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How Shopify is simplifying financial services for entrepreneurs w/ Vikram Anreddy

shopify Vikram Anreddy

What if the financial hurdles of running an e-commerce business — like cash flow struggles, banking complexities, and sales tax headaches — could be simplified into one seamless platform? In today’s episode of the Tearsheet podcast, our guest Vikram Anreddy, head of product for financial services at Shopify, addresses just that. He discusses how the platform is addressing the financial needs of e-commerce entrepreneurs. His experience stems from roles at companies like Instagram and McKinsey. Anreddy is passionate about creating tools, especially the ones that ease the financial struggles of small business owners.  

“Entrepreneurship is such a tough game,” Anreddy says. “The odds of success are very low, and there’s so much friction.” He explains that Shopify is focused on reducing friction for e-commerce merchants. The company builds tailored solutions to help them succeed. Shopify Finance helps manage cash flow and simplify sales tax. It provides tools designed for small business owners. This lets them focus on their craft, not administrative tasks.

Anreddy details how Shopify Finance integrates deeply into the platform’s ecosystem. This allows merchants to manage their finances where they already operate their businesses. He also sheds light on innovative offerings like Shopify Capital Loans and Shopify Balance. These cater to the unique needs of small businesses. “Our goal is to stretch cash flows and end unnecessary complexities for our merchants,” Anreddy notes.

Shopify Finance: A suite of tools for e-commerce merchants

Shopify Finance addresses a critical pain point for merchants: managing their money. Traditional banking solutions often fail to cater to the unique needs of e-commerce entrepreneurs. This offers limited access to credit and complex processes. “Even opening a business bank account is hard for individual entrepreneurs,” Anreddy shares. The tech firm fills this gap with offerings like Shopify Balance, an alternative to traditional business banking. Merchants enjoy faster payouts, APY rewards, and seamless integrations.

Tackling cash flow management with Shopify Capital loans

Cash flow is a common challenge for small businesses, especially those managing inventory. Shopify Capital provides merchants with quick access to funds, enabling them to restock inventory or invest in growth opportunities. Since its launch in 2016, Shopify Capital has disbursed over $5 billion in funding. “It has become the rocket fuel for many of our merchants,” Anreddy highlights. He emphasizes the product’s impact on reducing cash flow constraints.

Automated sales tax management for entrepreneurs 

For many small business owners, managing sales tax is a daunting task, with over 11,000 tax jurisdictions in the U.S. alone. Shopify’s automated sales tax tools simplify this process by calculating taxes in real time. It allows merchants to set aside funds for remittance. “Sales tax is an enigma for entrepreneurs,” Anreddy admits. The platform’s integrated solution ensures merchants collect the right amount without extra headaches.  

Building merchant-centric financial tools

Shopify Finance products are designed with a deep understanding of merchants’ needs. They are derived from constant feedback and data insights. The platform integrates financial tools directly into its admin panel for ease. Features like APY rewards are designed to help merchants thrive. “Our merchants are incredibly driven and curious,” Anreddy says. “They adopt new tools quickly, which makes it easier to build for them.”

Future of Shopify Financial Services

Looking ahead, the platform plans to expand its financial services globally. It aims to integrate AI-driven insights to help merchants optimize their finances. “We are guided by two principles: stretch merchants’ cash flows and save them time,” Anreddy shares. The company also aims to enhance cross-product integrations. It wants to ensure seamless work management of features like Shopify Balance, credit cards, and sales tax management. This will help to reduce friction for merchants.

The Big Ideas

1. Shopify is breaking down barriers in small business banking. “Our merchants constantly tell us they’re underserved by traditional banks,” Anreddy explains. Shopify Finance bridges this gap. It does so by offering merchant-focused solutions like Shopify Balance and credit products.

2. Innovative go-to cash flow solutions. Shopify Capital loans provide quick access to working capital. This helps merchants overcome cash flow challenges. “It has become the rocket fuel for many merchants,” Anreddy notes.

3. Shopify ensures simplifying sales tax management. The platform’s automated tools take the complexity out of managing sales tax. This enables entrepreneurs to focus on their businesses. “It’s nearly impossible for small businesses to keep track of changing rules,” Anreddy says.

