Financial Technology Association

?? Meet Wander Africa, The Safari Co., a small business based in Black Mountain, NC, that creates authentic, eco-conscious adventures that combine personalized experiences with a commitment to sustainability, conservation, and meaningful connections to Africa's culture and communities. ??? Owner and founder Jay Parmar shares that Wander Africa had been using a big, traditional bank that didn't let them earn interest on checking balances and made it difficult to get support when they needed it. So, Jay asked his accounting firm if there was a better solution for small businesses, and they recommended Bluevine. Jay says, “We love that Bluevine is focused on building personal relationships with their customers, and we have access to actual humans." Jay's favorite feature is sub-accounts for better budgeting. "We use our sub-accounts to separate cash flow for monthly expenses, marketing budget, interest accrued… so when we log in, we have a clear outlook of how all our funds are being allocated and what that budget is used for,” he says. “For any small business owner who wants something streamlined and easy to use and doesn’t need a physical branch, Bluevine can tick all the boxes. I would 100% recommend Bluevine for any business, whether you’re small or large." Learn more about how Bluevine serves small businesses ?? https://lnkd.in/ent-tn_G Check out Wander Africa, The Safari Co. ?? https://lnkd.in/eGaXfnCK

?? Our next #smallbusiness spotlight is Smarter Consulting in #Lenexa, #KS dedicated to helping underserved individuals, particularly women and minorities, upskill in tech through mentorship and apprenticeships. Owner, Sharon Weaver, started working with Forward Financing to quickly access the capital she needed to help stabilize her business and maintain her employees in between projects. Offering revenue-based financing, Forward provided Sharon with the quick and efficient injection of capital she needed to maintain day-to-day operations and support business growth. ??? “Now that I’ve worked with Forward Financing, it is nice to know that there are other options out there. I really only thought about the more traditional lending opportunities and I think this was nice to see more innovative practices in finance.” Forward Financing provides fast, flexible working capital to small businesses that may face challenges accessing traditional financing options. Check out Smarter Consulting ?? https://lnkd.in/eHW3gJV Learn more about Forward Financing and what makes their product uniquely suitable for small businesses ?? https://lnkd.in/d3U9n8ct #PoweredByFintech #SmallBusinessSaturday

Exciting news! FTA President and Chief Executive Officer Penny Lee was featured on several morning shows across the country to discuss our?#SmarterThanScams?campaign. Check out her segment on Good Morning Washington to learn about common payments scams and actionable tips to shop safe this holiday season. Together, we can be #SmarterThanScams! https://lnkd.in/dfDZdWye

With #SmallBusinessSaturday just days away, we're spotlighting small businesses that are #PoweredByFintech. Next up is Chai Direct, founded by Troy and Alexis Stetina in Deming, New Mexico. Chai Direct is a retailer that specializes in a curated selection of over 100 chai tea varieties, paired with detailed taste-test reviews and ratings through their unique "Taste-O-Meter?" system to help customers make informed choices. Through PayPal Complete Payments, Chai Direct was able to enable #Fastlane by PayPal to improve their guest checkout experience. Chai Direct Co-founder Troy Stetina shared that Fastlane helped them avoid the summer slowdown and increase customer conversions. “Fastlane makes it easy for people to try our products and for us to grow our customer base,” Troy shared. “Usually summer is our ‘off’ season, but this summer has not slowed at all – our conversion rate has increased 35 percent between Aug 2023 and August 2024 and I believe that Fastlane is largely responsible for that increase.” As the Chai Direct team prepares for the upcoming 2024 holiday shopping season, Troy embraces new ideas to stay flexible. “We had some good success last year by highlighting special holiday-themed items as "stocking stuffers," and showcasing them on a special Holiday Gift Giving page.” This turned out to be an easy way for current customers to try new products and share them with friends and family. “We're planning this year's list of items and the promos we'll do to highlight them. And now with #Fastlane by PayPal, we are looking forward to it being even easier for our shoppers to gift these stocking stuffers to new potential Chai Direct fans.” Learn more about Fastlane by PayPal ?? https://lnkd.in/e8q9xzNR Shop at Chai Direct ?? https://chaidirect.com/ PayPal for Business

?? As the holiday season approaches, we’re excited to profile FTA Member Company Klarna and spotlight how they power small businesses with innovative tools to serve their customers effectively. In a recent Q&A, Erin Jaeger, Head of North America, shares that Klarna is the leading #AI-powered global payments network and shopping destination, revolutionizing commerce with solutions that make shopping and payments simpler, safer, and more accessible. With over 85 million active users and 2.5 million transactions daily, Klarna’s mission is to empower smarter shopping for consumers and businesses alike. ??? “For small businesses, Klarna is more than just a payments partner—we’re a growth engine,” says Erin Jaeger. “By absorbing repayment and fraud risks and paying merchants upfront, we help small businesses unlock higher sales, attract new customers, and compete effectively in a dynamic marketplace.” As she looks towards the future, Erin believes #artificialintelligence will play a “transformational role” in empowering small businesses. For example, Klarna’s “AI-powered Shopping Assistant enables seamless product discovery, price comparison, exclusive deals, and returns management,” she shares. This tool empowers small businesses to connect with the right customers and achieve sustainable growth. ?? Check out her entire Q&A for more ?? https://lnkd.in/eNkw4z4v #PoweredByFintech #BuyNowPayLater #SmallBusinessSaturday

