Technology

Switcher, Inc. Launches Shopify Solution for Small and Mid-Sized Businesses to Drive Video Commerce Sales through Shoppable Livestreams

Switcher, Inc. | June 10, 2022

Switcher, Inc. Launches Shopify Solution
Switcher, Inc. (Switcher), a leading content creation and video production software company trusted by customers across the globe, announced the launch of Cartr by Switcher Studio, a Shopify app that seamlessly integrates Shopify products with Switcher Studio’s iOS app to create branded shoppable livestreams on Facebook.

This unique solution enables customers to easily add products to their online shopping cart by simply commenting on the livestream. Once a customer has selected an item from the livestream, Cartr, a chatbot, will deploy and request specifics in terms of size, color, and quantity. This technology takes video from a marketing tactic to a sales strategy and creates a new revenue stream for small and mid-sized businesses.

Since the company’s founding in 2014, Switcher Studio has been helping small businesses and individuals create, edit, and share video content in a professional, polished manner without the need to invest in expensive technology and equipment. As live selling continues to grow in popularity, small and mid-sized businesses are looking for ways to tap into this new sales channel to not only drive revenue but expand their customer base by reaching new audiences on social media.

“Our goal at Switcher is to change the way video gets made and empower small and mid-sized businesses to take ownership of creating video that drives sales, With live selling expected to generate $35 billion in sales by 2024, we wanted to create a video commerce solution that generates revenue, creates repeat buyers, and empowers small business owners to have the tools they need to compete with national and international brands.”

-Nick Mattingly, CEO and Co-Founder, Switcher Studio

Cartr simplifies the live selling process by allowing businesses to connect Switcher to their Shopify store to effortlessly manage inventory for their shoppable streams and deliver a seamless customer experience every time an in-stream purchase is made. Small and mid-sized businesses that use Cartr will benefit from:

Selling live from iOS devices: Retailers can create branded shoppable livestreams for Facebook with just a few taps on their iPhone or iPad in the Switcher iOS app. No complicated technology or technical experts are needed.
Simplifying Facebook Live shopping: Viewers can quickly and easily express their interest in a product right on Facebook during a livestream by commenting to add it to their cart in real time. Cartr helps customers finalize their orders via Facebook DM and then directs shoppers to the businesses’ secure checkout page within their Shopify store, allowing the customer relationship to stay between the buyer and seller.
Streamlining inventory management: Retailers will decide which Shopify product collections they’d like to promote during their Facebook livestream, and Cartr and Shopify will manage inventory in one location, eliminating the hassle of multiple product catalogs.

“Our business has been live selling since early 2021, We have been amazed by how easy the new Cartr app in Shopify makes live selling for boutique owners like us. Cartr makes it quicker to set up and integrate product collections from Shopify, with products magically showing up when we are ready to go live! When viewers comment on our Facebook Live Shopping events, the Cartr chatbot makes checkout so simple. We expect our customer base and sales to grow even further with Cartr. Live selling is a new sales channel that we are excited to continue investing in.”

-Britney Renbarger, Owner of Pink Tag.

Shopify is an all-in-one commerce platform developed for entrepreneurs to start, manage, or grow their businesses. Shopify serves creators and merchants in more than 175 countries and provides the building blocks needed to succeed in video commerce.

To utilize the Cartr chatbot and create collections of products to use in your videos, businesses will need to have an existing Shopify store and install the Cartr plugin from the Shopify app store. Merchants will then start streaming live video to their Facebook Business Page using the companion app, Switcher Studio. The Switcher Studio iOS app can be accessed from the Apple App Store. Businesses will need an iOS device (iPhone or iPad). For additional support or resources, please visit the Switcher Studio Help Center.

To see a live demo of Cartr by Switcher Studio, tune into Switcher’s Facebook and YouTube livestream on June 7, 2022, at 1 p.m. EDT.

