Latest news with #Aspire
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
OSOME AND ASPIRE EMPOWER FOUNDERS TO RECLAIM TIME WITH TECH-DRIVEN INNOVATION
- Reduce Weekly Business Pain Points by Up to 6 Hours - HONG KONG and SINGAPORE, July 31, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Digital business solutions provider Osome and Aspire, a leading all-in-one finance platform for modern businesses, have deepened their partnership to help entrepreneurs in Singapore and Hong Kong save time and reduce repetitive financial admin. Through Aspire's bank integration now available on Osome's AI-enabled all-in-one platform, founders can automate key finance workflows to optimise time and resources for higher-value work. Companies often spend six hours weekly on accounting and reconciliation tasks[1] as traditional reconciliations are time- and resource-heavy, involving manual downloads of bank statements, data extraction from the statements, and matching transactions across multiple systems. Through Aspire's bank integration capability, businesses data extraction from bank accounts into Osome's platform is automated, enabling businesses to simplify and accelerate the reconciliation process, significantly reducing human error and closing their books with ease. "Osome exists to give entrepreneurs back what matters most - their time," said Catherine Doherty, Head of Partnerships at Osome. "Our partnership with Aspire reflects our commitment to simplifying business ownership and helping founders build something meaningful." Automation and improvements in key financial processes can help to reduce costs by 35% to 46%[2]. Over the past two months, the adoption of Aspire's bank feed integration among Osome customers has surged by 43%, signalling a rapid recognition of the operational value and time-saving potential of this seamless connection. "A 43% surge in adoption in just two months speaks volumes," said Andrea Baronchelli, CEO and Co-Founder of Aspire. "Founders are hungry for solutions that save time and reduce friction. Our integration with Osome gives them real-time visibility, faster reconciliation, and fewer manual headaches." Aspire and Osome will jointly initiate community and educational outreach activities for founders, startups, and SMEs in both cities. The integrated experience for founders starts at About Osome Osome was founded to empower entrepreneurs to accelerate positive change by reducing their administrative burden. Since 2017, it has helped founders advance their missions with AI-enabled digital solutions and expert local guidance through services like incorporation, secretarial support, accounting, payroll, and tax compliance. Active in top financial markets such as Hong Kong, London, and Singapore, Osome continuously adapts to modern entrepreneurs' needs by partnering with leading fintech firms. To date, Osome has assisted over 30,000 companies in processing more than 1 million bookkeeping transactions, totalling over US$5.6 billion in value. Learn more about Osome at About Aspire Aspire is the all-in-one finance platform for modern businesses globally, helping over 50,000 companies save time and money with international payments, treasury, expense, payable, and receivable management solutions - accessible via a single, user-friendly account. Headquartered in Singapore, Aspire has 600+ employees across nine countries, clients in 30+ markets and is backed by global top tier VCs, including Sequoia, Lightspeed, Y-Combinator, Tencent and PayPal. In 2023, Aspire closed an oversubscribed US$100M Series C round and announced that it has achieved profitability. [1] Adyen highlights slow cash flow and payment reconciliation stalling SME growth, draining time and resources, 11 May 2025. [2] Finance Effectiveness Benchmark Report 2017 by PwC View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Osome Ltd
Economic Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Economic Times
He was 24 with just $20: Mark Cuban's first business venture failed in 30 days, but the lesson he learned is priceless
Agencies Mark Cuban's initial entrepreneurial attempt involved selling powdered milk, which failed within a month, teaching him valuable lessons about business. Long before Mark Cuban became a billionaire entrepreneur, NBA team owner, and household name on Shark Tank, he was just a broke 24-year-old college grad with a hustle — and a handful of powdered milk packets. In a recent episode of the 'Aspire' podcast hosted by Emma Grede, Cuban revealed how his very first business venture — selling powdered milk — failed spectacularly in just 30 days. Armed with under $20 and unshakable optimism, Cuban believed his budget milk substitute could revolutionize frugal kitchens. 'I remember taking samples to people, mixing it up, like, 'Look, milk's expensive. We're broke, right? This will save you money,'' he said on the show. The response? Indifference at best, revulsion at worst. That sting of rejection might have ended the story for most — but for Cuban, it was just the first step. The powdered milk venture was Cuban's crash course in entrepreneurship. 'It did not sell,' he admitted plainly. But that 30-day loss proved to be a long-term gain. 