????? As we look ahead to #SmallBusinessSaturday, we’re excited to profile FTA Member Betterment and spotlight how they serve small businesses. Betterment is on a mission to "Make People’s Lives Better," supporting small businesses by providing innovative workplace financial solutions. These tools help employees plan for their futures, addressing critical gaps like the retirement savings crisis. “Small businesses are historically underserved when it comes to financial services,” says Sarah Kirshbaum Levy, CEO of Betterment. “We built our own 401(k) plan to solve this challenge and loved it so much that we made it available to other small businesses through Betterment at Work.” ?? One standout story is a family-owned retail contractor in California that turned to Betterment to simplify its annual 401(k) audit process. Thanks to Betterment’s intuitive platform and dedicated Client Success Manager, the CFO has successfully navigated this complex task for four years, freeing up time to focus on other priorities. Looking ahead, Sarah highlights the potential impact of policies like Secure 2.0, which addresses key financial trade-offs for savers. Expanding these initiatives to include programs like 529 matches or down-payment savings could transform financial wellness for small business employees, promoting retirement readiness and broader financial resilience. With features like customizable portfolios, financial coaching, and 401(k) student loan matching, Betterment equips small businesses with a comprehensive financial wellness strategy to attract and retain top talent. Read Sarah’s entire Q&A to learn more ?? https://lnkd.in/eTAKHzW2 #PoweredByFintech Betterment at Work

Our next spotlight is Platinum Full Service Plumbing, a trusted #smallbusiness in #Puyallup, #WA! ? Colton Bilderback, owner of Platinum Full Service Plumbing, shares how Stripe-powered tools, like Housecall Pro and the Stripe card reader, help keep his business running smoothly. ???"When I started my business and I had issues collecting payment, I remember thinking back and remembering my dad having the same issue. Luckily for me, I had Housecall Pro and it helped me accept payment faster without the struggle that my dad went through. We use our card reader, which is made by Stripe, and we're able to collect payment same day, and that really helps keep our business going with capital," says Colton. Learn more about Platinum Full Service Plumbing ?? https://lnkd.in/dqqqAzMh See how Stripe helps small businesses like Platinum Full Service Plumbing ?? https://lnkd.in/eNgUHaXj #PoweredByFintech #SmallBusinessSaturday

Meet The Shani Project, a small business in #Minneapolis, #MN, dedicated to creating a safe and authentic space for individuals to prioritize their mental health and well-being while fostering healthy interpersonal relationships. Led by Shani Tran, a therapist, TikToker, speaker, and writer, the project uses humor and honesty to destigmatize mental health and support clients on their healing journey. Intuit QuickBooks Capital provides small businesses with fast, flexible funding options to help manage cash flow, grow, and cover expenses. Shani shares that "the Shani Project is about creating access to Black Mental health therapists. Fintech has allowed me to expand my business and hire more Black therapists to create that access. Quickbooks Capital was easy to use and very understandable, which can often be a challenge for someone like me who has ADHD." Learn more about QuickBooks Company Capital ?? https://lnkd.in/eczETXte Check out The Shani Project ?? https://lnkd.in/ed3wY9Nq and follow Shani on TikTok ?? @theshaniproject #PoweredByFintech #SmallBusinessSaturday

?? Today's #smallbusiness spotlight is Timberdoodle Co., an online curator of homeschooling resources in #Shelton, #WA. Bluevine supports small businesses like #Timberdoodle by offering flexible lines of credit and innovative banking solutions designed to meet their unique cash flow needs. With fast access to capital and easy-to-use financial tools, Bluevine empowers entrepreneurs to focus on confidently scaling their businesses. ?? ?? At first, Timberdoodle lacked the digital tools that CFO Grace Deffinbaugh needed to manage her family business's finances on the go. She knew she was spending too much time driving to and from the bank to deposit checks, plus the business wasn't earning interest on its checking balances. So, Grace found Bluevine and never looked back. ??? As Grace puts it, "Since switching to Bluevine, we've saved countless hours and earned high interest." Learn more about how Timberdoodle upgraded its business banking with Bluevine ?? https://lnkd.in/eHaa_2pZ Check out Timberdoodle Co. ?? https://timberdoodle.com/ #PoweredByFintech #SmallBusinessSaturday

Meet our #SmallBusinessSaturday spotlight, Swella, based in Atlanta, GA & Charlotte, NC—on a rapid growth path thanks to their fintech partner, Pipe! ?? Swella’s founder, Brooke Hill, was thrilled to receive a capital offer from Pipe that powered the growth of her small business with re-payments that adjusted to her revenue flow. In Brooke's words, the capital offer "accelerated our business growth and helped us launch our second location. As a small business owner, the weight can be heavy in securing the financial means to launch a retail space. Often, traditional loans/debt want a personal guarantee, which is not founder-friendly. [Pipe] was able to see our performance and [offer] us the capital to multiply without the need for a personal guarantee or even a lengthy application and approval process. We love that we can [access capital] and forget it with seamless automatic payments based on our revenue." Learn more about Swella ?? https://lnkd.in/gYambqh2 Discover how Pipe powers small businesses like Swella ?? https://lnkd.in/ewvUuXT2 #PoweredByFintech #SmallBusinessSaturday