Small Businesses Agree: More Time is the Key to Small Business Growth

Just in time for Small Business Week, a one-stop hub offers business-building services

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TORONTO, Oct. 22, 2014 /CNW/ - MasterCard today announced the MasterCard Business Owner Toolbox, a new online hub for business owners and their employees. The site provides tools, insights and offers specifically created to give small business owners more of what they desperately need: time.

Small businesses (SMBs) make up 98% percent¹ of business in Canada and are the engine of the economy. MasterCard conducted research² with small business owners and found that nearly half of small business owners (49%) wished they had more time to focus on the bigger picture of running their business. There are an increasing number of online tools and services to help Canada's SMBs prosper yet 35% still find themselves frustrated with a lack of experience in how to get the most out of areas such as accounting, social media and eCommerce.

In response, MasterCard created the Business Owner Toolbox, a collection of carefully selected business tools and software from market leading providers. These tools are designed specifically for SMBs and come with all the help and support needed to get the most from them. Tools inside the Toolbox include: Sage One online accounting, Mono.net website builder, MozyPro cloud data protection and Xpenditure receipt capture and expense management.

"In working with small businesses, I recognize how overwhelming some administrative tasks can be," says Mark Evans, Principal with ME Consulting. "How many owners have thrown receipts in a shoebox and hoped their accountant would make sense of the mess? With these tools, a business owner can take back control and save time and money. It's a great solution for today's small business owners."

All MasterCard cardholders can subscribe to the tools at up to 70% discount off regular price, and the first 1000 MasterCard Business cardholders will receive an additional 150 Toolbox Dollars to apply toward subscriptions of individual tools or preferred bundles.

The research identified that as SMBs embrace new technology access to human customer support is extremely important. The Business Owner Toolbox comes with unlimited access to telephone, live chat and email support, with a team on hand to answer questions about any of the tools.

All tools and support are managed by BCSG, a leader in enabling large brands to connect their small business customers to cloud services. The Insights section of the Toolbox contains helpful blog posts authored by small business owners.

"Small business owners' number one request was to simplify their administrative duties, and our Toolbox cuts through the noise and offers a single spot to do everything from accounting to building e-commerce capabilities," said Jeff Dickinson, VP of Small Business, MasterCard Canada. "This toolbox takes care of some of the biggest pain points of running a business. It's our opportunity to work with small businesses to help them grow and prosper."

Find the tools, resources and insights in the MasterCard Business Owner Toolbox.

About MasterCard
MasterCard (NYSE: MA), www.mastercard.com, is a technology company in the global payments industry. We operate the world's fastest payments processing network, connecting consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. MasterCard's products and solutions make everyday commerce activities – such as shopping, traveling, running a business and managing finances – easier, more secure and more efficient for everyone. Follow us on Twitter @MasterCardCAnws, join the discussion on the Cashless Pioneers Blog and subscribe for the latest news on the Engagement Bureau.

About BCSG
BCSG is the leader in enabling small business brands to successfully connect their customers to cloud services. BCSG is at the forefront of powering the global cloud economy for small businesses. Its innovative platform is used by financial and telecoms companies around the globe — and helps connect more than 4 million small businesses to leading cloud-based applications such as Microsoft Office 365, Sage, Norton and Mozy. Founded in 2008, BCSG is based near Silicon Roundabout in London and has presence in North America, Africa and the Asia Pacific region. 

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¹ Key Small Business Statistics, Industry Canada, August 2013
² On behalf of MasterCard, Rank Research Group conducted regional research with 509 small business owners between Dec 30^th 2013 and Jan 11^th 2014.

SOURCE: MasterCard Canada

For further information: Media Contact: Lauren Mostowyk, MasterCard, 416-365-6697, [e-mail]; Leslie Jackson, Ketchum, 416-355-7406, [e-mail]