'It doesn't matter how many times you fail. You only have to be right one time,' he reflected. And he was. Shortly after, Cuban launched MicroSolutions, a software reseller company. With no outside funding and no time off ('I didn't take a vacation for the next seven years,' he told The Playbook by Entrepreneur), Cuban hustled his way into profitability. By 1990, he sold MicroSolutions to CompuServe for $6 million. Nine years later, he made internet history by selling to Yahoo for $6 billion. Cuban's early struggles were far from glamorous. He was fired from a computer store, lived with six roommates in a cramped apartment, and often slept on the floor. But instead of retreating, he went all in — and stayed all in. 'There is no balance,' Cuban once told Sports Illustrated. 'If you want to crush the game, whatever game you're in, there's somebody working 24 hours a day to kick your a*s.'. What if you're starting with nothing today? Cuban says the answer lies not in bank accounts, but in sweat equity. If he had to build from scratch in 2025, he'd lean into artificial intelligence — and not by spending, but by learning. 'I'd be all about AI,' he said. 'If I had access to a library and $0, I'd be in there till they kicked me out.' He suggests learning to prompt AI tools effectively, then offering services to small businesses to improve efficiency. In other words: find a skill, sharpen it for free, and sell it. Despite his massive fortune (estimated at $6 billion, per Forbes), Cuban's proudest achievement might just be the control he now exercises over his own time. At SXSW 2024, he shared a telling anecdote — after making his first million, he threw away his watch. 'I didn't want to respond to anyone else,' he said. 'I wanted to own my time.'
Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
He was 24 with just $20: Mark Cuban's first business venture failed in 30 days, but the lesson he learned is priceless
Long before Mark Cuban became a billionaire entrepreneur, NBA team owner, and household name on Shark Tank , he was just a broke 24-year-old college grad with a hustle — and a handful of powdered milk packets. In a recent episode of the 'Aspire' podcast hosted by Emma Grede, Cuban revealed how his very first business venture — selling powdered milk — failed spectacularly in just 30 days. Armed with under $20 and unshakable optimism, Cuban believed his budget milk substitute could revolutionize frugal kitchens. 'I remember taking samples to people, mixing it up, like, 'Look, milk's expensive. We're broke, right? This will save you money,'' he said on the show. The response? Indifference at best, revulsion at worst. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Others Finance Design Thinking others Cybersecurity Degree PGDM Leadership Management Data Science Digital Marketing CXO Product Management Technology Artificial Intelligence Public Policy healthcare Data Science Data Analytics Project Management MBA Operations Management Skills you'll gain: Duration: 7 Months S P Jain Institute of Management and Research CERT-SPJIMR Exec Cert Prog in AI for Biz India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 16 Weeks Indian School of Business CERT-ISB Transforming HR with Analytics & AI India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 9 months IIM Lucknow SEPO - IIML CHRO India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 28 Weeks MICA CERT-MICA SBMPR Async India Starts on undefined Get Details That sting of rejection might have ended the story for most — but for Cuban, it was just the first step. What Failing Taught Him The powdered milk venture was Cuban's crash course in entrepreneurship . 'It did not sell,' he admitted plainly. But that 30-day loss proved to be a long-term gain. 'It doesn't matter how many times you fail. You only have to be right one time,' he reflected. And he was. Shortly after, Cuban launched MicroSolutions, a software reseller company. With no outside funding and no time off ('I didn't take a vacation for the next seven years,' he told The Playbook by Entrepreneur), Cuban hustled his way into profitability. By 1990, he sold MicroSolutions to CompuServe for $6 million. Nine years later, he made internet history by selling to Yahoo for $6 billion. You Might Also Like: Mark Cuban confesses to using 'AI for everything', but warns of one big limitation From Sleeping on Floors to Owning the Dallas Mavericks Cuban's early struggles were far from glamorous. He was fired from a computer store, lived with six roommates in a cramped apartment, and often slept on the floor. But instead of retreating, he went all in — and stayed all in. 'There is no balance,' Cuban once told Sports Illustrated. 'If you want to crush the game, whatever game you're in, there's somebody working 24 hours a day to kick your a*s.'. Sweat Equity Over Start-Up Capital What if you're starting with nothing today? Cuban says the answer lies not in bank accounts, but in sweat equity. If he had to build from scratch in 2025, he'd lean into artificial intelligence — and not by spending, but by learning. 'I'd be all about AI,' he said. 'If I had access to a library and $0, I'd be in there till they kicked me out.' He suggests learning to prompt AI tools effectively, then offering services to small businesses to improve efficiency. In other words: find a skill, sharpen it for free, and sell it. You Might Also Like: Mark Cuban's resurfaced wish about AI is a wake-up call for Gen Z: 'If I were 16 or 18 today...' Despite his massive fortune (estimated at $6 billion, per Forbes), Cuban's proudest achievement might just be the control he now exercises over his own time. At SXSW 2024, he shared a telling anecdote — after making his first million, he threw away his watch. 'I didn't want to respond to anyone else,' he said. 'I wanted to own my time.'
