August 21 is World Entrepreneurs’ Day — a moment to recognize the entrepreneurs, founders and innovators who turn ideas into businesses, creating jobs and helping strengthen communities.
There are roughly 665 million entrepreneurs around the world today, according to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor.¹ Behind those numbers are people taking risks, solving problems and creating opportunities for others. But starting a business is only a first step. The greater challenge is often sustaining and growing it.
Financial institutions can have an important role to play in that journey. Their opportunity is not limited to helping someone open a business account. It can extend to supporting the everyday decisions that can shape a company’s future: getting paid, managing cash flow, paying employees and suppliers, and providing access to funding when it is needed.
Visa’s new research, The Multiplier Effect: 2026 Visa Small Business Banking Report, found that SMB relationships can generate approximately five times the average annual return of consumer relationships. In some regions, particularly Latin America and Europe, that multiplier can reach between 7 and 11 times.²
The message is clear: identifying small business needs earlier can create value for entrepreneurs and financial institutions alike.
Small businesses are not just “super consumers”
A small business owner may use the same financial institution for personal and business needs, but that does not mean the two relationships are interchangeable.
Businesses often have distinct needs, including managing payments, employees, expenses and cash flow.
When personal and business activity is viewed through separate systems or teams, financial institutions may miss the broader business relationship. As a result, owners can be offered consumer products instead of business solutions such as payment acceptance, cash-flow management or business credit.
Cards can open the door
Business cards can help owners manage expenses, separate personal and business spending, and improve cash-flow visibility. They can also create significant value for financial institutions.
Visa’s research found that card-network products accounted for approximately 44% of SMB banking revenue in the portfolios analyzed.² It also found that small businesses with cards used roughly twice as many banking products as those without them.
While cards alone may not drive broader product adoption, they can be a gateway to a deeper financial relationship.
When a card is connected to the right products and experiences, it can give an institution a clearer view of an owner’s operating needs and can create a path to related services such as deposits, cash management, lending and digital payment acceptance.
For the small business owner, that can mean better access to the tools needed to manage the next stage of growth.
On World Entrepreneurs’ Day, financial institutions may want to ask whether they are doing enough to support entrepreneurs as their businesses grow. At Visa, we believe that can start with recognizing that small businesses are not simply consumers with commercial activity. By identifying small business needs earlier and offering more relevant payment, cash-flow and funding solutions, financial institutions can better support entrepreneurs as they build what comes next.
Disclaimer
Statistics and research and recommendations are provided “AS IS” and intended for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon for operational, marketing, legal, technical, tax, financial or other advice. Visa neither makes any warranty or representation as to the completeness or accuracy of the information within this document, nor assumes any liability or responsibility that may result from reliance on such information. These materials and best practice recommendations are provided for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon for investment, marketing, legal, regulatory or other advice. Materials and recommendations should be independently evaluated in light of your specific business needs and any applicable laws and regulations. Readers are encouraged to seek the advice of a competent professional where such advice is required.
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