Most of us can remember the car club meetings of years gone by when a group of enthusiasts would meet up in a social setting to share an interest in their favoured vehicles. It usually meant a group of people headed up by a president, vice-president and secretary chairing a pub gathering and keeping notes on paper to be typed up at a later date and distributed by post. Memberships were kept listed on a notepad and cheques were made out for payment, and the focus of the club was on the cars.
Of course, these days, personal membership information has to be kept in line with the recent GDPR changes, and most things are recorded and distributed electronically, such as communications and payments. There’s a major advantage to a car club taking on any of the membership management systems now available.
Specialised Software
You’ll find many membership management systems that are easily tailored to your club’s needs and can incorporate as many, or as few, features as the club requires.
The system, such as that found at https://www.ofec.co.uk/web-and-software-development-services/membership-management-systems.aspx, should have basic features such as a membership database, event planning, automated renewal and online payment systems. Being able to personalise the system is also a great feature so you can brand your car club nationally. With one click of a button, communications can be sent out to its members – however they have chosen to receive them.
Other features may include member portals or forums, photo galleries and online shopping carts.
Make Sure It’s Compliant
With the introduction of stricter data protection laws for businesses, as detailed by the Local Government Association, it’s important to know that these rules stretch to anyone holding personal data, and this includes car clubs. An online membership management system will help the club follow the guidelines without having to be confused by all the rules and regulations.
Overall, an online system makes good sense for any car club. Keeping records of all its members and their personal details in a safe and compliant way and being able to keep financial accounts will leave the club administrators with more time to arrange the more exciting and social aspects of the clubs. No matter what size of car club, there will be a system to meet its needs and budget.