BCSG today announced it has teamed up with Allied Irish Banks, p.l.c. (“AIB”) to offer MyBusinessToolkit, a suite of leading business apps tailored to the needs of AIB’s small business (SME) customers. It is the first such online engagement platform in the Irish market.
MyBusinessToolkit brings together a selection of innovative market-leading apps to help SMEs start, manage and grow their businesses. To highlight their commitment to their SME customers, AIB is offering the business planning app, PlanHQ, for free. Four other apps - Receipt Bank, MozyPro, bOnline and Sage One Accounting and Payroll – are all being offered at a significant discount on the Recommended Retail Price.
“We are excited to be the first financial institution in Ireland to offer such an innovative product to our SME customers,” said John Irwin, Head of Business Propositions at AIB. “We believe in backing small businesses, and giving them the tools they need to succeed - financially or otherwise. MyBusinessToolkit offers specific apps that we believe will help our customers manage their businesses more efficiently, taking some of the strain out of the challenges they face.”
BCSG, an award winning cloud services engagement platform provider, developed MyBusinessToolkit in conjunction with AIB specifically for Irish SMEs. The platform puts all the tools SMEs need in one place, available through a single login, and accessible 24/7 from most web-connected devices. Comprehensive support from BCSG is available to all users and is provided free of charge.
“Our research shows that nearly one in two SMEs would feel more engaged with their bank if they provided tools and services to help them run their businesses” said Tom Davies, Head of Strategic Partnerships at BCSG. “AIB is addressing this issue by introducing MyBusinessToolkit in partnership with BCSG. MyBusinessToolkit will give AIB customers access to a range of tools that help them address challenges such as effective business planning, simplifying accounting processes and building an online presence. Providing services that help SMEs develop their business based on advice and support, rather than purely transactional services, is critical for the retention and growth of this segment among financial institutions. With MyBusinessToolkit, AIB has taken a major step in ensuring that it provides its SME customers with what they genuinely need.”