F&M Club membership program: failure to meet targets for new-member acquisition and contract renewal rate

「As a result, the number of F&M Club members at the end of the consolidated accounting period for the interim period (30 September 2025) was 14,385 companies, an increase of 680 from the end of the previous fiscal year.」

「For member companies, the company strengthened online meetings with dedicated account managers to propose services addressing their issues and manage tasks to be performed. It also developed a system to promote service use by sharing member-company tasks on the members-only website and monitoring delays and omissions. In addition, it strengthened advice on cash-flow management during the period of full-scale repayment of COVID-19 loans. As a result, the number of エフアンドエムクラブ members at the end of the interim period of the current fiscal year, 30 September 2024, was 12,553 companies, up 1,361 companies from the end of the previous fiscal year.」

「For companies that had recently entered into contracts, in particular, the company launched a department specializing in onboarding and provided support so that they could continue using the services independently. As a result, the number of エフアンドエムクラブ members at the end of the third quarter of the current fiscal year, 31 December 2023, was 10,445 companies, up 1,398 companies from the end of the previous fiscal year.」

「For member companies, the company operated a system for regularly collecting information without relying on people, enabling timely proposals tailored to each company’s circumstances. It also proceeded with building a service structure that provides the reassurance of having an account representative who continuously understands the company’s situation and the satisfaction of receiving support from specialists. As a result, the number of F&M Club members stood at 9,491 companies as of 30 June 2023, the end of the first quarter of the fiscal year under review, up 444 companies from the end of the previous fiscal year.」

「To establish a structure capable of providing timely information and management support tailored to each company’s circumstances, the company launched a service at the beginning of every month to check with all member companies on matters such as whether they had plans for capital investment or hiring. This led to deeper support and received a certain level of recognition.」

「For member companies, we are moving away from a service delivery structure dependent on individual employees and have launched customer success operations. This enables us to provide personalized information to each customer company, such as proposing tax-saving measures to companies approaching their fiscal year-end month and providing information on subsidies by municipality. We have also significantly shortened the time required to resolve inquiries by having customer support handle them centrally.」

「For member companies, the company continued to move services online and proceeded with building a service delivery system that could collect information regularly through a system rather than relying on people, enabling timely proposals tailored to each company’s circumstances. As a result, the number of F&M Club members stood at 7,881 companies as of 30 June 2022, the end of the first quarter of the fiscal year under review, up 283 companies from the end of the previous fiscal year.」

「For member companies, the company continued to move services online to improve convenience and developed a service delivery structure that enabled regular and self-directed use. This improved the continuation rate and contributed to membership growth, pushing up revenue.」

「For エフアンドエムクラブ, the company pursued new partnership agreements with regional financial institutions and others and worked to expand sales opportunities by making proposals focused on providing financial information and support to business owners preparing for repayment of the increasingly common COVID-19 loans, as well as to those considering business plans and the use of subsidies to review their businesses and plan future expansion after COVID-19. For member companies, it developed its service delivery structure to improve convenience and encourage use by moving services online. As a result, the number of エフアンドエムクラブ members at the end of the third quarter of the current fiscal year, 31 December 2021, was 7,466 companies, up 720 companies from the end of the previous fiscal year.」

「For F&M Club, the company proceeded with new partnership agreements with regional financial institutions and other organizations and worked to increase sales opportunities by developing proposals focused on financial support for companies facing cash-flow difficulties due to the impact of COVID-19. It also encouraged activity among partner financial institutions by sharing successful examples of cooperation. For member companies, it developed a follow-up system that did not assume service delivery through visits or depend on the capabilities of individual consultants. As a result, the number of F&M Club members stood at 7,311 companies as of 30 September 2021, the end of the second quarter of the fiscal year under review, up 565 companies from the end of the previous fiscal year.」

「For エフアンドエムクラブ, the company worked to expand sales opportunities by pursuing new partnership agreements with regional financial institutions and others and making proposals centered on the Business Reconstruction Subsidy in addition to its existing financial management, labor management and human-resource development services. It also continued holding online seminars for business owners to promote activity among financial institutions with which it had established partnerships. For member companies, it further developed a follow-up system that did not rely on visits.」

「In this business, the COVID-19 pandemic caused regional financial institutions, particularly during the first half, to refrain across the board from visiting companies and holding seminars. The resulting decline in sales opportunities hampered new contract acquisition, while cancellations occurred one after another, mainly among companies that found it difficult to continue their businesses. During the second half, the resumption of joint visits by our staff, except in some regional cities, enabled the company to secure sales opportunities. In addition, numerous inquiries about the Business Reconstruction Subsidy, established as a successor to the sustainability grants, led to proposals and significantly improved the pace of new contract acquisition. As membership only turned to a net increase in the second half, membership-fee revenue fell below plan and pushed down revenue.」

「For エフアンドエムクラブ, seminars for business owners continued to be held online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, except in some regional cities, our staff were able to resume joint visits with the regional financial institutions that were its primary partners, enabling the company to secure a certain level of sales opportunities. As a result, the number of エフアンドエムクラブ members at the end of the third quarter of the current fiscal year, 31 December 2020, was 6,401 companies, up 22 companies from the end of the previous fiscal year.」

「For エフアンドエムクラブ, the COVID-19 pandemic continued to restrict joint visits by our staff to companies, particularly in regional cities, among the regional financial institutions that were its primary partners. Seminars for business owners hosted by financial institutions also continued to be held online, preventing the company from securing sufficient sales opportunities. As a result, the number of エフアンドエムクラブ members at the end of the second quarter of the current fiscal year, 30 September 2020, was 6,264 companies, down 115 companies from the end of the previous fiscal year.」

「For エフアンドエムクラブ, the COVID-19 pandemic caused the regional financial institutions that were its primary partners to refrain across the board from visiting companies and holding seminars, making it difficult to secure sales opportunities as before. As a result, the number of エフアンドエムクラブ members at the end of the first quarter of the current fiscal year, 30 June 2020, was 6,291 companies, down 88 companies from the end of the previous fiscal year.」

「Although revenue from the business exceeded the previous fiscal year, the pace of growth in エフアンドエムクラブ membership slowed. This was because new member acquisition failed to progress and the contract renewal rate fell below plan.」