4. There is a deep integration of tools within the platform’s ecosystem. Financial tools like Shopify Balance and Capital Loans integrate into Shopify’s platform. This provides merchants with a one-stop solution. “This creates small moments of magic for our merchants,” Anreddy adds.

5. Shopify is looking ahead with AI and global expansion. The platform is investing in AI-driven insights. It aims to expand its financial services globally to bring more value to merchants. “We aim to make money a non-constraint for business success,” Anreddy concludes.

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Reshaping embedded finance with KeyBank’s Jon Briggs and Qolo’s CEO Patricia Montesi

KeyBank -- Qolo partnership on Tearsheet Podcast

Strategic partnerships – those relationships between traditional financial institutions and fintechs – have become really integral as banks seek to modernize their offerings and fintechs aim to scale their operations and get distribution.

KeyBank and Qolo have teamed up on an embedded finance offering. On today’s episode, we sit with Jon Briggs, Head of Product and Innovation at KeyBank, and Patricia Montesi, Co-founder and CEO of Qolo. 

Their collaboration story begins two years ago when a single slide in Qolo’s pitch deck caught KeyBank’s attention. “We still talk about it today,” Montesi recalls. “It was the ‘Series A: Winter Slide’, which was all about how fintech had created this spiderweb ecosystem of suppliers. And sort of put the burden back on banks and corporates to bring it all together.” Their shared goal of simplifying fintech sparked a partnership that’s addressing how treasurer think about and use banking. 

As Briggs explains, “We enter partnerships because they need a lot of mind share, a lot of sweat equity.” What set Qolo apart was their deep understanding of banking-grade compliance and operational risk. This makes the integration process less painful. The result of their collaboration? KeyVAM, a virtual account management system that simplifies money movement by consolidating balances and transactions in a virtual platform, reducing the need for organizations to manage multiple accounts or complex account structures.

KeyBank’s Jon Briggs and Qolo’s Patricia Montesi are my guests today on the Tearsheet Podcast.

Genesis of a Powerful Fintech Partnership

The collaboration between KeyBank and Qolo is a testament to the power of strategic bank-fintech partnerships. Briggs highlights the importance of cultural alignment. He states, “What distinguishes a partner from a vendor is that cultural and executive alignment.” Their shared vision has been key in overcoming the challenges of launching a new product.

Unveiling KeyVAM: A New Era in Treasury Management Solutions

KeyVAM represents a significant leap in core banking modernization. Briggs describes it as “a hyper-modern core ledger” that allows clients to open sub-accounts instantly. What sets it apart is its robust UI and API capabilities. This puts self-serve at the forefront of the product.

Rethinking Account Opening and Management

One of the most striking features of KeyVAM is its ability to streamline account opening. “We put our clients in the driver’s seat,” Briggs explains. “They can do it in as little as 60 seconds.” This quick speed and instant payment setup mark a major step forward in digital banking.

Strategic Importance of Embedded Finance

The development of KeyVAM is not just about solving current client needs. It is a strategic move in the evolving landscape of embedded finance. Briggs notes, “Deposits are going to become even more important for banks going forward, and it’s frankly going to be the gating item for growth.” KeyVAM allows KeyBank to compete with technology and innovation rather than just on rate.

Overcoming Challenges in Fintech Integration

Montesi stresses the importance of education when introducing new technologies in traditional banks. “It’s a really big part of understanding it at that level because a lot of real-time, instant, virtual – a lot of risk and compliance people get nervous when they hear these things,” she explains. This focus on education has been essential for adapting and integrating smoothly.

The Big Ideas

  1. Cultural Alignment has been crucial in navigating challenges and ensuring a successful partnership. Briggs shares, “What distinguishes a partner from a vendor is that cultural and executive alignment.”

  2. KeyVAM is a recent innovation in core banking systems. Briggs explains, “Nobody’s innovated around the core operating account which is at the centre of every banking relationship.” Such banking innovations represent a significant step forward in business banking solutions.

