An Interview with Jamie Townes of Big Blue Box Productions
Needless to say, 2020 has been a year of change. Part of that change came this summer with the launch of the enhanced Bryant Bank digital banking app for desktop and mobile. We chatted a bit with Jamie Townes of Big Blue Box Productions about her experience with our new digital banking platform and the tips and tricks she has for other small business owners to help streamline their banking needs through the mobile app.
- Could you briefly explain how you interact with Bryant Bank’s digital banking platform?
I own Big Blue Box Productions which is an events business where I am always juggling multiple events at one time. This makes keeping track of expenditures a nightmare when you are trying to ensure the profitability for each event. Bryant Bank’s new platform has made things so much easier because I can tag my receipts as to what event it is linked to and take a picture of the receipt also. Doing this allows me to make any notes that I need to right there in the app. I no longer have to carry around a three-ring binder with sheet protectors in it and have labels for each event to put my receipts in. This also saves me time when I sit down to reconcile my bank account in Quickbooks. Gone are the days of sitting at my desk fumbling through receipts and trying to remember exactly what something was for!
I also am a partner at EIB Systems here in Trussville. We have upwards of 50 clients that we prepare monthly financials for. Using a mobile banking system like Bryant Bank has made things a breeze when we look for monthly financials and taxes because we know what each transaction is for.
- In your role, when it comes to online banking and/or a mobile app, what features often make your job easier?
The mobile app helps me in so many ways. I rarely use the online site because the mobile app is so efficient for me. I work out of my truck most of the time, and events are not really a business where you sit down at the desk and work. I am always meeting with clients at venues, meeting with vendors, building things at my shop and so much more.
In the past I would always be afraid that I would lose a deposit check or something like that. Now, as soon as I receive the check I deposit it into my account via the mobile app. This has been a life saver! Then, the next morning I add the tag to the deposit and I no longer have to worry about remembering what deposit was for what event. This is just one example of how the mobile app helps me.
- Are there any specific features within our new platform that you have really appreciated?
I love being able to tag transactions, whether it be deposits or expenses, and being able to throw away my receipts since I can add the picture of the receipt to the transaction. I also love being able to add notes.
For example, if you purchase something from Amazon, it does not really give you any detail about what the item is. I ordered balloons for an event, tablecloths for the same event, and beverage napkins. I added a tag to the Amazon purchase for the event but was able to go in and add a note for exactly what the item was that was purchased. For this reason, I can grab my phone in the middle of the night when I wake up and wonder if I ordered the beverage napkins and simply scroll through the account and look at my notes rather than having to go through all the orders in my amazon account.
- Any tips or tricks you would share with other Bryant Bank customers when it comes to using our digital banking platform?
Really just be diligent. Every morning I take about 5 minutes and go through my purchases/deposits for the previous day. This saves me so much time, headache, and stress later on.
- Anything else that you’d like to share/mention?
This is a great tool and I am so grateful that you guys have really taken into consideration the small business that is done in a non-traditional way when designing this app!
Jamie is just one of the many Alabama small business owners that utilizes the Bryant Bank Digital Banking app. The beauty of this new platform is the ease of use and organizational tools that can be used to help streamline your daily business expenses as well. To learn more about what all Bryant Bank Digital Banking has to offer, visit https://www.bryantbank.com/digital/.
As always, a local Bryant Banker will gladly assist you with any of your digital banking questions as well. We work hard to be your hometown bank with “big bank” benefits!
