Understanding the evolving business landscape has never been more crucial for finance leaders. Soldo’s September Spend Index looks at spending from over 18,000 businesses in light of recent political and economic changes. The Index also benchmarks spend by sector to help you understand how your peers are spending.
Advertising spend has seen varied trends across regions. In the UK, businesses have pulled back, resulting in a 15% decrease, while Italian companies ramped up their advertising by 31%, betting on aggressive growth. This underscores the need for adaptable financial strategies that can quickly respond to external changes.
Despite expectations of rising costs, spending on utilities has dipped in both the UK and Italy, thanks in part to new energy producers stabilising prices. This unexpected decrease presents an opportunity for CFOs to redirect savings towards sustainable technology and practices, aligning with growing environmental stewardship demands from stakeholders.
Nomadic employees — those who frequently working away from traditional office settings —continue to influence travel and entertainment (T&E) expenses. Spending in these categories has risen by 11% year-on-year, highlighting the shifting landscape of work and the importance of a proactive, agile and orderly approach to decentralised spending.
Artificial intelligence adoption is accelerating with a significant 177% increase in companies investing in AI tools like ChatGPT. This surge is not just about keeping up with technological trends but is an important part of maintaining a competitive edge in a rapidly evolving market.
Download the report now to gain business insights and benchmark your business against your peers.
As a Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), I’m no stranger to pressure. We’re expected to do it all: manage budgets with precision, invest wisely, and deliver measurable returns on investment, all while navigating increasingly strict legal and procurement processes.
Marketing is no longer just about creativity and campaign success – every decision is scrutinised for its financial impact. We need to be able to pivot quickly, seize opportunities, and ensure that every dollar or euro spent contributes to the bottom line. And while marketing tools have helped us be more agile, traditional financial systems often work against us, bogging us down in complex layers of approvals that sap energy and slow us down.
That’s why I am so excited about Progressive Finance. It’s an approach designed to break down those barriers, empowering marketers and other functional teams across the business to move faster, invest more strategically, and still maintain full control and accountability by finance teams. With Progressive Finance, we can decentralise spend management, trust our teams to make smart decisions and use technology to simplify complex processes.
It’s not just about reducing admin or increasing efficiency – it’s about making sure we’re equipped to respond to business needs in real time and maximise the return on every investment we make.
One of the biggest challenges marketing leaders face is balancing agility and creativity with fiscal responsibility. Marketing teams are often seen as spending centres, so we’re under constant scrutiny to justify every expense. Progressive Finance allows us to give teams more autonomy over their budgets, building a foundation of trust. This doesn’t mean relinquishing control – it means trusting our people to make the right calls and invest where it matters most.
When teams have ownership over their financial decisions, they not only work faster but also more responsibly. They know they’re being trusted to spend wisely, which increases accountability. Technology ensures we can still manage risk and compliance, but without the endless back-and-forth that delays execution.
Flexibility is key to a successful marketing strategy during a crisis. Market conditions can change rapidly, and your strategy should be agile enough to pivot when necessary. Continuously monitor the effectiveness of your marketing efforts and be ready to adjust tactics in response to changing circumstances. Agility allows you to seize new opportunities and mitigate risks as they arise. Source: https://www.star-digital.co.uk/blog/how-marketing-can-help-business-during-times-of-financial-crisis
In marketing, speed is crucial. Whether we’re responding to a competitor’s move, adapting to market shifts, or taking advantage of a sudden opportunity, the ability to act quickly can make or break a campaign’s success. Yet, so often, our hands are tied by slow-moving financial processes. Progressive Finance removes those obstacles by delegating decision-making and allowing us to respond in real time.
By automating processes with proactive controls, I can focus on strategic investments while trusting my teams to allocate resources as needed. With Progressive Finance, we can streamline processes and ensure we don’t miss out on valuable opportunities because we’re waiting for a sign-off.
Of course, giving more autonomy to teams doesn’t mean sacrificing oversight. Progressive Finance emphasises transparency, which is essential in an environment where expenses need to be monitored. As a senior leader, I need to ensure that every dollar is accounted for, especially when finance, procurement and legal teams need and demand detailed reporting and compliance.
