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The Business of Small Business Banking – What Business Owners Need to Know Today | GREENCREST
July 6th, 2023
Columbus, OH (July 5, 2023) — Small business owners drive local and national economies, but they also face unique challenges. Access to capital, securing financing, privacy and security of their financial data, and emerging technologies such as AI and cryptocurrency are all top of mind to most business owners today. How can small business owners mitigate these and other economic challenges? Can smaller banks better meet the needs of small business owners? These are some of the topics GREENCREST CEO and chief strategy officer, Kelly Borth, discusses with Ilaria Rawlins, proposed CEO and Lisa Berger, chair of Columbus based Fortuna Bank, one of fewer than 20 women-owned banks in the United States, on the 126th Ignite Your Business® Podcast, airing June 26, 2023.
Rawlins and Berger provide insight into the unique banking relationship small banks have with their customers and discuss why it’s not enough for business owners to just be aware of emerging technologies like blockchain and AI, but why they should start finding ways to use them to their competitive advantage.
Rawlins stressed the importance of building relationships with your financial partners before a crisis, saying “it is critical to have a proactive relationship with your bank and banker. A strong banker not only can guide you through strategic cash management and lending options but is also aware of what other government programs would be available to you.”
The Ignite Your Business® Podcast is a resource for business owners, entrepreneurs, CEOs, and other industry leaders looking for a way to exchange ideas and learn from other highly respected business professionals in a variety of industries.
Highlights of the most recent episodes of the Ignite Your Business® Podcast include:
Episode 125: Harnessing the Power of AI for Marketing and Business Strategies. The release of ChatGPT has caused business owners to analyze how they can use AI to streamline their business and marketing strategy. In this Ignite Your Business® Podcast episode, GREENCREST CEO and chief strategy officer Kelly Borth, discusses the pros and cons of how AI can enhance your marketing efforts.
Episode 124: Lessons from the Pandemic Era Business Owners Should Learn, part 4: Risk Taking. The pandemic forced many organizations to adapt to changing needs, changing demographics and new trends. In the final installment on lessons learned from the pandemic era, GREENCREST CEO and chief strategy officer, Kelly Borth discusses how taking smart, calculated risks can help your business stand strong when faced with rapid change.
Episode 123: Lessons from the Pandemic Era Business Owners Should Learn, part 3: Flexibility.
In part three of our Ignite Your Business® Podcast series discussing lessons learned from the pandemic era, GREENCREST CEO and chief strategy officer Kelly Borth discusses how staying flexible and trusting data provides business owners with a competitive advantage that puts them in a better position for the future.
About Ilaria Rawlins
Ilaria Rawlins is the proposed chief executive officer and president of Fortuna Bank. An experienced bank leader with over 30 years of banking experience, she served as retail bank president of First Financial Bank, leading the entire retail network of 140 branches and 775 full time associates, and as senior vice president of retail development for a Columbus, Ohio de novo bank with extensive involvement in the bank’s launch and organization. In addition to the responsibilities in client acquisition, treasury management sales, bank compliance, bank marketing, core system integration, and community initiatives, Rawlins played an integral role in the sale of the bank and led the merger integration and system conversion activities related to the 2014 First Financial Bank purchase.
About Lisa Berger
Lisa Berger is the proposed chairwoman of the board of Fortuna Bank. Berger is a licensed attorney and title agent who grew up in Columbus, Ohio. She attended Columbus School for Girls and Princeton University, returning home to attend law school at The Ohio State University. Prior to its sale to Chicago Title in 2016, Berger was the owner and operator of Amerititle Downtown. She practiced law with the Kayne Law Group from 2004 until 2006 and real estate law at Porter, Wright, Morris & Arthur from 1998 until 2004. Ms. Berger is active in civic and educational charities in the Columbus Metropolitan Area, including serving on the Board of Trustees of Columbus School for Girls.
About GREENCREST
Inspired in 1990, GREENCREST — a full-service marketing, advertising, public relations, digital and social media agency — specializes in brilliantly executed communications programs that follow the GREENCREST philosophy of brand. plan. ignite your business®. GREENCREST is a Google Partner Agency and the only brand-certified agency in central Ohio. At GREENCREST, we turn market players into industry leaders®. For more information, visit https://greencrest.com/.
