Sat.Jul 11, 2020 - Fri.Jul 17, 2020

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Why SMBs Need To Focus On Product Innovation And Adopt A Digital Business Model

PYMNTS

The acceleration of [digital sales] growth can be explained almost entirely by an influx of first-time buyers.”. When consumers fled to online shopping options in Q2, many businesses weren’t set up for digital-first commerce, but quickly figured it out. There’s a cautious optimism now as SMBs, in particular, discover that going digital itself has gotten easier.

eCommerce 135
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Keys to bridging the talent gap in FP&A

Future CFO

We are already in the midst of a talent war. Spurred by changing market dynamics, adoption of automation, low-cost outsourcing options, and the rapid creation of new job scopes, finding the right talent is becoming harder. Those that fit the bill often come at a premium. Nowhere is this more evident than in the role of financial planning and analysis (FP&A), often considered the “eyes and ears” of a company.

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Advice for Startups from your Financial Partner

BlueLight

Advice for Startups from your Financial Partner?—?myStartUpCFO I recently spoke with finance leaders from a couple dozen startups. These businesses ranged from seed stage companies where the CEO was the finance leader to growth stage companies with an in-house CFO. In these conversations, I observed each finance leader had a different perspective and approach with their financial accounting partner.

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Stocks Turned Upside Down? The COVID-19 Beta Effect

CFA Institute

Since equity markets peaked in February 2020, the underlying foundation of systematic risk has flipped on its head.

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Planning Your Restaurants Path to Profitability

Speaker: James Kahler, COO of Full Course

Ever wondered where to splurge and where to safely conserve when it comes to operating and growing your restaurant? 🤔 Join James Kahler, COO of Full Course and industry visionary, in this new webinar where he'll talk all about best practices to invest in your restaurant's success! Whether you're a new business or an established restaurant, a seasoned pro or a rookie, you'll learn the keys to sustainable success in this competitive industry.

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Machine Learning Stabilizes Business Continuity During COVID

PYMNTS

“Organizations may have had to engage in relaxation strategies, which could inversely impact their fraud appetite, as they had to let more transactions through without reviewing them. The risk is real.”. Spikes in cybercrime are making headlines daily, and people are getting burned. Preparedness often decides the outcome. “In our experience, clients running machine learning models haven’t had to change thresholds,” said Nuno Sebastião , co-founder and CEO at Feedzai.

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How Retailers Are Cashing In On A US Coin Shortage

PYMNTS

As the United States experiences a coin shortage due to the pandemic, some brick-and-mortar retailers are forcing consumers to tell cashiers to “keep the change.”. Kroger is the largest chain so far to do so, temporarily refusing to give coins out as change. Customers can either round up their bills to the nearest dollar and give the excess to charity or get their change stored on loyalty cards. “The Federal Reserve is experiencing a significant coin shortage that is impacting our store op

Retail 116
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Visa: Contactless Is The Cornerstone For A Reinvented Public Transportation Experience

PYMNTS

Transit system operators were already thinking about making at least a partial switch to contactless payments long before a global pandemic disrupted any and every element of how people moved between Point A and Point B. Mary Kay Bowman , Visa ’s head of seller solutions, told Karen Webster in a recent conversation that some operators had contactless payments already partially available in segments of the public transportation system, while others had it earmarked for a project several years in

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SBA: EIDL Emergency Grant Program Runs Out Of Money

PYMNTS

A $20 billion federal initiative to provide emergency funding to small businesses is out of cash. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced in a press release the end of the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Advance program. The EIDL was crafted to provide economic relief from $1,000 to $10,000 to businesses and nonprofits that experienced a temporary loss of revenue during the pandemic.

Nonprofit 111
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Fostering Payments Trust In A Global Freelance Economy

PYMNTS

Before the pandemic hit, the global freelancing economy was expected to experience significant proliferation. Today, while shutdowns have led many businesses to temporarily halt non-essential spending, many in the market actually expect the expansion of the freelancing community to accelerate as a result of market volatility. One factor behind that thinking is certainly the sudden jolt of job losses, guiding many professionals once reliant on hourly or salaried employment to step into the world

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How Automation is Driving Efficiency Through the Last Mile of Reporting

Speaker: Jamie Eagan

As organizations strive for agility and efficiency, it's imperative for finance leaders to embrace innovative technologies and redefine traditional processes. Join us as we explore the pivotal role of digitalization and automation in reshaping what is commonly referred to as the “last mile of reporting”. We’ll deep-dive into why digitalization is no longer a choice, but a necessity for finance departments to stay competitive in a fast-paced environment touching on: 2024 trends for the Office of

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How To Drive Success In A Digital 3.0 World

PYMNTS

In 1946, the then-61 members of the World Health Organization (WHO) saw the need for a consistent yet comprehensive definition of “health.” They felt strongly that any definition had to acknowledge that a person’s good health was more than not being sick or disabled, but instead should reflect “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being.