By using the right spend management technology, we gain real-time visibility into spending, ensuring that no budget goes off track. This transparency helps us stay compliant with procurement standards while also allowing teams the freedom to make quick, informed decisions. The balance of autonomy and accountability is key to making this approach work.
There’s constant pressure in marketing to innovate – but innovation comes with risk. In my experience, strict financial controls often stifle the creativity we need to stay competitive. Progressive Finance creates the space for innovation by cutting down on administrative roadblocks and freeing up resources for experimentation.
When teams aren’t slowed down by complex procurement rules or approval delays, they can test new ideas, explore emerging platforms, and experiment with bold campaigns. This is especially important in times of economic uncertainty, where the ability to pivot and innovate can provide a competitive edge. Progressive Finance allows us to experiment with confidence, knowing that we’re still operating within a framework of control and accountability.
Chief marketing officers (CMOs) see innovation as the path to growth, with marketing innovation now making up more than 20% of overall marketing budgets, according to Gartner, Inc. The annual Gartner CMO Spend Survey 2021 showed that 72% of CMOs have increased investments in marketing innovation over the last year. Source: https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/gartner-says-marketing-innovation-makes-up-more-than-20–of-mark
One thing I’ve learned is that when your marketing team is empowered, they are more engaged and more productive. By involving teams in financial decisions, they feel more invested in the outcome. Progressive Finance enhances this by giving them the freedom to make decisions about their budgets. When employees feel trusted, their engagement and job satisfaction naturally increase, which leads to better results across the board.
The study of 50,000 employees by Inpulse found that 81 per cent of those who felt trusted by their line managers were engaged, compared to 28 per cent of employees who didn’t. The survey also revealed that employees feeling trusted and supported had the “greatest impact” on how engaged people were at work. Source: https://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/article/1806097/employees-three-times-engaged-when-feel-supported-managers-study-shows
This is especially important for marketers, who often face tight budgets and high expectations for return on investment. When teams feel ownership over their budget decisions, they’re more motivated to make smart, strategic choices that align with the company’s goals.
For me, Progressive Finance isn’t just about simplifying processes – it’s about empowering my team. And it’s about delivering better results while still adhering to all financial expectations. Here’s how it’s making a difference:
To make Progressive Finance work at Soldo, we have focused on building the right framework. Here’s how we are making it all happen:
At a time when marketing budgets are under a lot of scrutiny, a Progressive Finance approach provides the flexibility we need without sacrificing accountability. It allows us to navigate strict procurement processes while still empowering our teams to innovate and respond quickly to business needs.
For me, Progressive Finance isn’t just a financial strategy – it’s a mindset that allows us to thrive in a complex, fast-moving world. It’s about giving teams the freedom to act quickly, invest strategically, and deliver results, all while maintaining the financial control and transparency we need to succeed. This approach is what will allow us to stay agile, adapt to market changes, and continue delivering high-impact marketing outcomes, no matter what challenges come our way.
Written by Isabelle Duarté
Isabelle Duarté is the CMO at Soldo. She leads the strategic direction for driving awareness and demand for the company.
With a multilingual and multicultural background, Isabelle has over two decades of experience building and executing marketing strategies for global software businesses like Okta, Symantec, BlueCoat and VMware.
Isabelle is fluent in five languages, and her obsession with technology crosses over into her love for Leica cameras and her one concession to fluffiness — her passion for Airedale Terriers and their canine cohorts.
CFOs are typically seen as bastions of a company’s budget, compliance, and reporting. But, from our conversation with Mark Freedman on The CFO Playbook podcast, we’ve learned that the role now demands much more: fearless innovation.
Today, risk-averse safeguarding isn’t enough. CFOs who drive change and leverage data can help their businesses navigate monumental technological shifts, anticipate future market trends, and tap into their growth potential.
