The Big Future of Small Business Banking
According to the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy, there are currently 29.6 million micro and small businesses in the United States. Of those, 80 percent are one-person businesses, and 22 percent are made up of 10 employees or fewer. Businesses that fall within these parameters span every industry from freelancers and bloggers, to designers, developers, and start-up entrepreneurs. All are seeing a boom in sales and dependency from consumers due to the so-called “gig economy.”
A lot has been done by banks and alternative lenders when it comes to providing financing for these micro and small businesses, but given this data, it begs the question: how do they all bank?
Traditionally, banking for micro and small businesses has been limited at best and inadequate at worst. In most cases, small business owners have had no other option but to visit a physical bank branch, fill out endless paperwork, provide documentation, and then transfer items back and forth to the bank through the mail or by email. The technology is typically clunky, out of date, and inconvenient – all adjectives a far cry from how these businesses would describe themselves, and how they need to operate. In addition, these owners are, at their core, consumers. They experience cutting-edge products and technology with their own personal banking accounts, but that same innovation is not replicated on the business side.
To alleviate this burden, the banking industry has a lot of soul searching to do. Some banks have spent a lot of time and energy discussing digital banking disruption in the consumer world. The time has come for the next frontier in the small business market, which has inspired and driven forward-thinking banks to develop customized solutions for small business customers.
For banks considering entering—or reimagining their approach to—the small business segment, it begins with a solid strategic plan. Understanding the demographics and banking needs of your target market will help guide the product development and customer experience process. This covers everything from developing a product suite that will be appealing to both the market and your bottom line, to thinking through the journey as a business going from being a prospect to a customer.
At Radius, we took some learnings from our experience in the digital consumer banking space and used it to build the framework for our small business offering. While small business owners may need a little more complexity with their money management tools than consumers, designing something that was simple and straightforward was the key. The result for us was the Tailored Checking Account, which any small business can now apply for online and get opened in minutes thanks to a partnership we established with Treasury Prime, a San Francisco-based fintech.
Radius isn’t alone in its quest to help business owners better manage their finances. In addition to our offering, we’ve noticed several other fintechs focused and working to fill the void that many small business owners are experiencing. For example, Autobooks helps small businesses manage their receivables, payables, payments and accounting entirely online. Brex creates business debit cards that operate like credit cards without the need for a personal guaranty. And Rocket Dollar helps individuals unlock their retirement savings for things like funding a startup or making a small business loan.
Overall, the sheer amount of micro and small businesses requires the banking industry’s attention. Consumers are increasingly turning to shopping local and supporting small businesses, only hastening the need for small business owners to manage their money on their terms—a trend that won’t decline anytime soon. This is a market that all banking professionals should be paying attention to, as the market only continues to grow. I look forward to seeing the outcome over the next year and am eager to see what the future holds for us and the rest of the small business banking industry.