Mint
7 days ago
- Business
- Mint
Kotak Mahindra wants to woo India's wealthy with Solitaire banking—Is it worth it?
If you have a crore in the bank, congratulations—you're an affluent Indian. That's the benchmark Kotak Mahindra Bank uses to determine eligibility for its new Solitaire program. For salaried individuals, the threshold is a little lower at ₹75 lakh. Other types of financial relationships also count toward eligibility—such as mutual funds invested through Kotak, or having a loan or demat account—though some adjustments may apply. Once you qualify, the bank is ready to roll out a red carpet of benefits. But are these perks compelling enough to justify locking in such a large sum? Here's a deep dive. What's on offer At the heart of the program is a pre-approved loan of up to 3x the size of your banking relationship, capped at ₹7.5 crore. So, if you have a ₹1 crore fixed deposit with Kotak, you could be eligible for a home loan worth ₹3 crore. While paperwork like property documents is still required, the loan approval process is expected to be smoother. What's more, Kotak considers combined family relationships, which includes your spouse, parents, and minor children. Even better—benefits extend to them. For instance, your father running a traditional grocery business may also enjoy the perks if the family's combined assets meet the eligibility threshold. You also get a credit card borrowing limit starting at ₹10 lakh. Then there is a dedicated customer care helpline only for affluent customers and dedicated 'investment specialists' who will help with investing your money. Also read: How to use credit cards smartly to earn rewards on UPI transactions Kotak is actively promoting its 'SIP + SWP' (Systematic Investment Plan + Systematic Withdrawal Plan), Aspire, as a dynamic retirement strategy, moving beyond traditional insurance policies. This approach leverages SIPs for staggered investments and SWPs for systematic withdrawals, allowing clients to build a robust retirement corpus by benefiting from stock market growth. Explaining this plan, Rohit Bhasin, president, head of affluent, NRI and business banking and chief marketing officer, Kotak bank said combining an SIP and SWP can help the customer define the amount they want to receive every month at a pre-defined age. 'This isn't about retirement alone. The idea is to build a second source of income that this product can help you achieve." Solitaire credit card The biggest highlight of the Solitaire package may well be the Kotak Solitaire Card, a super-premium travel credit card. It's currently free for Solitaire customers—but if your relationship dips below the eligibility level and you're downgraded, a ₹25,000 annual fee kicks in. The card is issued to the primary account holder, with up to three add-on cards for family members. You can earn rewards upto 10% of your spends on flight tickets and hotels booked via Kotak's dedicated platform called Unbox. The platform is also used to redeem the reward points by booking flights and hotels or transferring them to partner airline and hotel partner programs. The bank currently has eight airline partners, including Qatar, Etihad, British Airways etc and two hotel partners, Marriott and Accor. Air India transfers are available at a 1:1 ratio. For other partners, the transfer ratio is 2:1, except for Marriott, which allows transfers to airmiles at a 3:1 ratio. For all other transactions, including travel bookings done outside of Unbox, you will earn 3 reward points per ₹100 spent, translating into 3% reward earning rate. However, payments done towards utilities, insurance, rent, fuel, and education fee are excluded from earning any rewards at all. Notably, Solitaire is one of the few premium cards that will earn reward on tax payments–the 3% base reward apply. The maximum value of reward points you can earn from travel bookings on Unbox is capped at ₹1 lakh per month. To reach this cap, you would need to spend ₹10 lakh solely on travel bookings. Once you hit this limit, a lower base reward rate of 3% kicks in for all subsequent transactions during the month. Also read: Some credit and