Warren Cass – Director of Advantage Benefits Ltd

We recently had the pleasure of speaking with Warren Cass, one of the Directors of Advantage Benefits Ltd.

Advantage Benefits Ltd. operates across the UK, providing white labelled business rewards platforms designed to help businesses attract, retain and reward their customers while generating additional revenue for their own business. Their offering is particularly popular with accountancy firms looking to expand their practice or boost their profitability.

Warren told me that Advantage Benefits have been using the BBX since BBX UK launched in 2014. When I asked him why he said, “BBX has helped us monetize our spare capacity and manage our cashflow better. Being a member of the BBX Network allows us to replace some of our traditional cash expenditure with BBX spend.” He went on to say, “Our BBX involvement has also enabled us to generate revenue that we can spend on marketing initiatives that we wouldn’t otherwise have considered. Finally, BBX has also helped us gain new clients by promoting our services to the rapidly expanding BBX Network in the UK.”

How do you spend your BBX Pounds?

Hearing this, I was curious to know more about the kind of things Warren’s company spend their BBX revenue on.

Warren replied, “For example, we spent almost BBX£4,000 on a successful hospitality event. Also, as our team spend a lot of their time presenting to potential clients and partners, we used the tailors on the BBX network to kit them out with new suits so that they could look their best on stage.”

Warren also stated that he was keen to expand his BBX spend to cover additional business expenditure including exhibition stands, printing, and travel related expenses such as overnight accommodation and meals. “Basically, wherever there is a BBX solution, we’ll prioritise that over an equivalent cash spend.”

I closed by asking Warren what advice he would give to a business owner who was considering joining the BBX network. His reply was typically upbeat. “Every company is different but, if you have any spare capacity such as vacant hotel rooms, excess stock or unsold time, it’s worth serious consideration. Look at the member directory to see the range of products and services available on BBX and, if there is anything there that you currently buy using cash, then BBX should work for you.”

Emma Unsworth – Executive Personal Assistant to Michael Chittendon, owner of Manor by The Lakes & Woodhall Manor

I recently had the pleasure of speaking to Emma Unsworth, the PA to Michael Chittendon, Michael is the owner of multiple businesses, including two spectacular wedding and conference venues set in their own grounds near Cheltenham and Ipswich.

Both venues are stunning properties which feature in the Condé Nast Johansens, the directory of the world’s most prestigious venues and hotels.

Michael has been a client of BBX since June 2015, and I was keen to find out more about their experience with BBX, the UK’s fastest growing alternative currency.

What do you sell on BBX?

“Our two properties are luxury wedding and conference venues and, like most other hotels, we have unsold rooms from time to time. BBX allows us to market that spare capacity to other clients of the BBX network, turning it into BBX pounds which we can then use to buy products and services from other BBX clients.”

“For example, at The Manor by the Lake, we have successfully sold several corporate events on BBX. At Woodhall Manor, we have been able to offer BBX clients 1 night B&B accommodation.”

How do you spend your BBX Pounds?

From talking to Emma, it was evident that they had no difficulty converting their occasional unused rooms into revenue, but I wanted to know if they found it easy to spend those same trade pounds.

“It’s my job to manage our BBX account and to use it where possible in place of cash. To date we have spent our BBX pounds on a variety of goods and services including: event signage, paint and brushes, oak floor sanding, banner stands, rattan outdoor dining furniture, wedding chair covers, tickets to a business show and even a chaise longue for the office!”

What do you like best about BBX?

“BBX is simple to use, the fee structure is fair, and, most importantly, there are plenty of goods and services available, so we have no problems spending our trade pounds.”

Emma also told me that they had an excellent working relationship with their BBX Account Manager. “He understands our needs and regularly draws our attention to trade offers which he thinks would be of interest to us.”

And finally

I concluded our meeting by asking Emma what advice she would give someone considering joining the BBX UK network.

“I would say go for it if you are confident that you can spend the trade pounds that BBX will generate for you. As with any business proposition do your due diligence and make sure that there are products and services, that you currently pay cash for, available through BBX in your area.”

Tim Langley – Chief Geek @ Canddi

Canddi is the UK’s leading website visitor analytics platform.  Their software allows business owners and their salespeople to identify potential customers from the people visiting their website. Instead of just visitor numbers, Canddi helps you identify specific individuals and their drivers so that your sales team can follow them up directly. On average, businesses who use Canddi generate up to 10x more leads from their website than non-users.

