Whether you joined Bira last week or 25 years ago, you can easily recoup the cost of your membership fee by taking a few quick steps to make full use of Bira’s membership benefits.
OVER THE YEARS we’ve spoken to many hundreds of members who did not know that Bira offers more than 30 services and can help significant savings to be made by switching suppliers. We appreciate that many members sign up on the strength of just one service, then never get round to going through the full membership pack.
The expert team at Bira works very hard to find you the best savings on essential services for independent retailers. Often members believe they are on the best tariffs or rates already, but by taking the few simple steps detailed here you can easily check on what savings Bira can deliver. In the current challenging climate, every saving is an improvement to the bottom line.
We’ve made the checking process easier than ever by selecting a few membership benefits here. All can be done in 30 minutes if you have your membership number, your Bira website log-in, bank statements, insurance documents etc to hand. It won’t be time wasted, we assure you.
1. Card Processing
(Checking takes two minutes)
Members make an average saving of £516* when they switch to Global Payments through Bira. Rates are as low as 0.890% (subject to ATV and turnover) and there is no authorisation fee. There is no joining or set-up fees (which can be £150 normally). You get next-day crediting with cleared funds if you bank with HSBC Bank. If you are new to HSBC, you will also get three month’s free terminal rental. If you bank else-where, the monthly terminal rental is £12.95 plus VAT.
Action: Send an email with your membership number and your last couple of statements attached to jordan.thornton@globalpay.com and the company will be in touch if you stand to make a saving by switching.
2. Business Banking
(Takes five minutes)
HSBC offers Bira members business banking rates that are 30% cheaper than the standard small business tariff*. There’s no monthly account maintenance fee and no standard transaction charges on your account (excluding any international payments). There’s next-day crediting when you use the Global Payments card processing scheme. If you are a new customer, you will also enjoy free business banking for 18 months* and no Post Office charges for 18 months (exclusions apply).
Action: Use the rates list (opposite) to see how your current bank compares. Visit bira.co.uk/services/business-banking/ and log in to the Members Area for the rates. If you are currently on a higher tariff, call 0121 446 6688 (option 1) and ask to be put through to an HSBC representative who will let you know the savings you could make.
3. Bira Insurance
(Take two minutes)
Trawling the internet is no guarantee you’ll find the best deals on business and personal insurance. Some insurance providers choose not to feature their products on price comparison sites. Answering the same questions on multiple sites is no fun either. Neither is reading the small print to ensure you have the right cover.
That’s why we have created the Cost & Cover comparison service exclusively for Bira members. Simply submit the form to tell Bira Insurance when you want to be contacted. Its experienced staff will call to discuss what you need, then run your requirement past a panel of insurers to find you the best combination of cover and cost. Everything will be explained clearly, then it is up to you to decide to proceed. There is no obligation to take our suggestion.
Bira Insurance offers exclusive retail-specific policies, with enhancements that are not usually included in standard insurance policies. It is tailored to suit your business, for example, if you have stock in the open or your stock levels increase at different points in the year. We also have bespoke packages for pet and pet product retailers, as well as agricultural and garden machinery dealers. A payment instalment arrangement is accessible through Bira Bank.
Action: Fill in the short online form at bira.co.uk/cover-comparison and someone from Bira Insurance will give you a call. Have a copy of your statement handy to compare like for like.
4. Bira Legal
(This will take as long as you need)
The Bira Legal portal will help you save valuable time and money when dealing with key business issues. Here you can find an extensive range of expert-created template documents to down-load, including contracts of employment and employee handbooks, as well as guidance notes to help you overcome issues such as absence and disciplinary. This bank of knowledge acts as an excellent starting point when managing employee matters, with more hands-on support available through One2One Employment Law service from Ellis Whittam, Bira’s legal partner.
The top five matters dealt with by Bira Legal are disciplinary action, employment tribunal preparation, redundancies, sickness-related absences and contractual issues. To help you handle these situations quickly and carefully, Bira members benefit from access to unlimited employment law, HR, health & safety, commercial legal, tax, VAT and HMRC support over the phone from qualified experts. This also includes insurance indemnity cover for up to £50,000 per claim if you take advice from Bira Legal at the earliest possible opportunity.
Action: For professional advice, call 0345 450 0937 with your membership number to hand. To receive your login details for access to the Bira Legal portal, call the membership team on 0121 446 6688 (option 1).
5. Bira Direct
(Take 10 minutes)
Our Bira Direct buying service offers you better buying terms than those you can achieve individually. We run regular promotions and offers and, in some cases, offer supplier rebate schemes. An account can be opened very quickly and we offer 30 days end-of-month credit (subject to terms and conditions).
The range of suppliers we have onboard is huge, dealing in categories as varied as business essentials like shop fittings and business stationery, in addition to products from coffee to cookshop and housewares, gift and lifestyle, hardware and garden.
Action: Fill in the Supplier Switch Form, which can be downloaded from bira.co.uk/services/bira-direct/#getstarted. Once we’ve checked each of your current suppliers and your terms, you’ll receive a call from the Bira Direct team to discuss the best deals available on your account. There is very little work for you to do other than ticking a few boxes to indicate the products you stock.
6. Maybe
(Takes 5 minutes)
Social media delivers sales both online and offline and is a vital connection to customers.
Maybe* offers Bira members a free social media benchmarking facility and a toolset to improve their results. This means every Bira retailer can measure the performance of their social media against all other members and learn what they need to do to improve the results from this increasingly important channel.
Action: Sign up to Maybe* from the Bira Members Area. There is a free service and if you upgrade to the premium option, Bira members receive a 20% discount.
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