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How One Startup Is Reinventing Travel Insurance For The Post-Pandemic World

PYMNTS

Admittedly, it might seem like a strange time to be launching an innovative travel insurance product given how much the tourism industry has contracted in the wake of the global pandemic. But CEO Ugo Weyl of travel insurance platform Koala told Karen Webster recently that now is the perfect time to disrupt what is regarded by consumers as a hideously friction-filled experience.

Startups 101
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American Express Launches Automated AP Solution To Help Digitize B2B Payments

PYMNTS

American Express has launched a new automated accounts payable solution, American Express One AP, to help businesses digitize B2B payment processing, according to a press release. The service, built with the technology American Express acquired with its purchase of acompay in 2019, will aim to help businesses process supplier payments in a more efficient, modern digital way, working seamlessly with the systems they already have in place, according to the release.

B2B 101
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Why The Best Fraud Defenses Need Artificial And Human Intelligence

PYMNTS

There’s an old saying that sunlight is the best disinfectant. Shedding some light on just what the bad guys want — and why and how they are angling to get it — means that the financial services ecosystem can effectively head them off at the pass. Mari Anne Bayliss , senior director of solution management at CyberSource , told Karen Webster that simply relying on machine learning as a weapon against fraud is not enough — not in an age where managing fraud risk during the great digital shift

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Register Now: Sneak Peek Into Close Automation SkyStem Web Demo

Technology is rapidly changing the way accountants perform and manage month-end activities. Spreadsheets, email, and shared drives no longer have to slow us down. Join us as we present a "sneak peek" recorded demo of SkyStem's month-end close solution – ART. In under four weeks, your team can start reaping the benefits of month-end close automation by vastly reducing spreadsheets, cut down on reconciliation work, speed up the month-end close, and better manage your remote team.

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Goldman’s Apple Card: What Will Q2 Hold?

PYMNTS

Apple Card — the iPhone-based credit product launched last summer by Goldman Sachs , Apple and Mastercard — is expected to be a hot topic on Goldman’s earnings call Wednesday (July 15). A look at recent activity around the card shows a good deal of innovation and a fair amount of concern over rejection rates for both the card and its mobile wallet cousin, Apple Pay.

Sales 97
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The Shift Toward A Modern Disbursements Experience

PYMNTS

“As consumer and business digital adoption has catapulted over the last 12 weeks, when it comes to payments, there are certain status quos we will no longer accept.”. Modernizing payments is work that never ends, but the end game is a world of connected commerce and consumer preference. “For disbursements specifically, the opportunity is also for a more modern solution,” said Drew Edwards , CEO at Ingo Money.

Banking 96
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Visa On The Role of ‘Super Apps’ In Driving Emerging Market Growth

PYMNTS

“Careem” is an Arabic word meaning, in part, “noble, admirable and praiseworthy.”. In the case of Dubai-based ride-hailing and delivery platform Careem and its efforts to modernize payments in the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region, add “timely” to the list. The platform’s deal with Visa to bring enhanced payments together with financial management tools in-app for consumers and Careem Captains — the gig workers who comprise its indie workforce — is another win, after being acquired by Uber

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The Payments Industry Was Ready

PYMNTS

“Sustained business success is dependent on business readiness to adapt to the changes in the market conditions, including the evolving needs of customers.”. Most people are utterly stunned and surprised by sudden disruptions like COVID-19. Others know that pandemics and crises come and go. The most resilient companies are always future-proofing. “If nothing else, this crisis reinforces that the future is and always will be uncertain,” said Amir Wain , founder and CEO of i2c.

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Accounting Software and ERP Readiness Guide

In this white paper, we explore the factors to consider in deciding whether the time is right for your Company to consider a new ERP or accounting software, the total cost of ownership and plans necessary to make the potential leap to these systems.

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How Subscriptions Bridge The Online/Offline Learning Divide

PYMNTS

The pandemic has presented financial challenges for consumers and businesses alike. It has revealed at the same time the value of the subscription model in a whole new light by allowing consumers to get steady supplies of their favorite goods and services direct to their homes without braving store aisles only to find limited inventory. Certain segments of the market have surged, with millions of new subscribers for movie and TV streaming platforms, meal kits and other product boxes.