debit cards come with insurance, but be sure you're eligible for it If you're looking to redeem points on non-travel categories—such as vouchers—each point carries a redemption value of ₹0.5. Frederick D'Souza, business head of credit cards at Kotak Mahindra Bank, said the option to purchase and redeem vouchers directly on the Unbox platform will be rolled out soon. You also get unlimited lounge access, both domestic and international, for the primary and add-on card holders. On top of that, four guest lounge entries per year are allowed—handy for travelling friends or family members who don't hold an add-on card. The perks don't stop at travel. You might get early access to concerts and events, from Ed Sheeran to Peppa Pig. And for foreign usage, there's zero forex markup and just a 1% cash withdrawal fee abroad (no interest if paid on time). So, should you get it? Sumanta Mandal, founder, TechnoFino, an online platform that reviews credit cards and other banking products, said for those who already have a solid banking relationship with Kotak should get the card. 'Since it's free, the customer should get it. It offers unlimited lounge access and has zero forex." But if you don't, it may not be worth locking in a crore just for a card—especially if you're already holding premium offerings from rival banks. 'If you own an Infinia or Axis Magnus Burgundy and don't have an existing relationship with Kotak bank, I wouldn't recommend locking away ₹75 lakh– ₹1 crore just for the credit card," said Mandal. Also read: Mint Primer: Why are banks issuing fewer credit cards?
CNBC
24-07-2025
- Business
- CNBC
Want to sound more assertive? Ditch this 2-word phrase, says trial lawyer and communication expert
Most people make a common communication mistake that almost instantly makes them sound less confident, according to speaking expert and Texas-based trial lawyer Jefferson Fisher: They say "I'm sorry" way too much. "If you want to sound more assertive in any given situation, No. 1, you want to eliminate the over-apologies," Fisher told serial entrepreneur Emma Grede on a July 1 episode of her "Aspire" podcast. "Whenever you eliminate the over-apologies, [you reinforce the idea that] your self-worth is not tied to how little of an inconvenience you can be with someone." If you forget to reply to an email, for example, and respond, "So sorry, I'm just getting back to you," or you miss a text and apologize for not responding sooner, you can be perceived as weak or like you're seeking approval, said Fisher, the bestselling author of "The Next Conversation: Argue Less, Talk More." "Heaven forbid you have priorities. Heaven forbid you're dealing with something with your kids," he percent of people in the U.S. apologize for something outside of their control at least once per day, according to April 2023 data from YouGov, which surveyed 9,594 adults. Eleven percent said they do this several times per day. Gen Zers particularly tend to over-apologize, the survey found. Sometimes, of course, you do need to apologize. Offer an apology when it counts, like after making a mistake or wronging someone, to come across as sincere and to ensure your words carry weight, executive coach and leadership expert Patrice Williams Lindo told CNBC Make It in 2022. Just don't do it simply to soften the blow of whatever you actually have to say. Unnecessarily apologies can undercut whatever statement comes next, and act as a placeholder for nervousness or fear of being judged, keynote speaker and CEO Lorraine K. Lee wrote for CNBC Make It in May. "Once you start noticing it, you'll see it everywhere," Lee wrote. Similarly, stop using crutch phrases that signal hesitancy, like "I hate to bother you," or "This is probably going to be a dumb question, but…" said Fisher. Find an accountability partner who can call you out when you unwittingly utter those phrases, he advised. You can also replace words like ''sorry" with something stronger. If you're late to a meeting, try saying "thanks for your patience" instead of "so sorry I'm late" to show authority and assertiveness, Lee wrote — and only say "I'm sorry" if you genuinely mean it.
