Brewing Success in Hospitality: How Little Lane Thrives with SumUp

We’re celebrating a decade of SumUp by shining a spotlight on our most loyal merchants. For the past 9 years, we’ve had the pleasure to serve with London Meditation Centre, and we caught up with them to talk about the journey we’ve taken together.

London Meditation Centre was founded in 2008 by Jillian Lavender and Michael Miller to teach and spread the benefits of Vedic meditation. They’ve felt the transformative power of this meditation in their own lives, citing stress relief and better sleep as big ones. 

For the first few years, the company was a cash-only business. In 2013, they joined SumUp and have been thriving since. London Meditation Centre has been featured in The Telegraph, New York Times, and Metro, among others. However, they didn’t have the easiest start.

Meditation, yoga, and other types of more spiritual wellness may be popular now, but 10 years ago, that wasn’t the case. Meditation was unfamiliar, and there wasn’t as much awareness of the science behind it as there is today. 

Ten years ago, people thought meditation was weird. Barely anyone had tried it. We’d spend a lot of time explaining to people why the technique we teach — Vedic Meditation — is perfect for modern life, scientifically backed, and not all brown rice and sandals.

The centre began as a word-of-mouth business. Students would bring in their families, friends, and colleagues, who would do the same. Before long, the London Meditation Centre was seeing lots of new customers. Their customers appreciated the directness and uniqueness of Lavender and Miller’s offering. 

Education is as much of a focus as training at London Meditation Centre. To that end, the FAQ on their website has all the information you need to decide if trying meditation is for you. They have a sense of humour about it, too, with questions like “Do I have to give up booze and become a vegetarian?”

Now, almost everyone has heard of meditation and the activity has grown in popularity since the centre’s founding. The challenge we have now is that most people have tried an app or some mindfulness technique, and they think meditation is hard work and that they can’t do it. Vedic Meditation is easy and effortless. It’s enjoyable. We now educate people around this point instead.

Why cashless payments are essential for wellness businesses like London Meditation Centre

Having flexible payment options is important for any wellness business that wants to attract a large customer base. While some still prefer to use cash payments, much of the industry is moving towards cashless payments. Cashless payments in small businesses have the following benefits:

• It is faster and more efficient to process since everything is stored electronically, and there is no need to count physical currency. This, in turn, reduces the risk of human error while also saving time and reducing operational costs.

• Many customers prefer on-the-go payments for wellness businesses due to their efficiency and flexibility. Improving the customer experience will boost a business's client base.

• Storing cash on site increases the risk of theft and burglary. Cashless payments not only greatly reduce the risk of money being stolen but also minimise the risk of fraud through encryption and other security methods.

• Cashless payments offer better insight into customer buying habits through real-time transaction tracking for wellness businesses. This can help wellness businesses better understand their customers and market their brands accordingly.

LMC and SumUp

Finding SumUp was a huge boost to the London Meditation Centre’s business. Not only did they open themselves up to more customers, since almost all of the UK prefers cashless payment of some kind, they made handling their finances much easier. 

Right now, Lavender and Miller use a SumUp card reader and Payment Links to give their customers options. That way, they can accept cashless payments before a session, whether on-site or after a session.

Having SumUp as an option for payments gives our students flexibility and choice. 

Flexible Payment Options with SumUp Card Reader and Payment Links

The fact that both of these products are easy to use plays a big part in why they’ve stuck around. Customers can pay in seconds, SumUp readers can go with you anywhere, and you’ll see your transaction data in real time.

Payment links are similarly easy. They can be sent to customers anywhere at any time, and all the customer needs to do is click on the link to be redirected to a secure payment portal. When it came down to it, it was the simplicity and utility that attracted the pair to SumUp. 

So, what’s next for the London Meditation Centre?

The short answer is staying the course. Jillian and Michael’s vision to educate and improve the lives of others is the same now as it was back in 2008. 

We’re passionate about teaching Vedic Meditation properly and with integrity — and we see the life-changing benefits it has in each of our students every day. We always want to reach more people and spread these effects to ultimately create a calmer, happier society.

FAQs

How does SumUp help small businesses in the wellness industry?

SumUp can help small businesses set up a variety of flexible payment options that give customers a greater amount of choice. In addition to offering cashless payment in small businesses, SumUp wellness offers card readers and Payment Links that allow customers to pay conveniently at any time.

What are the benefits of using SumUp Payment Links for wellness services?

SumUp Payment Links give customers greater flexibility when it comes to making payments. They allow wellness services and customers to make easy transactions anywhere online. They are also highly secure and enable businesses to track payments easily through real-time transaction tracking for wellness businesses.

Is SumUp a good choice for small wellness and meditation centres?

For small wellness and meditation centres, making payment options as simple and painless as possible is an important part of the customer experience. With a variety of options for on-the-go payments for wellness businesses available, SumUp is indeed an excellent choice for improving such services.