  3. Speed and Efficiency are the game-changers in digital banking. The ability to open accounts in as little as 60 seconds is a game-changer. Briggs notes, “We put our clients in the driver’s seat,” highlighting the focus on client empowerment and efficiency.

  4. KeyVAM helps KeyBank stay competitive by focusing on the value of deposits. This approach is key in navigating today’s changing regulations. Briggs highlights, “Deposits are going to become even more important for banks going forward.” KeyVAM positions KeyBank to compete effectively in this landscape. It results in efficient cash flow management by streamlining accounts. 

  5. Montesi stresses the importance of education and the integration of new technologies. He states, “You have to spend the right amount of time educating folks along that journey.” This focus on education has been crucial in overcoming integration challenges.

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Chase’s new cash flow-focused solutions for SMBs with Jameson Troutman

Jameson Troutman, Chase

In a recent podcast episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Jameson Troutman, Head of Product at Chase for Business. With over 20 years of experience in financial services, Jameson shared valuable insights into the current state of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in the U.S. and the innovative solutions Chase is offering to support them.

As Jameson puts it, “Small businesses in general are optimistic. They love supporting their customers and have a strong belief in their ability to power through any challenges.” This optimism is crucial, especially as SMBs navigate macroeconomic challenges such as inflation and cash flow management.

The current state of SMBs in the U.S.

Jameson emphasizes that despite economic challenges, the overall sentiment among small businesses remains positive. “We survey about 500 small businesses on a regular basis every month,” he explains. The data reveals that while 63% of SMBs are feeling the impact of macroeconomic forces like inflation and cash flow issues, they remain confident about their growth prospects. This optimism is fueled by their passion and creativity in overcoming daily challenges.

Addressing SMB’s cash flow challenges

One of the perennial issues for SMBs is managing cash flow. Jameson highlights that Chase is actively working to provide solutions that help businesses manage their receivables and payables more efficiently. “We’re bringing out new invoicing solutions and additional abilities to get paid faster through some of our real-time payments capabilities,” he shares. These innovations are designed to help SMBs maintain a healthy cash flow, which is critical in today’s economic environment.

Innovative payment solutions

Chase has recently launched several new capabilities aimed at simplifying financial operations for SMBs. One such solution is the faster payments capability, which allows businesses to choose how quickly they want their payments to be processed. “The flexibility gives them a lot of control,” Jameson notes. This feature helps SMBs manage their cash flow more effectively and can even provide preferential treatment from suppliers due to immediate payment options.

Enhanced invoicing capabilities for SMBs

Chase’s new invoicing capability is another new impactful product for Chase clients. This tool allows business owners to create, customize, and send invoices directly from their digital experience. “It saves them time because they don’t have to do manual reconciliation,” Jameson explains. The system supports multiple payment methods and auto-reconciles transactions, streamlining the entire invoicing process and improving cash flow management.

Leveraging customer insights

To help SMBs grow and drive revenue, Chase is launching a new data-driven product called Customer Insights. This tool provides anonymized transaction data to help businesses understand sales patterns and customer behavior. “It allows them to figure out how they tighten and get smarter about their marketing dollars,” Jameson says. This valuable data helps businesses make informed decisions about staffing, marketing, and other operational aspects.

The big ideas

  1. Small businesses remain optimistic despite economic challenges. “They love supporting their customers and have a strong belief in their ability to power through any challenges.”
  2. Chase is introducing solutions like faster payments and new invoicing capabilities to help SMBs manage their cash flow better. “We’re bringing out new invoicing solutions and additional abilities to get paid faster.”
  3. The faster payments capability offers SMBs flexibility in managing their transactions, providing control and potential benefits from suppliers. “The flexibility gives them a lot of control.”.
  4. The new invoicing tool simplifies the invoicing process, supporting multiple payment methods and auto-reconciliation. “It saves them time because they don’t have to do manual reconciliation.”
  5. The Customer Insights product leverages anonymized transaction data to help SMBs make informed decisions and drive revenue. “It allows them to figure out how they tighten and get smarter about their marketing dollars.”

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The following excerpts were edited for clarity.
 
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