Who thinks a 6-month membership is a good idea?

Hi all,

My current 6-month trial passport membership is about to end and I'm considering joining again. However, I find the £500 membership fee a bit much to pay in one go and don't like having to pay 10% extra for the pleasure of paying in installments, so I'd like to run an idea by you (as I know I'm not the only one who thinks this):

How about being able to get a 6-month membership for £250 (i.e. no discount or penalty for paying for 6 months instead of for 12), which is only accessible if you pay while you're still a member.

That way it's beneficial for 4N as they don't get people taking breaks (for holidays or financial reasons) between memberships, and they are more likely to have the small start up businesses (that make up so much of 4N's members) continue their membership.

4N knows just as well as any other business out there, that in times of financial crisis you need to be flexible and adapt to what the market wants. Therefore I'm positive that they will look at this favourably if enough people think it's a good idea.

I look forward to getting the feedback on this!

Inge

Hi Inge,

Sounds like a good idea - and I'd support it!

Graham

Inge as ever has her finger on the pulse of the smaller business. For an established but micro business £250 is a good chunk of money but still doable. £500 is quite a bit.

Perhaps we could take it one step further with continuous authority monthly debit card payments operating two months ahead. So if you cancel, expire or have no funds 4N gets two months to remove you from the system. Debit charges are only 35p-ish so no huge expense to 4N but a major cash flow boon to the smaller businesses. So, £80 up front and £40 a month thereafter.

I think there is a lot to this because at any given time the full fee can seem a bit daunting.

4N is doing so well it seems like a no-brainer!

Bill

I vote for 6 months - my money is very tight at the moment (and always)

Hi Inge

Excellent Idea any help for small Business at the moment to spread
costs is welcome. I am sure 4N would not want to lose a member because
of the renewal cost. Two hits of £ 250.00 is more manageable...

Paul

I think an ongoing per month DD rate would be even better once someone has taken out their initial 6- or 12-month membership.

I would agree that £500 is a significant chunk of money to spend once a year, and anything to make this easier to bear will help the membership numbers...

The idea of the 6 month membership is that it is a trial to see if the network is where you want to spend time developing your business relationships. The trial passport used to be just 2 months, and we found that wasn't long enough to get to see the value in the neywork, as people wanted instant sales within a handful of meetings.

Listen its not going to happen. Lets get a few things straight, 4Networking offers more membership routes than any other network and excessive networking value. Example: BNI, 1 group, 1 payment, £500inc joining fee, no alternatives. No trials.

4N, offer first time visitors full passport access network anywhere in UK for 6months for £200. That 'trial' is there for keen 4Ners to establish whether 4N is for them and build up the trust and contacts needed to succeed in networking.

If it is, its then £490 for 12 months, we want people in the network that get it. However due to feedback we added the addition option to pay in 4stages, so can spread the payments over 4 equal installments of £135 per month, this equates to an additional £50 over the 4months for the credit.

If as a small biz you don't get the value after a 6 month trial, networking up to 4 times each week around your schedule, 3 appointments each session then 4N is likely not for you.

Ask yourself what the alternative is?

Just so you know we've new groups starting every month, a growing network, record retention, record new members. Its not broke, it don't need fixing.

Compared to what??

BNI is £400. Harder to go to different groups. NRG is £420. Less groups.

With 4N you can party 4 times a week in many many locations. Bargain!

Also with DDebit, we 4Networking are liable. We've looked into it. Liable if someone knocks us and cancels, the credit agreement outstanding means we're ulitmately responsible.

You don't like paying the extra £50 over the 4months, i'd rather you didn't either and joined for 490 one payment on a credit card and this may work out cheaper.

Can't have it both ways, the suggested 6month £250 thing.. next stage would be a suggestion of 3months for £125. It never ends.

Inge would you be happy paying £300 for 6months.

Its a bit like asking a question would i rather pay 99p for a litre of diesel or £1.06p whilst totally disregarding market forces.

But why not go for even more. If people want a 6 month option why not do so. It may just give your business those extra few members for a bit longer. Could charge £260 for doing so, at least it would help some of the smaller businesses that are struggling.

One other point is, why should it matter what other network groups do - 4N is all about being different!

Me thinks it is SurveyMonkey time!

Yea good call be sure to ask the question would i like to pay 99p for a litre or £1.06 of Diesel