Visa has launched an online resource for small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) designed to assist entrepreneurs expand their businesses and build stronger customer relationships, the San Francisco-based company announced Wednesday (June 24).
Dubbed the Visa Small Business Hub, it focuses on how to start, operate and grow digital businesses, Visa said. It is active in more than 20 countries and designed to meet each region’s unique SMB needs. The hub promises tools, special partner offers and tips that business owners can adopt to improve their bottom line.
“The global economy won’t bounce back until small businesses bounce back,” said Mary Kay Bowman, Visa’s global head of buyer and seller solutions, in a statement. “Visa was founded on the idea that safe, fast and reliable digital payments should be available to everyone, everywhere. Today, we are more focused on this than ever, with the added goal of building simple and effective tools that small business owners can use to help make a real difference.”
While SMBs comprise half of the world’s jobs and are the heart of communities, Visa said these business owners often lack training, technology and financial tools that will help them prosper.
The U.S. Visa Small Business Hub offers information that focuses on three stages of the small business lifecycle. Starting Your Business features an assist on funding, assessing start-up costs and attracting customers, and help from Visa partners including 3dcart, PayPal, Shift4 Payments, Tailor Brand, Wix.com, Authorize.Net and WordPress.com. Running Your Business focuses on tools to help manage finances, online sales and tips on converting browsers into buyers, where Deluxe, FreshBooks, Lendio, Plastiq, Shopify and Wave provide deals, as well as educational resources, about financing and expenses. Growing Your Business provides information on management and marketing to drive sales and help build lasting customer connections, allowing SMBs to source support from Magnet by Figg, Trustpilot, Womply and Yelp.
“Navigating the waves of recovery brings unique challenges for small business owners,” said Carleigh Jaques, senior vice president and general manager at CyberSource, Visa, in a statement. “Meeting consumer demands for digital-first experiences can and should be a seamless undertaking, especially when resources can be found in a single place like the Visa Small Business Hub.”
Visa’s latest initiative follows its announcement on Monday (June 22) about a series of digital initiatives designed to help SMBs recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
PYMNTS reported the programs are focused on helping 50 million SMBs across the globe get back to business and focuses on enabling them to build an online presence, helping them embrace digital payments and encouraging consumers to shop locally.
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