeks, the Debitsuccess team were on-site to help with any teething problems rolling over previous members, making the hand-over process run smoothly,” says Frank.

“Debitsuccess has an up-to-date system with a very user-friendly interface. Their processes are efficient - it’s just what we needed to improve our business.”

Before Debitsuccess, Dandenong Oasis used an internal billing system to manage member payments from its fitness centre and learn-to-swim program, along with general payments for its other facilities that include table tennis courts and special function rooms.

“With the new system, we’ve saved so much time. Our administration processes have been greatly reduced, along with a noticeable decrease in wage costs. We can now afford to spend our time on the floor, recruiting more members, as we are able to reach a greater number of people,” says Frank.

“I estimate we have saved over 50 per cent of our time entering details into our membership database, compared to a manual system. And once the details are in the system, it is so easy to update them.”

And as for the changeover process itself, Frank says he has received only good feedback from his members.

“There’s been no concerns to worry about, it’s been smooth sailing.”

For more information about how Debitsuccess can help your club, visit www.debitsuccess.com.au or call 1300 305 011.

Debitsuccess complements CFM’s business model, driving revenue and global success

Sun, 18 Dec 2011 14:49:08 +1300

An international sales and marketing company that generates new memberships for fitness clubs is commending partner company Debitsuccess for its effective management of billing administration, which is providing them with 15% more revenue than competitors.

Creative Fitness Marketing (CFM) was established in 1990, and today operates in Australia, New Zealand, the USA, Canada, the UK and Ireland. In its time, the company has signed up more than 50,000 new memberships, working with over 2,500 health clubs worldwide to build their client base and retain customers through a service called MemberDrive.

Co-owner of CFM, Emmett Williams says that the company designed the unique marketing approach to target large untapped markets of localized customers in a way that involves no financial outlay or risk to a club.

With MemberDrive, CFM provides a complete sales and marketing package for a fitness club rolled out over a 4-6 week time period. The package incorporates everything from centralised telemarketing and direct mail, to on-site professional sales consultants, graphic design, corporate outreach programs and mall demonstrations.

At the end of the program, CFM takes a commission for any members that are signed up to the local gym, and hands over the membership payment processing to a direct debit services company.

Over the past eight years, CFM has worked extensively with Debitsuccess in both the Australian and New Zealand markets. Debitsuccess processes about 30,000 transactions for CFM every two weeks.

Mr Williams says it is a partnership that has been beneficial for CFM in terms of administration cost savings and in turn, increased revenue. He says CFM collects 15% more money per month using the full-service Debitsuccess model in comparison to other billing companies.

“Debitsuccess is our most critical supplier. They collect and preserve 100% of our revenue stream and more cost-effectively than any other I have experienced by far. Their ability to collect the top line significantly affects our bottom line.”

Mr Williams says that CFM has worked with a number of payment collection companies over the years, but rates Debitsuccess as the most progressive due to their full-service model and their commitment to being a relationship-based company.

“At CFM, our experience, philosophy and desire are all about driving businesses to succeed by offering intelligence-based customer solutions that go to the heart of every business,” says Mr Williams.

“With the support of the intelligent service that Debitsuccess provides, both through their contact centre and membership tools like the Online Management Gateway (OMG), we can focus on our core business of promoting and selling gym memberships, and leave the administration work – including the tough follow-up of defaults – to them.

“This means we don’t get sucked into the detail of collecting receivables, which frees up our resources and head space for growing the business,” says Mr Williams.

“It also means the money we generate for clubs has guaranteed stability due to Debitsuccess’ predictable collection rates, which in turn ensures greater benefits from the MemberDrive campaigns we operate.”

CFM has offices in Chicago, Nottingham and Melbourne. It is the longest serving Promotional Company member of IHRSA and is also affiliated with the FIA, Fitness Australia & Fitness New Zealand.

For more information about how Debitsuccess can help your business succeed with customer payment solutions and administration, visit www.debitsuccess.com.au or call 1300 305 011.

After the flood, Genesis Fitness in Jindalee gets back to business – bigger and better than ever

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 18:01:38 +1300

It was Tuesday, 11 January 2011, in the Brisbane city suburb of Jindalee. The Brisbane River had been swelling for days, and was threatening to flood the city.

As the river finally broke its banks, the staff at Genesis Fitness Centre in Sinnamon Road knew they had to evacuate. They decided they had better relocate the 21 new treadmills that had been delivered that day to the second floor of their gym, where they would be safe.

Little did they know that the flood would be one of the worst in the city’s history. 24 hours later, the first floor, the second floor, and almost half of the third floor of their establishment were underwater – along with all their new equipment.

“It was one of those things you wouldn’t imagine in your worst nightmares,” says General Manager of Genesis Jindalee, Anthony Ikin.

“Most of our staff live right in the nearby areas and had families that needed to be evacuated. We just got out of there and hoped for the best.”

It quickly became evident that the damage was going to be substantial. Anthony’s parents’ two-storey house, which is not far from the gym, was completely submerged in the flood waters. They, like Genesis Jindalee and so many other Brisbane businesses, lost everything.

Three days after the flood, the waters had subsided enough for Anthony and his staff to get back inside the building and survey the damage. The scene that met them was unforgettable.

“There was mud and silt everywhere, along with a horrible smell,” says Anthony. “But the building itself was still standing and the walls were fine, so we just had to start the big clean up, along with everyone else.”

While many businesses in Brisbane simply didn’t survive the flood, Anthony and his staff decided they were going to work hard and get the gym back up and running. After all, they had 2,000 loyal members, many of whom were pitching in to help with the clean up.

“We knew we wanted to rebuild things bigger and better than how they were before. Thanks to our fantastic staff and our extended team, which includes Debitsuccess, we’re making that a reality,” says Anthony.

Immediately after the flood hit, Genesis Jindalee put all their members’ accounts on suspension, with help from Debitsuccess.

“Our business development manager, Jason, was in communication with us throughout this time and kept us up to date with all the administration they were managing. 90 per cent of our clients pay via Debitsuccess’ direct debit service. It was reassuring to know that our direct debit customers’ information was safely backed up in case we needed to access it.”

Although most of the Genesis Jindalee computers couldn’t be saved, they were fortunate enough to rescue their main server, with all of their clients’ membership details intact. Because the gym uses Clubware, they were able to keep their clients updated remotely via the software’s email and SMS functions.

The Clubware Correspondence and Mail Merge feature includes a suite of correspondence tools, which allow health club owners and managers to stay in touch with their members whether individually or en masse. Customised communications can be sent instantly through e-mail or SMS.

Just 79 days after they were flooded, Genesis Jindalee opened again for business with a newly designed facility that is again serving the fitness needs of the Jindalee suburb.

“Debitsuccess were awesome. They provided so much support throughout the whole time we were getting back on our feet. They really went above and beyond the call to help us,” says Anthony.

For more information about how Debitsuccess can help your business succeed with customer payment solutions and administration, visit www.debitsuccess.com.au or call 1300 305 011.