Small businesses are now competing in a marketplace dominated by low-cost large enterprises, says Herby Duverne, CEO at Windwalker Group.

Media 7 | May 28, 2020

Andy Brown, Chief Executive Officer at ENGAGE has worked in the research and consulting industry for 25 years. He was previously a Partner at Mercer Consulting, a Global Practice Leader at The Empower Group (the strategic consulting division of Manpower), Managing Director of YouGov Consulting and Head of Research at The Gallup Organization. Andy co-founded ENGAGE and has worked for the company since 2008 and, in 2013, co-led an MBO of the firm. He works with CEOs, boards and executive teams in FTSE 100 and Fortune 500 firms, as well as with a range of fast-growing entrepreneurial start-ups. MEDIA 7: What are you most passionate about? ANDY BROWN: I’m passionate about four key things: helping organisations improve their performance; helping leaders to be as effective as possible; helping employees to feel a sense of purpose in their work; and, of course, my family!

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Media 7 | April 22, 2020

Cameron Worth, CEO & Founder of SharpEnd leads the company’s mission to help brands move closer than ever to consumers by connecting packaging, retail and experiential activity. He is a regular speaker and writer on how to build brands in a connected world. He has spoken at Cannes, the Festival of Marketing, LuxePack Monaco and New York, Ad:Week Europe and New York, DMA, the Connected Consumer Conference, Mobile World Congress and the IoT World Forum. MEDIA 7: How did the idea of “the agency of things” come to your mind? CAMERON WORTH: SharpEnd was created in 2015 as the world’s first Internet of Things focused agency, so there is a slight play on words when we say we’re the Agency of Things. I think the idea of giving things their own agency is an interesting concept, and the strapline fits our capabilities on multiple levels. M7: In what way does technology drive the association of SharpEnd with global brands? What approaches are followed to enable sustainability? CW: Our simple proposition is to help build brands in a connected world, and to do that you must always start with identified consumer needs or pain points and look at technology as just an enabler to deliver an appropriate solution (when appropriate).  Take the issue of sustainability, which is often a pain point for brands that grapple with issues such as how we can reward sustainable behaviour change. One of our approaches to this could be to look at communicating the recycling credentials of the different products. Whilst the consumer can engage with a product as part of a wider consumer experience, the same technology could also house content that could tell you whether the product is recyclable, which type of bin it goes in etc. SharpEnd’s work with Unilever is a case in point. We built a digital product that incentivised recycling through gamification but also served to educate through informing people how and where to recycle in a clear fashion. All users had to do was simply scan their packaging to have all this information at their disposal.

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MEDIA 7 | January 9, 2020

Sangram Vajre, Co-Founder & Chief Evangelist at Terminus is also an author and host of the podcast FlipmyFunnel. He is one of the leading minds in B2B marketing. MEDIA 7: What are you passionate about? SANGRAM VAJRE: Three things: Lead professionally. Grow personally. Love family. M7: Terminus has been recognized as one of Georgia’s 40 fastest-growing companies by ACG Atlanta. What factors contribute to this pace? SV: One of our core values is #OneTeam – which means we think and act as one team and know that if we treat our team right, they will treat our customers amazing. There are no great companies, only great people that make those companies.

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MANAGEMENT,FINANCE

WebBank | August 08, 2022

National Partners PFco (“National Partners”), a wholly owned subsidiary of WebBank, announced it has acquired Security Premium Finance Company, LLC (“Security Premium Finance”). Security Premium Finance is a privately held premium finance company founded in 1995 by Bert Irigoyen and based in Coral Gables, Florida. Security Premium Finance provides insurance premium financing services for commercial and consumer clients to purchase property and casualty insurance products in Florida. This acquisition provides National Partners with diversification, geographic market opportunities and a competitive advantage in the industry. As part of the acquisition all Security Premium Finance employees are now employees of National Partners.We have been long impressed with the expertise and success of Security Premium, demonstrated by strong customer loyalty and earned through delivery of unparalleled customer service,” said Bruce Lundy, President of National Partners. Security Premium’s partnership with National Partners will allow us to mutually expand and grow throughout Florida and beyond. “We believe National Partners is a strong strategic fit for Security Premium Finance that will allow us to grow exponentially in the Florida market and expand into other states,The Security Premium Finance team is excited to join forces with the National Partners team.” -Bert Irigoyen, President of Security Premium Finance. About National Partners Dedicated to providing the highest standards in the premium finance industry, National Partners, a wholly owned subsidiary of WebBank, works with clients of all sizes through its commercial insurance agent and broker relationships. Responsive service, ease of use and creative solutions are its hallmarks. It also offers funding programs to third-party premium finance companies, often those affiliated with agents, brokers, and MGAs, so that these smaller premium finance companies can access capital to grow and expand. About WebBank WebBank is a Utah chartered Industrial Bank headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah. Since its inception in 1997, WebBank has originated and funded over $155 billion in consumer and commercial credit products. As “The Bank Behind the Brand®”, WebBank is a national issuer of consumer and small business credit products through Strategic Partner (Brand) platforms, which include retailers, manufacturers, finance companies, software as a service (SaaS) and financial technology (FinTech) companies. The Bank is a leading player in the digital lending space, driving innovation in financial products through embedded finance with Strategic Partner platforms. WebBank engages in a full range of banking activities including consumer and commercial loan products, revolving lines of credit, credit cards, private-label card issuance, auto-refinancing and more. The Bank provides capital in the form of asset-backed lending and other credit facilities to Strategic Partner platforms, credit funds, and other lenders with a targeted focus on specialty finance assets. The Bank is also a leading provider of commercial insurance premium finance products through its wholly owned subsidiary National Partners and Security Premium Finance, a wholly owned subsidiary of National Partners. For more information, please visit www.webbank.com.