How long have you been using BBX?

“We have been using BBX for just over six months so far, and it is really working for us.”

Why did you join BBX?
“We first heard about BBX when we met Matt at a trade show. We were on the lookout for an additional channel to sell our products and (of course) we love buying products and services at a great rate!”

What do you sell on BBX?

“We sell annual subscriptions to our advanced website visitor analytics service.” www.canddi.com

How do you spend on BBX?

“We love spending our BBX pounds on a range of business related expenses. In particular, we attend many trade shows and have used our BBX income to pay for a host of related services such as trade stands, accommodation, marketing and promotional support.”

What are the advantages of BBX over cash?
When we asked Canddi Owner Tim Langley what he likes about BBX he told us that it really works for his business. “Our Software as a Service (SaaS) is popular with the type of firms who are members of BBX, and so we can generate sales quickly. On the buying side, find it reasonably easy to find the kind of services we need to help us grow on the BBX network.  Ben, our dedicated trade coordinator, is very persistent and as a result, we have found many offers and great deals on BBX.”

Zanda Birne – Owner of the Sandford Pub in Dorset

Zanda and her partner took over the Sandford Pub in Sandford, Dorset in October 2014 and have been busy ever since transforming it into a popular, family friendly watering hole for locals and visitors.

When we asked Zanda what made the Sandford pub different she replied,” As well as catering for the needs of families, we also provide for the increasing number of people who suffer from gluten intolerance. Unlike most restaurants, 95% of all the dishes we serve are gluten free.”

Zanda and Jamie joined the BBX network in November 2015, having had previous experience of another trading network. “We met a couple of the BBX team at a fundraising dinner, and they were extremely positive. When we questioned them further, it became apparent that BBX offered us significant benefits, so we signed up straight away.”

Now, having had almost a full year to assess the benefits of being part of the BBX trading network, they are well placed to comment on how BBX has worked for them.

What are the main benefits of BBX for You?

Zanda explained that being a member of BBX had allowed her to turn spare capacity in the restaurant into currency which they could then spent on for business and pleasure. “We have used BBX as a marketing tool to help us build our customer base. The offers they have promoted on our behalf have brought in many new customers who have in turn spread the word about our refurbishment to the wider community.”

How do you use your BBX pounds to buy business services?

“It’s a breeze. Whenever we need something for the Sandford Pub, we speak to our account manager, and they search the network on our behalf to see if there is anyone who can provide what we need on BBX. For example, we used BBX to pay for a professional sign writer to do all the interior signwriting for the bar and restaurant and we have used it to pay for a sailing trip as a motivational away day for our team.”

What would you say to anyone who was considering joining BBX?

“BBX really works, especially when you use it proactively. The more you put into BBX, the more you will get out of it. Work with your account manager and attend the regular BBX events and it will work for you too.”

Fiona Hansford – Corporate and Community Manager at Diverse Abilities

Diverse Abilities are a Dorset based charity who support adults and children with physical and/or learning disabilities. They provide a broad range of services including a specialist school, a children’s respite home, and an adult’s opportunities day centre. Fiona Hansford, their Corporate, and Community Manager explained that they had been members of BBX for 18 months, having joined on the personal recommendation of another BBX member.

Fiona said, “We initially joined to take advantage of an event that was being run by BBX, and I am delighted to report that we have continued to benefit significantly from our membership ever since.”

What are the main benefits of BBX for you?

“Joining BBX was a great decision for our charity. Our membership has allowed us to raise our profile by networking with other local businesses via regular BBX member events. As a result, we have gained a raft of new corporate supporters, been able to sell sponsorship packages and benefited from many generous donations from other BBX members.” Fiona also explained that she has been able to use BBX to sell ‘surplus’ items such as Christmas cards and cook books.

What do you do with the BBX pounds you generate?

Fiona told me that, although BBX is an alternative currency, it’s been easy to spend the income generated. By using BBX to replace many purchases that would otherwise have had to come from their cash account they have been able to help more people with physical and/or learning disabilities in Dorset.

“As well as using our BBX balance to replace cash for a number of everyday office expenses including office supplies, advertising, and promotional banners, we have also bought raffle and auction prizes. This latter activity has allowed us to turn a small BBX spend into much needed cash injection which can be channeled directly into our charitable activities.”

What do you like best about being a member of BBX?

“The best thing about being a BBX member is having the support of a dedicated account manager who knows us and the BBX client base. “They work on our behalf to find mutually beneficial opportunities, and this saves me lots of precious time.”