About Switcher, Inc. and Switcher Studio
Founded in 2014, Switcher, Inc. helps creators and businesses produce videos more easily and affordably through its multicamera production software, Switcher Studio. Switcher Studio lets users sync multiple iOS devices to capture video content from many perspectives—to tell stories, showcase products, and more. And its real-time video editing features to ensure that content is dynamic and polished. Plus, Switcher's integrations with streaming platforms and video conferencing tools allow creators and brands to reach their communities nearly anywhere. The tech startup, based in Louisville, Kentucky, and Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland, employs 40+ team members. For more information, visit switcherstudio.com or download the Switcher Studio app.

Spotlight

Other News
TECHNOLOGY

Cloudinary Empowers SMBs with AI-Enhanced Digital Asset Management

Cloudinary | September 22, 2023

Cloudinary, a renowned image and video platform, has recently unveiled an addition to its asset management suite with the launch of Cloudinary Nexus. This digital asset management (DAM) solution is explicitly tailored to meet the needs of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). Available immediately, Cloudinary Nexus offers both free and premium options. This AI-powered solution empowers SMBs and teams with enterprise-grade capabilities, making it effortless for them to connect, explore, and optimize their digital assets, all while streamlining their branding efforts with minimal time and complexity. Drawing upon the strengths of Cloudinary's acclaimed DAM solution designed for enterprise clientele, known as Cloudinary Assets, Nexus equips smaller brands with the ability to automate essential yet time-consuming tasks associated with asset management. Nexus incorporates advanced AI functionalities and automation to handle tasks like metadata tagging and file format and size optimization. This ensures that teams can dedicate more of their time to more rewarding and high-impact activities. Nexus places significant emphasis on user-friendliness and accessibility, making it a valuable asset for a wide range of teams and individuals. With features such as generative AI, Studio, collections, smart search, and auto-tagging, Nexus equips users with all the tools necessary to unlock the full potential of their images and videos. It enables users to: Instantly Prepare Images and Videos: Users can effortlessly adapt designs, resize, and fine-tune assets in bulk within seconds. The inclusion of subject-aware AI enables the generation of new assets, while readily available creative presets facilitate the creation of multiple variations from a single master asset. Transform User-Generated Content into Brand-Ready Assets: AI and automation simplify the task of moderating, managing, and approving user uploads, requiring minimal to no effort. Facilitate Seamless and Effective Collaboration: By controlling file visibility through custom user roles and permissions, Nexus enhances productivity. Users can collaborate seamlessly with other contributors, teams, and partners, simplifying asset handovers. Instantly Organize and Discover Assets: The automatic addition of tags and metadata, including colors, faces, and objects, improves asset discoverability. An AI-driven visual search feature provides highly accurate and personalized search results. Effortless Setup: Nexus offers easy visual content import and integration with existing storage platforms like Google Drive and Dropbox, ensuring a smooth transition. About Cloudinary Cloudinary is a leading image and video technology platform that empowers the world's most engaging brands to deliver transformative visual experiences on a global scale. Consisting of a user base of over 1.5 million and serving more than 10,000 esteemed customers, including Bleacher Report, Apartment Therapy, Bombas, NBC, Grubhub, Mediavine, Paul Smith, Minted, and Peloton, Cloudinary is the trusted choice for bringing campaigns, applications, and websites to life. With unrivaled image and video APIs, supported by cutting-edge AI and patented technology, Cloudinary provides brands with a singular source of truth to effectively manage, transform, optimize, and seamlessly deliver visual experiences at scale.

