Heidee Draney, an Assistant Branch Manager at WaFd Bank, has a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities small businesses face. Her branch is situated on the Nevada-Arizona border, a location that experiences high traffic during the winter months and slows down during the scorching summer months.
With a background as a small business owner, Heidee understands the pulse of businesses and has honed her intuition to anticipate their needs. Through asking questions, she guides her clients to make informed decisions, thereby building solid and trust-based relationships.
Below is Heidee’s WaFd Journey as she shares her insights and explains why she endorses the FINSYNC Platform to her business clients for its ability to improve their cash flow management.
What do you enjoy the most about your job?
Working for WaFd Bank has been an excellent experience, mainly because I don’t work evenings, weekends, or holidays, affording me more time with my family.
Additionally, I appreciate the opportunity to meet new people and simplify their lives by identifying their banking needs, ones they might not have recognized initially. This includes areas like additional financing, long-term savings, and the recommendation of FINSYNC to manage their businesses to save them time and money.
Creating these relationships with my clients is something I enjoy doing. When you love what you do, you aren’t working; you are enjoying life.
What is your favorite thing about being on the WaFd team?
I love the branch where I work, which makes it fun to come to work. We are all really close and willing to help each other whatever we are doing. This makes for an easygoing day and takes the stress out of life. WaFd is a fantastic company for which to work.
How do you identify business owners that may be a good match for FINSYNC?
My honest opinion is that every business can actually benefit from FINSYNC—it’s just a matter of determining the right time for them. I usually find potential clients by driving around town or checking government pages for newly activated business licenses. However, the biggest method is by speaking to our current clients and uncovering what they might need, even if they’re unaware of it themselves.
Sometimes, business owners don’t know what to ask. There is so much to know. So it is my job to ask and identify areas where my expertise can make a significant impact. In doing so, I can reveal which products will best benefit them.
What is your approach like?
I enjoy discovering how owners currently manage their businesses. By asking specific questions, I can gauge their business’s stage and evaluate their general management efficiency.
Do you think your customers struggle with other software solutions, such as Quickbooks?
Having previously used QuickBooks, it is easy for me to be able to revert back and determine if FINSYNC is a good fit for my clients. QuickBooks can be extremely overwhelming unless you have used it for years. When I first had the first demo with FINSYNC, I realized that it takes the guesswork out and is much easier to use than QuickBooks.
Additionally, the pricing for QuickBooks is significantly higher compared to FINSYNC. This cost-effectiveness is another advantage, particularly for businesses in small towns looking to save money.
I’ve heard success stories from my business clients about the time and effort FINSYNC has saved them. By learning the platform, they’ve been able to devote more time to their businesses. As one of my clients put it, “Without FINSYNC, I wouldn’t know what I was doing; now I can see I am going to survive the summer.”
What do you like best about FINSYNC?
The best thing I like about FINSYNC is the accounting and cash flow management. These tools are incredibly valuable for small businesses, providing real-time cash flow updates and projected income. It makes it easy for businesses to see if they can survive during the summer months.
Here in Nevada, the summertime is our slowest season. Our snowbirds leave, and our accounts can decrease by up to a third. This is a retirement community, and many who own second homes leave when the weather becomes too hot. It’s reassuring to know that FINSYNC can help small businesses navigate and survive these challenging times.
What other “banking tools” could we provide to help you succeed?
I can’t really think of any, to be honest. FINSYNC has so many resource tools, not only for the client but for the bankers as well. I love the new Partner Portal. It makes it super simple to be able to log in and send our new referral videos that would benefit them.
FINSYNC allows entrepreneurs to run their businesses on One Platform. They can send and receive payments, process payroll, automate accounting, and manage cash flow. To learn more about how we can help businesses start, scale, and succeed, contact us today.