American Express launches cash flow management hub designed for small businesses

By Edlyn Cardoza

American Express announced the launch of American Express Business Blueprint, the company’s new digital cash flow management hub designed exclusively for small businesses, which features cash flow insights, digital financial products, and an easy way to reach and manage their Business Cards.

Business Blueprint builds on the Kabbage platform, which was acquired in 2020, as part of the payments company’s strategy to expand its small business offerings beyond its leading Business Cards. Any U.S. small business may access free, personalised cash flow insights to help them make financial decisions more confidently. Small businesses may also access applications for select financial products, like a business line of credit, and use the products, if approved, to help them more efficiently manage their cash flow from the Business Blueprint hub.

“Business Blueprint marks a critical next step in American Express’s vision of becoming a digital one-stop shop for small businesses’ financial needs, whether to manage their cash flow, make payments, get paid, or access working capital,” said Anna Marrs, Group President of Global Commercial Services and Credit & Fraud Risk at American Express. “Kabbage is now fully integrated into the suite of American Express business products, providing business owners a wide range of digital financial solutions to help them manage their finances efficiently and confidently.”

The payments company has a long track record of supporting small businesses through innovative products and services to meet our customers’ ever-changing needs, from being the number one Business Card issuer in the U.S. to a leading financial services provider for businesses of all sizes globally.

According to a new American Express survey polling 1,100 small businesses, 82% of respondents said a cash flow management hub would save them time to run their business, leading to improved efficiency (72%) and profitability (50%). The Business Blueprint is designed to pair products with the daily tasks small business owners engage in to help them manage their cash flow, from taking a loan to paying bills and vendors, sending wires, checking their account balances, making mobile check deposits, accepting card payments and more.

“My perception of American Express has greatly expanded from a card company to a true partner that offers products that help me with the tasks needed to run my business,” said Julie Matzen, an American Express Customer and CEO of Team MayDay, a Digital Advertising Agency. “With American Express Business Blueprint, I save so much time from having to log in to different products and tools, but instead can access my American Express Business Cards, line of credit, and data from one place.”

An embedded feature within Business Blueprint is My Insights, a free cash flow analytics solution, providing small businesses with personalised, 24/7 data analysis of many of their payments company’s business products — including their American Express Business Cards—and linked external business-bank accounts.

“Historically, small businesses have been underserved when it comes to smart, simple financial management tools. No longer. A few financial institutions are reinventing small business banking and delivering needed tools. American Express Business Blueprint is raising the bar in helping small businesses manage their cash flow from one place,” said Alenka Grealish, Principal Analyst, Emerging Tech at Celent.