“The biggest lesson I've learned is don't plan for tomorrow; plan for next year and the year after that.”

In this episode of Greater than the Sum, we’re joined by Noah Maislin, President and CEO of Minutes Solutions. He sits down with host Mark Assini to walk through his entrepreneurial journey: the successes and challenges he faced building the organization from the ground up.

Around 70% of people will experience imposter syndrome in their lives. Noah talks about dealing with this head-on and focusing on building expertise in his field to overcome it.

We explore the key steps on Noah’s journey from start-up to established business: from starting to think long-term to gaining better control of financial operations.

Noah outlines the importance of networks for him as an entrepreneur as a way to temperature-check ideas, partners, and technologies.

We discuss the importance of finding the right banking and accounting providers and why being seen as a partner, not just a customer, makes a big difference.

Finally, in our pursuit to extract as many actionable insights as possible from our guests, we put Noah in the hot seat for some quick-fire questions on everything from integrating financial technologies to avoiding burnout.

This episode focuses on:

• Starting an entrepreneur journey and becoming an expert
• Using financial technology to streamline and claw back time
• Finding the right banking and accounting partners to support small business growth
• Thinking long term and being ready for the unforeseen
• Tapping into networks to stay across new financial technologies

Greater than the Sum is the interview series from Plooto that helps small business owners and operators – and the accountants who serve them – remove the guesswork from their business finances and gain back the time to focus on what really matters.

You can check out Plooto.com for resources, tips, and advice on how to get control over your cash flow.

Links from the episode:

Minutes Solutions https://minutessolutions.com/

Chapter Markers

[1:01] Creating Minute Solutions: Getting started as a start-up.

[3:47] Overcoming impostor syndrome: Establishing yourself as the expert.

[5:35] Building an exceptional team: Creating a robust training program for minute takers.

[6:51] Streamlining payment processes: Managing over 100 contractors per week.

[8:57] Taking control of finances: Finding the right banking partner to support growth as a small business.

[10:56] Evolving financial management: Moving away from a ‘scrappy start-up’ mentality to think strategically.

[11:58] Selecting the right accounting firm: The value of being seen as a partner.

[14:38] Forward thinking: Being prepared and planning to deal with the unexpected.

[16:42] Adopting new financial technologies: Vetting options available and ensuring value-add for your business.

[22:48] Managing small business operations: Quickfire advice on topics including financial management, integrating technologies, and avoiding burnout.

“It is important to make decisions early that do scale, even when that point of scaling seems incredibly far off in the future.”

In this episode of Greater than the Sum, we are joined by Canadian fintech expert and writer of the Canadian Fintech newsletter, Tal Schwartz.

Tal gives his perspective on the innovative financial technologies that are reshaping the landscape for small businesses. Together with Plooto’s Mark Assini, he explores the challenges SMBs face when it comes to financial management. They look at the importance of embracing technology and why all small businesses, from ambitious start-ups to “Mom and Pop entrepreneurs,” should prioritize choosing fintech solutions that will allow them to scale when the time comes.

Tal also gives recommendations on the best fintech solutions for SMBs and the considerations when selecting and implementing them. We gaze a little into the future and the market disruptors coming down the pipeline, like AI and open banking, and the impact they will have on both the ecosystem and small businesses.

This episode focuses on:

• The innovation coming from the Canadian fintech sector
• Why SMBs need to consider scaling from day one
• How better financial controls result in better outcomes
• Choosing the right fintech solutions for your SMB
• Emerging trends like AI, open banking, and automation

Greater than the Sum is the interview series from Plooto that helps small business owners and operators – and the accountants who serve them – remove the guesswork from their business finances and gain back the time to focus on what really matters.

You can check out Plooto.com for resources, tips, and advice on how to get control over your cash flow.

Links from the episode

Check out the resources mentioned in the interview with Tal:

Mapping the best finops stack for your business

The Canadian FinTech newsletter

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lenciconi

Chapter Markers

[1:13] Uncovering Canadian fintech: Tal’s mission to showcase Canada's thriving financial services technology industry.

