Skip to main content
_FB_2018-Icons-finalized-cleaned-up_new_FB_2018-Icons-finalized-cleaned-up_newGroup 9
Back
Scroll to top

Case Study: Happy Kids Development Center

2 min read
A child's hands playing with toys

Ready to talk to an expert?

Seventeen years ago, Rhonda Gebbia founded Happy Kids Development Center, a childcare facility in Wilmington, North Carolina. We spoke to her husband Joey, who handles the finances, about their decision to use First Bank for their cash management solutions.

What are the major cash management challenges your business faces?

We don’t see major spikes or dips in our income – we typically know exactly what to expect every week. Our challenges are to ensure payments come in on time, managing our budget on a fixed income, and making sure our employees get paid.

How has First Bank helped you meet these cash management needs?

First Bank offers us the underlying banking support so that parents can make their payments on time. We use our First Bank checking account to pay bills and receive payments every week. When a check from a parent comes in, we know it will be properly processed. We have a debit card attached to the checking account that we use to make purchases.
First Bank also helps us do large renovation projects even though we’re on a pretty fixed income. Every year around Christmas, we renovate one of our rooms. First Bank is always able to offer us a line of credit so that we can accomplish the project without disrupting our cash flow.
When it comes to employee payments, First Bank set us up with direct deposit. The process was really easy – I provided the employee names and banking information, and First Bank set everything up for me. Then, they walked me through how to make my first payment. Our previous bank was not as helpful.

Speaking of your previous bank, why did you decide to come to First Bank?

We became First Bank customers about a year ago after it became clear that our previous bank wasn’t meeting our needs. As soon as I walked into First Bank, I got a warm greeting and great personal service from a woman named Jenna. The word “no” has not been in their vocabulary. They treat us like they appreciate the business my wife has built over the last seventeen years.

Any final thoughts?

Any time I hear someone complaining about their bank, I tell them: “Go see First Bank.”

Ready to talk to an expert?

Share:
First Bank’s Good To Know Logo
Sign up for our newsletter and be the first to know about new tips, insights, and products from First Bank.
First Bank may use this email address to contact you about products, services, and promotions.

You may be interested in...

Image for tile. Three Tips to Building Your Emergency Savings Trying to stay on top of your finances and budgeting for monthly expenses can be stressful, especially when unexpected car repairs, job related issues, or natural disasters occur. We want to make sure that you are fully prepared in case any unexpected life altering events happen and fortunately there’s a way you can do so. Starting to build your emergency savings can help you when you find yourself in a bind. Emergency savings, or an emergency fund, allows you to build a savings buffer, so that you do not have to worry about how to pay for unforeseen financial emergencies. If you don’t know where to start with saving for emergencies, here are a few tips to help get you started. Create a budget. Creating a budget helps you estimate how much you are spending. You can adjust a budget to show how much you are spending on a monthly or weekly basis. This helps you visualize where your money is going and how much of your income you have left over after paying bills. Having a budget can also help you determine wants vs. needs. Determining needs over wants can free up more money from things that aren’t necessities. Determine how much to put into your emergency savings. Money experts recommend having three to six months’ worth of expenses saved in your emergency savings. However, once a budget has been created and you see how much extra income you have, you can decide how much is reasonable to put into an emergency fund. Don’t be discouraged if it seems like you aren’t saving enough initially. Everyone’s situation may vary and as you become more comfortable saving, adjustments can be made. Determine where to keep your emergency fund. Figuring out where to keep your emergency savings is completely up to you, but make sure to keep it in a place that is easily accessible. A few options for savings are a savings account, checking account, or certificate of deposit. No matter which option you choose, we have associates ready and available to help get you started. Find your local branch today and start getting your savings in order. Want to continue learning how to make your money go further? Take 3 min read