Freedman, with over three decades of experience, shares how he’s helped some of the world’s most influential financial institutions through crises and transformations
He’s seen the financial services industry become more cautious after the 9/11 attacks, more resilient after the global financial crisis, more aware of major cyberattacks risks, and – very recently – he’s seen it become more adaptable after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Freedman was instrumental in helping companies like Deutsche Bank, London Stock Exchange Group, and Travelex navigate those major transitions. “Living through the 2008 financial crisis and the cyberattack at Travelex taught me that a CFO’s role isn’t just about managing the numbers; it’s about leading through uncertainty and finding a path forward,” he says.
How did he do it? By developing a deep business understanding, communicating insights effectively, and staying updated on technology.
In The CFO Playbook episode with Mark, we explored:
For us, 2024 is about ensuring that finance teams are liberated from the laborious admin of spend management – freeing them and their business to focus on strategic activities that drive competitiveness. Our latest updates continue to listen to you and your needs – so we’ve gone back to basics to ensure more productivity and reduce inconveniences when managing your spend.
We’ve introduced more options to make payments via Soldo than ever before. Teams can now handle different types of payments under one roof, without having to seek different methods elsewhere. ‘Pay Someone’ brings the flexibility to make outbound bank transfers to employees or suppliers directly from the Soldo platform. So for moments when using your Soldo card isn’t an option, Pay Someone acts as the alternative to ensure you can pay supplier invoices or make one-off external payments from the Soldo platform.
For organisations with a large volume of cards to manage – setting spend rules for these cards is now a smooth and seamless task. Whether it’s setting spending limits or specifying how and when Soldo cards can be used (e.g. limiting use by geo-location or merchant category), these rules can now be set in bulk via ‘Card Rules Presets’. Not only does this reduce any manual effort but it means that different presets can be configured and applied to specific groups or teams – the result – full control of spend based on your business needs.
We want to ensure that anyone using Soldo is empowered to make a purchase as and when they need to, wherever they are. We’ve brought our ‘Pre-approved spend’ capabilities over to mobile to enable exactly that – giving admins and users the flexibility to request, approve and access Temporary virtual cards on the go.
We’ve all been there, being logged-out of an app when working across different tools and trying to get things done. Our updated inactivity timer, means that you can be inactive for 15 minutes without having to log-in again, giving you more time to focus on the tasks at hand.
Our Business API Portal is a one-stop resource for teams seeking to automate financial processes. User-friendly, and comprehensive – our documentation covers how our APIs facilitate everything from transaction exports to virtual card management, driving productivity across the board.
Our Soldo team is on the ground listening out for your challenges and needs. Our platform improvements and feature releases aim to push you to greater levels of productivity.
If you want to learn more about these features and Soldo’s Amazon Business integration, check out our latest product update webinar.
Amid significant political and economic shifts, navigating the new business landscape has become ever more important for finance leaders who are being recognised as agents of growth.
Soldo’s Spend Index offers a clear, data-driven snapshot of current spending trends for over 18,000 companies using Soldo to help inform strategic decision-making in unpredictable times.
Artificial intelligence continues to be a significant driver of innovation and efficiency in business operations. According to our data, AI investment has surged 449% compared to last year. This substantial increase underscores the growing importance of technology in maintaining competitive advantage, improving productivity and adding value.
The report also identifies which industries and sectors are leading and lagging in their digital transformation efforts. Download the report to see how your business and sector compare.
By nomadic employee, we don’t mean the colleague taking video calls on a beach in Bali, we mean employees who spend an increasing amount of time working away from their home or office for work purposes, like a long-distance truck driver or salesperson.
Our data shows a 20% increase in travel and entertainment-related spending, reflecting changing trends in employee work locations and habits. For businesses with nomadic employees, this insight is particularly valuable for financial planning and employee enablement.
ESG is more than a buzzword – the report highlights a dramatic increase in environmentally focused spending with a 324% increase in EV charging station spending for large businesses.
This surge indicates a strong move towards more sustainable practices, a trend that is becoming increasingly important to customers, employees and investors alike.