[2:56] Banking oligopoly disruption: How new players are challenging the dominance of six major banks.

[4:15] SMB financial challenges: Common pitfalls faced by Canadian small businesses and overcoming them.

[6:26] Fintech tools for success: The technologies empowering SMBs to take control of their finances.

[11:16] Fewer mistakes and better decisions: The benefits of implementing strong financial controls.

[12:33] Navigating the ecosystem: Considerations and misconceptions when selecting fintech tools for your SMB.

[20:02] AI revolution in accounting: The impact of Artificial Intelligence on financial management for SMBs.

[23:34] The rise of open banking: How small businesses can capitalize on the opportunities.

[28:03] Automation in payment operations: Streamlining processes to drive business growth.

[28:48] Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs: What it takes to build a business in the Fintech space.

“If you don't have good finances and financial management, you actually don't have a business.”

Welcome to the first episode of Greater than the Sum. We were honored to have Christine Pilkington, serial entrepreneur and founder and CEO of Crisp, as our first guest.

During this episode, Christine reflects on the early days of Crisp – a business helping entrepreneurs thrive with the support of fractional marketing services – plus how the company has evolved and the lessons she has learned along the way. Our host, Mark Assini from Plooto’s marketing team, quizzes Christine on the financial aspects of running your own business and how that has changed as the company has expanded. Christine reflects on the early misconceptions she had about financial operations and how addressing them catapulted the success of her business. Finally, Christine and Mark discuss the lightbulb moment for achieving financial control of the business and what was needed to get there.

This episode focuses on:

• How Crisp is helping start-ups scale
• The early pitfalls of financial management as an entrepreneur
• The importance of taking financial management seriously
• How technology can take the weight off a founder’s shoulders
• The biggest entrepreneurial lessons Christine has picked up during her career

Greater than the Sum helps small business owners and operators remove the guesswork from their business finances and gain back the time to focus on what really matters.

Chapter Markers

[1:01] Introduction to Crisp: Scaling start-ups with fractional marketing leadership

[2:54] Advice for My Past Self: The importance of acquiring financial business acumen

[4:05] Biggest Marketing Misconceptions: Cutting through noise to do what is best for your business

[6:21] The Journey of a Serial Entrepreneur: How Crisp has evolved

[10:01] Approaches to Start-up Financial management: Finding your footing as a start-up

[12:55] Technology Adoption: Selecting software that serves your business needs

[15:11] Achieving Financial Control: The turning points for the business

[18:25] Learning from Business Failures: The difficulty of being undercapitalized

[22:41] It takes a (financial) village: The importance of hiring the right people

[25:44] Quickfire Advice: Streamlining payment support processes

About Plooto

You can check out more about Plooto on Plooto.com for resources, tips, and advice on how to get control over your cash flow.

Welcome to Greater than the Sum, the series where we demystify what it takes for small business owners in Canada – and the accountants that support them – to get control of their finances.

Every day, thousands of small business owners in Canada struggle to keep their finances on track. They worry about cash flow and stress out about making payroll. But what if you had what you need to take control of your cash flow and breathe a sigh of relief? What if you could focus on growing your business instead of worrying about where your business stands?

That's what Greater than the Sum is all about. Every two weeks, I’ll sit down with small business owners and finance experts from Canada, exploring the strategies and tactics they've used to get control of their cash. We'll be talking about everything from budgeting and forecasting to invoicing and payment terms.

Our guests will share their real-life experiences, their successes and setbacks, and the lessons they've learned along the way. We'll also be diving into the latest trends and best practices in finance management, so you can stay up-to-date with the latest insights and advice.

If you're a small business owner in Canada who's ready to take control of your finances, or an accountant looking to spend less time on manual tasks and more time as an advisor, then you're in the right place.

Join me as we uncover the secret to making your business greater than the sum of its parts.