A local currency program allows people to buy gift certificates that can be used in a number of local businesses. However, if you don’t choose the right system you could end up with a lot of administrative headache. You need automation in your chamber bucks program. Here’s why:
Create 24/7 Sales Opportunities
From last-minute shoppers to people who don’t have time to come into the chamber to make the purchase, allowing for online purchases of your chamber gift certificates will help you reach a larger audience.
Decrease the Demands of the Last-Minute Shopping Rush on Staff
Chambers that have used paper check programs tell us about the mad rush they receive at holiday time. Since the only way to purchase their checks is in the office, they’ve had to stay late to accommodate those last-minute shoppers.
If your chamber currency program is online, shoppers can buy and print off a gift certificate at their own convenience, saving you the last-minute rush when you’re trying to wrap up end-of-year chamber business.
Ditch the Spreadsheet
If you’ve ever tracked anything through a spreadsheet, or balanced a checkbook, you know it’s only as accurate as the person entering the information. If there’s a rush and that person forgets an entry, you have a check that’s unaccounted for.
With an online system this is never the case. Each entry is added without you having to input it. Not only is it a time-saver, the system is not prone to human entry error.
Track Where the Money is Being Spent
An automated system can tell you with a couple of quick clicks which certificates have been spent and which are still out there. Of those that have been spent, you can see where they were spend and report back to your members at the end of the year on how much total spending was attributed to chamber bucks.
The automated system also keeps people from “cashing out” a chamber check or depositing it elsewhere.
As chamber professionals you have enough to worry about without adding additional administrative headache to your source of non-dues revenue. When you’re selecting a local currency program, in addition to revenue opportunities, look at the processing time it will take your staff. After all time is money, and greater efficiency means more revenue potential.
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