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FINANCE

Caary Capital | August 04, 2022

Caary Capital announced a joint effort with Ceridian, a global leader in human capital management (HCM) technology, to extend its value to Ceridian’s Powerpay customers.Powerpay, a cloud-based payroll and HR solution, is designed to meet the needs of Canada’s small business segment. Together with Caary Capital’s credit and spend management platform, the two companies will better meet the needs of Canadian small and medium-sized businesses by offering enhanced services. “Ceridian is a global software leader and champion for Canadian businesses, Shared values are an integral component of any partnership, and we are pleased to join forces with Ceridian to continue to offer solutions for the small business community, a long-underserved segment.” -John MacKinlay, CEO of Caary Capital. According to recent research from Caary Capital, the Canadian Lenders Association and Xero, Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises struggle with access to corporate credit and financial products and services, often having to rely on a personal guarantee or a personal credit card. This is compounded by the administrative aspects of payroll that take small business owners’ focus away from business growth. “At Ceridian, we’re driven to extend our Makes Work Life Better™ brand promise to our customers and their employees. Today’s announcement marks the start of a meaningful collaboration with Caary Capital and will deliver benefits for small and medium-sized business in Canada,” -Ettan Romm, Director of Product Management at Ceridian. By delivering corporate credit without the usual required personal guarantees and credit checks, Caary Capital is enabling greater access to financial services. Caary Capital looks at a business’ cash flow and assets to assess risk and make corporate credit an option for small and medium-sized businesses. The fintech platform provides no-fee credit cards, 1.5 per cent cash back on all spend and administrator-managed virtual cards to streamline employee and supplier expenses. The new partnership with Ceridian will provide access to Caary Capital’s product and services to Ceridian’s Powerpay customers, giving easier access to joint products, discounts for customers and continued collaboration. For more information visit caary.com or ceridian.ca. About Caary Capital Ltd. Caary is a fintech platform for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) led by the Caary Business Mastercard®. With Caary, SMEs can better control their spending and automate expense management. The Caary platform comes with 1.5% cash back on all spend, no fees, no foreign exchange fees and self-directed employee and supplier cards. 98% of Canadian businesses are SMEs. Accessible credit cards, capital and fintech products are the tools to help them compete, grow and thrive. Visit caary.com for more information.

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FINANCE,SMALL BUSINESS ADVICE

SMBX | August 05, 2022

Five new Washington, DC small businesses are giving local investors the opportunity to invest in them through SMBX and the DC Rebuild Bond program—a partnership with DC Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Deputy Mayor’s Office of Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) to drive $5 million in investment in DC small businesses. “Our first-in-the-nation partnership with Mayor Bowser’s administration continues to bring investment to DC small businesses while giving local investors more control over their money,” said Ben Lozano, CEO and co-founder of SMBX. “We’re committed to bringing investment to small businesses in DC’s underserved communities to keep wealth creation local." The new DC small businesses listed on the SMBX marketplace include: Aurora Market—The veteran-owned organic market near Howard University is raising $250,000 to add staff, new equipment and working capital. Style Bar DC—The Black-owned Dupont Circle neighborhood salon is raising $250,000 to expand its staff and marketing efforts. Arepa Zone—The traditional Venezuelan eatery with 6 locations in DC is adding a 7th by raising $500,000 to fund construction and new equipment. Zeleno—The healthy café plans to expand to a new DC location by raising $250,000 for construction and working capital. Toolbox— The Pilates studio and event space is raising $250,000 to build a second location in Union Market. “Aurora Market is known as ‘The Modern Mom & Pop Shop’ and we believe that the DC Rebuild Bond Program and the SMBX marketplace can help others raise the capital needed here and in other underserved communities, SMBX Small Business Bonds empower communities to support local, buy local, and invest local. It’s a win-win for all involved; DC improves the economy, small businesses remain open, and the community keeps their favorite places while earning a profit from their investment. Why donate, when you can invest?” -Pablo Ortiz, founder of Aurora Market Through the DC Rebuild Bond program, businesses can issue Small Business Bonds with no origination fees. Their customers and local investors can invest in their business by purchasing their Bonds for as little as $10 each and be repaid monthly principal and interest.* Since it was launched in September 2021, thirteen (13) businesses have raised over $1.3 million in investments, with more small businesses joining the program and investors buying Small Business Bonds daily. "Our partnership with SMBX is a valuable tool that allows residents to invest in our local businesses, It is so important for small businesses to have access to funding, specifically entrepreneurs of color, and SMBX provides a viable option to convert customers to investors." -Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development John Falcicchio SMBX is the Small Business Bond marketplace that connects qualified small business owners with everyday investors. By issuing a Small Business Bond, businesses can borrow money from existing customers and their community at competitive rates, raising the funds needed to expand their business. SMBX was founded by Ben Lozano, Chief Executive Officer; Bhavish Balhotra, Chief Technology Officer; and Jackie Chan, Chief Operating Officer. They created the SMBX marketplace and the Small Business Bond after the SEC implemented Title III of the JOBS Act in 2016, making it easier for people to invest in startups and small businesses as non-accredited investors.

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