Read More

SMALL BUSINESS TRENDS

NEXT Revolutionizes Small Business Coverage with Coverage Builder

NEXT Insurance | September 20, 2023

NEXT Insurance, a renowned digital small business insurer, recently unveiled an innovative new offering that will empower agents to tailor coverage quotes precisely to the unique needs of their small business clientele. NEXT's Coverage Builder represents a significant advancement in granting agents the capability to finely customize small business insurance quotes while still retaining NEXT's hallmark instant bind capabilities. Coverage Builder is designed to be swift, user-friendly, and exclusively tailored for agents before purchase, equipping them with the necessary tools to choose suitable limits and maintain complete control over the coverage they're quoting. With the introduction of Coverage Builder, agents can set their base policy limits, add or remove specific coverage, or adjust limits post-purchase. This functionality, combined with the convenience of instant underwriting and pricing updates, not only saves agents valuable time but also enables them to make adjustments instantly without the need to pick up the phone, eliminating the need for direct communication with an underwriter. This represents NEXT's ongoing commitment to supporting its agents, offering them a digitally driven quoting experience that is user-friendly, accessible, and 100% online. Additionally, Coverage Builder will be accessible to all NEXT customers post-purchase, enabling small business owners to tailor their policies with immediate pricing adjustments and seamless policy management. Cody L Slocum Lammers, Commercial Lines Agent & Broker at Affordable Insurance Solutions, commented, NEXT's Coverage Builder feature is 100% hassle-free. This new feature sets NEXT Insurance to a new level, above its competitors, as this allows agents the flexibility to customize policies to fit the needs of each individual small business. It's user-friendly and simple to understand- this is truly a game changer for NEXT Insurance agents! [Source – Cision PR Newswire] This announcement follows NEXT's recent commercial umbrella/excess liability coverage launch to aid small businesses in their entrepreneurial journey. The digital small business insurer has also made strides by announcing its integration with Ivans Download for General Liability and Workers' Compensation policies and appointing Jack Ramsey as Vice President of Agent Business. These developments underscore NEXT's dedication to its agents and mission to enhance small business clients' insurance purchasing process with a smoother and more intuitive experience. About NEXT Insurance NEXT Insurance, a leading digital small business insurer, is spearheading the transformation of small business insurance by offering streamlined, digital, cost-effective, and tailored coverage solutions. With the trust of over 480,000 business proprietors, the company offers policies that are both convenient to purchase and grant uninterrupted access to Live Certificates of Insurance, additional insured, and more. Pioneering an industry historically known for its complexity, NEXT leverages the power of AI and machine learning to simplify the buying process and make affordable coverage accessible. Established in 2016 and headquartered in Palo Alto, the company has garnered a total of $881 million in venture capital funding.

Read More

BUSINESS STRATEGY

Tarci's New Dynamic Data Suite Transforms Foodservice SMB Strategies

Tarci | September 15, 2023

Tarci, a leading continuous intelligence platform that generates dynamic SMB data, has recently introduced the Tarci for Foodservice data suite. This cutting-edge new series of dynamic data modules is crafted to empower enterprises that cater to SMBs in the food service sector with insights to optimize their sales, marketing, risk management, and client retention strategies. By integrating precise and up-to-date SMB profiles with industry-specific data-driven insights, Tarci provides invaluable support to food and beverage manufacturers and distributors, enabling them to proactively identify both opportunities and potential risks among their current and prospective clients. Within the Tarci for Foodservice suite, the following data modules are presently available: Restaurant with Emerging Needs: New and emerging SMBs engaged in preparing food for immediate consumption. Food & Beverage Retailers: New and emerging specialty food, grocery, and convenience retailers. Licensed Establishments: New and growing SMBs that offer alcohol for on-premise consumption. SMBs with Refreshment Needs: Growing SMBs with 50 or more on-site employees who may be interested in enhancing workplace experiences by offering refreshment perks. Foodservice Risk Management: Enhanced credit term decisions by augmenting existing SMB profiles with business stability, growth, or decline indicators. Tarci's continuous intelligence engine draws from a diverse array of external data sources to craft dynamic SMB profiles, which are updated on a weekly basis. What sets Tarci apart is its proactive approach; it not only monitors these profiles for changes but also analyzes them for emerging trends. This distinctive methodology in parsing and interpreting SMB data accurately mirrors the dynamic nature of the marketplace. With Tarci, clients can seize opportunities and respond to changes in real-time. Tarci's Co-Founder and CEO, Leetal Gruper, commented, With the launch of Tarci for Foodservice, we address the churn challenges in the Foodservice industry. Our real-time insights and dynamic data modules empower businesses to adapt, thrive, and build lasting client relationships with the right SMBs, offering stability and growth in an industry where change is constant. [Source: Cision PR Newswire] About Tarci Tarci is a prominent, continuous intelligence platform that generates dynamic SMB data. Employing a cutting-edge continuous intelligence engine, Tarci consistently collects, analyzes, and translates an extensive array of signals sourced from diverse outlets, effectively transforming vast datasets into actionable insights. The company's impact is felt prominently across customer-facing teams within Fortune 200 corporations, spanning leading financial institutions, insurance entities, and enterprises catering to small and mid-size businesses. Tarci garners support from esteemed backers, including Sound Ventures, Liberty Mutual Strategic Ventures, Global Founders Capital, and strategic investors.