The Soldo Spend Index is a business tool offering detailed insights into the spending behaviours shaping industries. It provides finance leaders with direct year-on-year comparisons, which is essential for effective forecasting and strategic planning.
How are spending trends shaping industries in 2024? Soldo’s latest Spend Index – Spring 2024 report provides insight into business spend and saving in 2024 and what this means for financial leaders who find themselves at the heart of these decisions.
Pay Someone is a significant step forward in enhancing Soldo’s payment capabilities, giving you more payment options than ever before. With Pay Someone you can make outbound bank transfers to pay others, like employees or suppliers, right from the Soldo platform. It’s a simple yet effective payment capability that helps you manage all types of payment from a single platform. This feature sets the stage for further supplier management and payment enhancements coming later in 2024 – so watch this space!
Pay Someone is a new feature available in Soldo that enables quick and easy bank transfers, directly from the web or mobile app. Pay Someone supports Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) and Faster Payments Service (FPS) bank transfers. It’s perfect for out-of-pocket reimbursements, invoice payments, and more. No more switching between banking systems – saving you valuable time.
“Soldo’s ‘Pay Someone’ feature has streamlined Nuage’s payment processes, making supplier payments and fund transfers quick and seamless. It’s become a vital tool that has helped us enhance our client services in the travel industry.” – Carl Paes, Sales Director, Nuage
Pay Someone gives you more payment options to help with day-to-day business spending:
Bank transfers made via Pay Someone can come from your Main Wallet or from ringfenced funds assigned to Company Wallets. This ensures transactions are correctly allocated to the right teams or projects.
Pay Someone is only available to customers who are using our new plans “Standard, Plus or Enterprise”.
It can be used by Super Admins looking for a straightforward way to make outbound payments. For more details on how the feature works, please see our Help Centre FAQs.
To learn more about our new plans, please see our plan and pricing overview or click here to get a 30 day free trial.
If you’re a current customer and want to find out more information, please speak to customer support or your account manager or customer success manager.
We’re excited to announce that you can now integrate Soldo with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central to make your bookkeeping effortless.
“At Soldo, our goal is to simplify tasks for our customers. Recognising that many of our users rely on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, we’ve integrated the two platforms, accelerating the reconciliation process and enhancing financial reporting and analysis.” – Martina Paolicchi, Integrations Product Manager at Soldo
This integration is available on Soldo Pro, Premium and Enterprise plans today at no additional cost.
Soldo’s direct connection to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central syncs your expense data for accurate accounting and easy reconciliation.
Save time and effort: Sync your Soldo expense data to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central in a single click. This integration seamlessly transfers financial information without the risk of human error.
Speed up month-end: Close your books faster with the data you need for easy reconciliation. The Soldo mobile app captures receipts, lists, and notes at the point of purchase. Validate and effortlessly send this data to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central.
Improve accuracy: Eliminate the risk of manual data entry errors for hassle-free, accurate reporting. Make more informed decisions based on precise, real-time financial data.
To connect Soldo to your Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central account, simply log in to Soldo and look for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central in the search box of the Marketplace section.
Next, select Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and authorise the connection. Then, choose whether you want to export transactions to Microsoft Dynamics 365 as journal lines or purchase invoices. And you’re ready to go!
Connect today for seamless and accurate financial reporting with Soldo and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central.
For more information, speak to your Customer Success Manager or read though our FAQs.
Today we’re excited to announce Soldo’s new collaboration with Amazon Business.
At Soldo, we saw that our customers were processing thousands of transactions with Amazon Business. So we set out to make it a process that’s even easier to manage.
The new Soldo and Amazon Business integration automates the retrieval and reconciliation of Amazon Business invoices to eliminate errors and save your valuable time.
This integration is available on Soldo Premium and Enterprise plans today at no additional cost.
“At Soldo we’re always looking for ways to save time for our customers. When we reviewed all the transaction data on our platform, it was clear that Amazon Business is a top merchant for our customers and having a seamless integration will add a lot of value.”Martina Paolicchi, Integrations Product Manager at Soldo
When Amazon Business generates an invoice for one of your purchases on the platform, the invoice will automatically be sent to your Soldo account. Soldo then matches the invoice to the transaction, and reconciliation is done for you. Month-end made easy!
