Here’s a quick summary of what’s going on in the micro-lending space today!
The Internet side is growing 30% – 35%. There is a constant influx of newer, younger customers accessing short-term lending products. They’re coming to us via the Internet and their phone. Rather than cannibalizing the stores, the Internet is bringing new customers to our services. A majority of these consumers have not appeared in our data bases before. Of course, Internet loans = higher default rates (double) but fixed costs are considerably lower. The keys to success here? SEO (Search Engine Optimization), SEM (Search Engine Marketing), smart lead buying, analytics, use of offline marketing strategies…
Sure, there are still millions of consumers entering payday loan stores all over the world! However, there’s a huge number of tech savvy, younger consumers entering the work force in search of “quick-n-easy” access to cash via technology.
Millions of new consumers graduate from high school and college every year. Many of them get jobs in spite of what you’re hearing in the media. And it doesn’t matter whether they’re in the USA, Canada, the UK, Poland, Finland, the AU… they tend to spend more than they make – it’s human nature!
For those customers that have already used our products, nothing has changed for them either. Consumers are facing higher costs for goods and services. Wages are flat to stagnating. They need money now! The ALICE demographic continues to grow.
Example? I got a call today from a lady in Virginia. She works for the department of education. She was sobbing because she needed cash to get her prescription. The problem? She had paid off her payday loan with a licensed lender in Virginia but she had not yet been removed from the Virginia state data base. She chose to get a loan to solve this challenge via the Internet! Multiply this experience by millions and you’ll begin to understand our industry and our customer.
The “in-home loan model” is going strong! The payday loan product is offered and serviced at the consumer’s home. This is particularly pronounced in the UK and the Scandinavian market. We’re seeing this develop in the USA car title lending market and payday loans to a lesser extent. It’s a growing trend!
The world wide pawn/ collateralized loan segment is growing dramatically. Pawn shops are experiencing record profits and growth in revenue. Typical monthly fees for these collateralized loans run in the high teens. Cloud based pawn software and internet transactions are beginning to appear in this segment as well. We’ve had a number of creative entrepreneurs reach out to us lately for help in reaching potential franchisees/investors or introducing new solutions for operators in the pawn business.
Scrap gold jewelry buying is going through the roof! We have clients netting over $50K per year in some very competitive markets. If you aren’t in this space yet, FIGURE IT OUT!
Regarding acquisitions? The lack of liquidity is creating a pipeline of realistic sellers. Very sophisticated money is on the prowl for partners who offer local expertise and opportunities for growth in markets that are new to them.
The bottom line? There has never been more opportunity in our space! Growth is world-wide. What should you do? Research! Figure out what you and your Team bring. Choose the right partners. Develop your “secret sauce.”
Consult, analyze, adjust, and implement. Then REPEAT!
Questions? Call me: Jer 702-208-6736 Jer@PaydayLoanIndustryBlog.com
Remember – the simple stuff still works! In the age of the Internet, IPads, smart phones, PPC programs like Google and Bing, text messaging, blogging, click-to-call, yada, yada, yada… the offline marketing channels still work great! This is true for both brick-n-mortar and online payday loan, cash advance, “pink-slip (car title) loans, scrap gold buyers and more.