Read More

FINANCE

Nav Revolutionizes SMB Finance with Innovative Platform and Card

Nav Technologies, Inc. | September 13, 2023

On September 12, 2023, Nav, a leading fintech company specializing in serving small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), unveiled its latest offerings, Nav Prime, along with the Nav Prime Card for small businesses. For Nav, the launch of Nav Prime represents a natural evolution of its financial health platform. Nav distinguishes itself by being the only platform that provides small businesses with a transparent overview of their financing options and pre-qualification insights before they apply. By consolidating credit and financial data from SMBs, Nav aligns their financing eligibility with its network, which comprises over 160 diverse financial products and providers. In this year alone, Nav has facilitated access to financing and funding for more than 100,000 small businesses. Nav Prime emerges as a fully integrated financial management solution tailored for contemporary small businesses. Covering aspects from cash flow monitoring to business credit reporting, banking, deposits, and business card solutions, Nav Prime empowers businesses to streamline both their financial management and enhancement efforts, all within a single platform. Furthermore, the introduction of Nav Prime includes an industry-first innovation, the Nav Prime Card, a business credit-building charge card specifically designed for the SMB sector. Notably, the Nav Prime Card boasts no annual fees and does not necessitate a personal guarantee, thereby preserving users' personal credit ratings. This innovative card also reports spending activities to all three major commercial credit bureaus, allowing users to potentially boost their business credit scores by simply utilizing the card for everyday expenditures. Another distinctive feature of the Nav Prime Card is its flexibility in linking to any pre-existing business checking account of the user's choice, including Nav's own. This sets it apart from other corporate card and expense management fintech solutions that have previously targeted the SMB market. With Nav Prime, Nav has established itself as the singular destination where businesses can enhance their financing eligibility, evaluate the impacts of their actions, and seamlessly access their most advantageous financial options—all within a unified platform. Nav provides invaluable data and insights crucial to a business owner's financial well-being, including their borrowing capacity. For the first time, SMBs gain transparency into their best financing choices and rates, facilitating informed decisions about lenders and funding types that align with their specific business needs. Greg Ott, Chief Executive Officer at Nav, commented, Small business owners have been left in the dark in terms of knowing how lenders see their business. Nav Prime and the unique Nav Prime charge card gives owners a new tool to improve their business' financial qualifications by making their everyday transactions help build their business credit score, and ultimately lead to better working capital options. [Source: PR Newswire] Historically, the fintech industry has often overlooked small businesses, or they have been catered to solely in favorable, low-interest-rate environments. Recent interest rate hikes have prompted several fintech companies to withdraw abruptly from the small business sector, placing the survival of these Main Street businesses at risk. Many of these businesses possess strong creditworthiness with substantial revenue and cash reserves. Nav addresses this gap by empowering small business borrowers to view the same information that lenders see before they seek financing opportunities. This not only improves the likelihood of loan approvals but also reduces the risk of negatively impacting their business credit ratings with major commercial credit bureaus, such as Experian and Equifax. About Nav Nav is a leading fintech company specializing in serving small and medium-sized businesses. It is uniquely positioned as the sole platform that seamlessly integrates financial and credit data to offer small businesses clear insights, expert guidance, and streamlined access to an extensive portfolio of over 100 diverse financing options. The company holds a remarkable track record of assisting over 2 million small businesses in enhancing their financial health and securing vital funding. It leverages authentic business data to precisely align qualifications, empowering small business proprietors to effortlessly identify the most suitable loans, credit cards, banking solutions, and other essential business services tailored to their precise requirements. Nav's exceptional financial health platform provides an integrated view of cash flow and credit insights alongside personalized financing choices, serving as the exclusive destination where small business owners can ascertain their pre-qualification status before initiating the application process.

Read More