PayPal Stories Archive

Small businesses are the foundation of economies around the world -- contributing to economic opportunity, jobs, inclusive growth and the overall health of our communities and nations -- and yet they are far too often underserved by the traditional financial system, lacking access to the tools and capabilities needed to help grow and scale their businesses to reach new customers. Whether it’s increasing access to capital, expediting the availability of funds from sales, or providing the infrastructure and digital tools needed to expand their businesses beyond the walls of their stores or shops to connect with customers around the world, small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) are increasingly in need of partners that can help them successfully participate in an ecosystem that brings more people into the global economy.

 

Democratizing commerce capabilities and providing easy to implement, secure end-to-end digital payments solutions for SMBs to contribute – and compete – in the global economy is central to our PayPal mission. PayPal helps small businesses sell everywhere from online marketplaces and stores to in-person interactions, nearly wherever they might occur. Most recently, we have partnered across sectors and industries and introduced products and services to deliver on our mission to democratize financial services for underserved merchants, communities and customers. To that end, and to  build on our ongoing SMB engagement efforts throughout the year, we are kicking off our second annual “PayPal Small Business Month” this May – a month long campaign to support the aspirations of small and mid sized merchants across the U.S., provide hands-on experience with our products and services, hear directly from fellow entrepreneurs and partner organizations, and voice their business needs in person.

 

This year, we are continuing to partner  with non-profit organizations that share in our mission to support small businesses, including Small Business Roundtable, Walker’s Legacy, Bunker Labs, Women’s Center for Entrepreneurship, Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship, Kiva and others. Together we will be working to help entrepreneurs share growth strategies, network in their local communities and learn about digital tools available to enable their success. We will also be hosting a series of virtual events focused on common challenges we most often hear from small business owners. These include building and establishing a support network of other entrepreneurs, marketing and selling on social media, getting noticed on marketplaces, accessing capital to grow your business and what to look for when selecting an ecommerce platform. Subject matter experts will join these sessions to share their insights and best practices on each topic.

 

We’re looking forward to further engaging with small business owners around the country throughout the month and beyond, learning about their needs and aspirations. Identifying and enabling the right set of tools and technology is critical to supporting a diverse group of businesses, creating jobs and building a truly inclusive economy. Empowering small businesses to get closer to their customers and maximize their local and global opportunities will have positive ripple effects across communities, economies and countries around the world.