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Revolut Adds Crypto To US Offerings With Paxos Deal

PYMNTS

European FinTech Revolut, which recently debuted in the U.S. with an app and debit card, is expanding its range of services into the realm of cryptocurrency trading with a big assist from Paxos. In a Wednesday (July 15) press release, Paxos Trust Co. said Revolut is its first customer for its new product, the Paxos Crypto Brokerage. According to New York-based Paxos, the API-based solution is designed to enable companies to “integrate cryptocurrency buying, selling, holding and sending capabilit

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Wirecard Exec Admits Role In German Company’s Collapse, Attorney Says

PYMNTS

One of the unnamed jailed executives in the Wirecard scandal has reportedly admitted guilt to the multi-billion-dollar fraud and money laundering case, according to Reuters. The executive was the CEO of CardSystems Middle East, the largest unit under Wirecard’s command. Nicolas Fruehsorger, a defense lawyer for the executive, said his client “has voluntarily given himself up for the proceedings and — in contrast to others — takes individual responsibility,” according to Reuters.

SAP 91
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Visa Expands Contactless Public Transportation Payments Due To Pandemic

PYMNTS

Visa , in response to the rising demand for safer ways to travel, has expanded its partnership with Cubic Transportation Systems to offer contactless payments for public transportation services in over 500 cities, according to a press release. Visa and Cubic have already launched contactless systems in cities around the world, including London, Miami, New York, Sydney and Vancouver.

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Recruit and Retain New Blue-Collar Talent

Blue-collar jobs have a branding problem. One company, GEON, partnered with Paycor to find the solution. Learn how to attract, engage, and retain blue-collar employees, helping them build meaningful careers – and support your company’s goals.

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VillageMD CEO: How The Walgreen’s Partnership Can Fix What’s Broken In Primary Healthcare

PYMNTS

If the U.S. is serious about fixing the cost of healthcare , then it’s time to focus on one of the root causes of its spiraling costs: the roughly 20 percent of U.S. patients who have chronic conditions drive about 85 percent of America’s total annual medical spend. So says Tim Barry , co-founder and CEO of VillageMD , which through its subsidiary, Village Medical, provides value-based primary care services by 2,800 physicians in 9 states including New Hampshire, Texas, Florida and Illinois.

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How The Pandemic Accelerated The Shift To Digital Commerce

PYMNTS

“Digital transformation is inevitable, and the companies that can protect the entire customer journey while delivering exceptional experiences will have the advantage.”. As transaction volumes soared and millions were onboarded remotely during the lockdowns, cybercriminals had a field day. And they still are having one. Financial institutions and merchants that are hypervigilant with security will be rewarded with loyalty.

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Traditional Healthcare Is Going Under The Knife Of Disruption

PYMNTS

The greatest health crisis in a generation is poised to accelerate innovation at the intersection of healthcare , technology and payments as never before. From telehealth to new financing options for patient treatments to big retailers like Walmart , Walgreens and CVS mashing up retail with healthcare, everyone from startups to incumbents are using the pandemic as an opportunity to disrupt — and reinvent — healthcare.

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Bitcoin Daily: FBI Says Nigerian BEC Scam Netted Millions With Some Converted To Bitcoin

PYMNTS

Two Nigerian scammers known for allegedly defrauding American companies for tens of millions of dollars that they transferred into bitcoin were extradited to the U.S. from Dubai, Cointelegraph reported. The suspects were Olalekan Jacob Ponle, who used the alias “Mr. Woodbery,” and “Mark Kain,” and Ramon Olorunwa Abbas, who called himself “Ray Hushpuppi” and “Hush.

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PowerPoint Best Practices for Creating Stellar Presentations

Mastering data visualization in PowerPoint will help accelerate your career because it positions you as someone who can present data that drives business decisions forward. think-cell's PowerPoint Best Practices eBook was created specifically for professionals aiming to master the art and science of data-driven storytelling. What’s inside: Practical Insights: Uncover valuable tips for crafting engaging and persuasive presentations.

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EU Ruling Limits Personal Data Transfer To The US

PYMNTS

In a surprise win for privacy advocates, the European Court of Justice has ruled companies will face restrictions on storing information about European Union (EU) residents on U.S. servers, The Wall Street Journal reported. The top court of the 28-nation bloc ruled the transfer of personal data to platforms in the U.S. puts Europeans at risk to American government surveillance without a right to challenge it.

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How Personal Shopper Platform Dumpling Aims To Beat Instacart And Amazon

PYMNTS

Is it really necessary to train a personal grocery shopper how to pick a good banana? It’s a question that Nate D’Anna , serial entrepreneur and founder of personal shopping platform Dumpling , asked rhetorically when recounting his days as an Instacart shopper, an experience that he said he makes all of Dumpling’s team members also experience firsthand.

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ACI Worldwide Adds More Digital Overlay Services For Contactless B2B Payments

PYMNTS

ACI Worldwide , which provides electronic payment and banking solutions, has added new digital overlay services that it says will help to speed up real-time payments, according to a press release. The company will work with Mindgate Solutions to help “add a range of real-time digital overlay services to support a high-volume, data-rich digital payments ecosystem” through a number of services like new apps and web portals, plug-ins, advanced programming interfaces (APIs) and software

B2B 83