Nearly every small business owner in America relies on their bank for what can best be described as the financial fundamentals: core products like checking, deposits, payments and credit. And by and large, banks of all sizes do a good job of delivering on these basic needs.
But the fact is, today’s small business owners are now demanding more from their banking partners. With costs on the rise, new competitors popping up daily and tighter budgets, small businesses are looking for their banks to add value beyond the expected.
With this challenge in mind, Comerica Bank began to explore how it could answer the evolving needs of small businesses and deliver unique, tangible value to our customers.
As one of the nation’s 50 largest banks, Comerica is endowed with substantial resources that it can bring to bear on behalf of small businesses. Yet at the same time, our day-to-day approach more closely resembles that of a community bank, with an emphasis on personalized service and enduring relationships.
At Comerica, we have a phrase that sums up this unique position: big enough to matter, and small enough to care.
Perhaps no program better exemplifies this concept than Comerica SmallBizCo-Op, a free program for Comerica small business checking customers in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. We took stock of the assets and capabilities at our disposal and asked ourselves a simple question: What capabilities could we share with small businesses that would add real value? The answer was four unique benefits that make up the suite of SmallBizCo-Op offerings.
Free marketing services and support
It begins by providing small businesses with free marketing services and support to get in front of their own customers. For example, our radio advertising during Dallas sports broadcasts — which can cost thousands of dollars to produce and air — now regularly promote our small business clients. We also offer digital advertising in our banking centers, providing local small businesses with even more exposure. And since small business owners don’t always have the time to develop new marketing materials, our team helps write, design and place the ads. All the customer has to do is submit a request.
Local research and data from SizeUp by Comerica
We recognize the importance of businesses having access to industry research and data to help them make better decisions, and our SizeUp by Comerica online tool helps our small business customers to do just that. SizeUp allows small businesses to compare their own business metrics against local or national competitors and gain valuable insights that will help them optimize their operations.
Significant savings on office supplies
SmallBizCo-op provides big savings on business supplies and materials by allowing small businesses to ‘piggyback’ on Comerica’s corporate pricing and purchasing power. Our customers have access to Comerica’s own purchasing portal and can take advantage of our discounts from thousands of merchants nationwide, saving as much as 40% off retail prices.
Complimentary tickets to local sporting events
Our free sports ticket program provides small businesses with a perk usually reserved for much bigger companies. Thanks to Comerica’s close relationships with professional franchises like the Dallas Stars and Texas Rangers, we are now making game tickets available to our small business customers, allowing them to reward employees or entertain an important client of their own.
All in all, Comerica SmallBizCo-op embodies our 175-year focus on helping businesses succeed and represents a wholly unique approach to how banks serve this most important of segments.
For more information about Comerica SmallBizCo-op, visit comerica.com/succeed.
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