To unlock this time-saving integration, simply activate the Amazon Business integration in the Marketplace section of your Soldo account.
For more information, you can speak to your Customer Success Manager or read though our FAQs.
In speaking to our customers, we know two things to be true:
That’s why we’re excited to introduce Soldo’s new mileage reimbursement feature, designed to make mileage claims and reimbursement easy and accurate for everyone involved. With this new feature, our customers can simplify business spending even further, managing every type of expense in one platform.
Here are some of the main challenges that have influenced our approach to mileage at Soldo:
Using the Soldo Mobile App, employees can now add business trips and vehicle details in just a few taps. Soldo then automatically works out the reimbursement amount.
Here’s the best part: Soldo integrates seamlessly with Google Maps. Simply add your trip and vehicle details, then let Soldo calculate the distance for you. No more manual calculations.
As an Admin, you can set default mileage reimbursement rates for various types of vehicles in Soldo – without being limited to a one-size-fits-all approach. Customise your rates by country, vehicle category, or even specific vehicle for advanced control and complete accuracy.
This level of customisation ensures that every mileage reimbursement is fair. An SUV isn’t the same as small-family hatchback, so why should they all be reimbursed at the same rate? With Soldo, you can configure the most common vehicle types and corresponding reimbursement rates.
Now, you can review and approve mileage reimbursement claims just like any other expense in Soldo. Managing every type of expense in one platform means you save time by streamlining and automating your processes.
No more jumping around between different systems or approaches to manage different types of expenses. Do it all in Soldo.
“I’m excited about the launch of our mileage reimbursement feature. This is a common business expense that our customers have asked to manage in Soldo, and from today they can. We’ve made it easy for employees to submit mileage claims and for finance teams to make sure that reimbursement is accurate and fair.” – Sarima Opara, Senior Product Manager, Soldo
The mileage reimbursement feature is available on our Premium and Enterprise plans. Get started today!
If you’re an Admin:
If you’re an Employee or an Approver:
For more information, speak to your Account Manager or take a look at our FAQs.
We’re excited to announce that customers on our Enterprise plan can now integrate Soldo transaction data into SAP Concur. This provides a better way to give employees access to company money, with trust and control, while keeping tabs on finances within SAP Concur.
Monthly financial admin doesn’t need to be a chore. This integration automates the data transfer process, which saves your finance team the time and effort they’d normally spend copying data between systems. It also reduces the potential for any manual input mistakes, giving you confidence in your data and reporting.
This integration brings together the spending power and control of Soldo Company Cards with the finance management capabilities (such as invoice management) of SAP Concur to deliver a unified experience.
Empower your employees, give them a Soldo Company Card
Employees shouldn’t be expected to use their own money for business purchases. This integration gives companies who use SAP Concur a way of giving their employees access to company money while maintaining control and oversight over spending.
Improve accuracy and prevent errors
You can now automatically see your Soldo transaction data in your SAP Concur account. Instead of having to manually input data, which is open to the potential of inaccuracies and human error, you have automated, reliable data ready to use at your fingertips.
A single, consistent and accurate view of your expense data
It can be tricky to keep track of employee and business spending when you have to switch between lots of different systems and data sets. This integration allows you to create a single source of expense data truth, so you can keep track of spending in one place.
Speed up your reporting
Sync Soldo transaction data with your existing SAP Concur account to give you all the financial data you need for monthly reconciliation. This also helps with detailed reporting and spend analysis so you can identify key trends and patterns as well as opportunities for cost saving.
Joining Soldo with your SAP Concur account, via Bank Feed integration, is simple:
If you need help getting set up, we’re happy to support you through this process.
Please note that exported transactions will be assigned to the corresponding employee based on their employee ID specified within Soldo.
Now that you know how this integration can support you and how to sync the two platforms together, it’s time to get connecting! For more information, speak to your Customer Success Manager or take a look at our FAQs.