What would you say to other charities considering joining BBX?

“Do it! It has worked for us, and I am sure it will work for you too.”

For more information about Diverse Abilities, check out their website www.diverseabilities.org.uk

Paul Hann – CEO/Founder of Sunshine Luxury Villas

Sunshine Luxury Villas have been selling, sourcing and renting carefully selected properties in Cyprus since 2001 and BBX is an important part of their marketing strategy.   Paul, who owns the business jointly with his wife Cheryl, says “BBX provides us with an extremely cost effective way for us to rent out our unsold weeks.”

What do you sell on BBX?

“We have an incredible range of luxury rental properties on Cyprus, and inevitably, we have a few unsold weeks. Using BBX, we can quickly promote these short notice opportunities to a worldwide network of business owners. Typically generate between £5,000 and £7000 of additional revenue per month thanks to BBX.”

Paul and Cheryl also recently sold shares in their fantastic Powerboat, based in Dartmouth, via BBX. This has allowed them to reduce their overheads and improve their cash flow.

How do you spend on BBX?

Paul and Cheryl have used the rental income generated through the BBX network to buy a wide range of products and services for business and personal use.  Paul said “Our business related spend so far includes the services of a web designer, hotel accommodation for business trips, and more recently, we have found an excellent accountant on BBX. “ 

Paul and Cheryl have also used their BBX balance to upgrade their home and to cover the cost of family holidays and to dine out.

What are the advantages of BBX over cash?
BBX isn’t just an alternative to cash; it’s a complete community of likeminded business owners with a built in marketing platform.   We just tell our local BBX coordinator when we have spare unsold weeks available, and they promote them to the rest of the BBX network quickly and efficiently.   Transaction charges are competitive, and the system works really well.

Have your BBX clients referred cash business to you?

“Not yet! But it’s still early days for us with BBX.  We have previous experience with another trading network, and we know that people who visit Cyprus and stay in one of our properties are more likely to come back and buy their own property from us a few years down the line.”

Mark Young – Managing Director of Academy Class

Academy Class is a specialist training company providing software and programming training for creatives and web developers. Their public courses run regularly in London, Manchester, and Glasgow.   Mark Young their CEO says” “We have been members of BBX UK since it launched, and it has proved a brilliant way to monetise any spare places on our public courses.”

What do you sell on BBX?

Academy class run a broad range of training courses focusing in on the professional software used by Graphic Designers, Web Developers, and Architects.  There are accredited training providers for Adobe, Autodesk Apple, and Quark.

“We run regular training courses in Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, AutoCAD and Autodesk, Final Cut and WordPress.  Inevitably, we get a few unsold places or last minute cancellations which we market through the BBX Network.” 

Many of the businesses who are members of BBX can and do benefit from the type of professional training provided by Academy Class. Paying for such training with the extra income generated by their “spare capacity” has a beneficial effect on their cash flow.

Yes, but are you able to spend your BBX income?

Academy Class tell us that they have no difficulty spending the income they generate on BBX.   Mark says “We have been able to reduce our cash spend by paying for a broad range of products and services with BBX.  These include cleaning, coaching, copywriting, printing, courier services, office stationery and roller banners.   If we are buying something, we always look to see if we can get it on BBX before looking elsewhere, and more often than not we can!”

Ari Davis – Owner of Stuart Morgan Jewellery

Serial entrepreneur Ari Davis has two very different and distinctive businesses on the BBX network. The first sells ladies silver jewellery online while the second supplies custom made chandeliers to restaurants, hotels, bars as well as residential properties.  Ari has been a BBX member for just over a year and says “BBX is an excellent way to sell products and buy services.”

What do you sell on BBX?

“We sell two our Stuart Morgan range of Hallmarked Silver Jewellery includes earrings, pendants, bracelets and necklaces plus an exclusive range of custom made Italian Chandeliers featuring Swarovski Crystals.”

How do you spend on BBX?

Ari told us that he loves to use his BBX pounds rather than cash whenever he can. “I spend as much as I can on BBX. For example, in the last few months I have bought and paid for shirt ironing, a house survey and airport transfers (both in the UK and Lanzarote.)”   Like most other BBX clients, BBX is the first place Ari looks when he needs anything.

What do you like best about BBX?
“The BBX Network and its online platform make it easy for me to generate additional income which I can then spend on a range of products and services that I need.”