An Immigrant’s Journey pinnacle of Global Payments

Iranian-born Alan Safahi is a start-up founder, advisor, and entrepreneur who has emerged as a technology mogul in the United States and Canada. He is the founder of the ZED Network, an innovative platform that provides clients with access to the most comprehensive cross border payment networks with the highest FX rates. 

Safahi has successfully launched 6 startups over a span of 30+ years. He was previously founder of ZipZap, a P2P online remittance company, helping unbanked or underbanked people successfully engage in e-commerce.

Using ZipZap, customers were able to take a computer-generated voucher with a barcode that resembled a utility bill that they could take to Walmart, CVS, or any other establishment that facilitates the covering of bills and make payments. ZipZap was one of the platforms that made the purchase of Bitcoin possible in its early days as it could not be purchased with credit cards.

Alan Safahi is committed to making remittances more affordable and smoother. He is also a firm believer in the viability of Bitcoin and other crypto currencies as well as the blockchain technology.

Safahi believes that remittance is possibly the best use of cryptocurrencies.  However, Safahi’s latest venture, ZED Network, a payment orchestration platform focused on cross-border payment acceptance and payouts in more than 200 countries, utilizes traditional banking and card payment rails not cryptocurrencies because, as Safahi explains, cryptocurrencies still need to evolve and better address compliance and risks associated with payments, before they can replace traditional payment rails..

The company’s payment partners are typically institutions such as banks, licensed Money Transfer Operators (MTOs), payment processors, and Foreign Exchange Processors with FX rates that are highly competitive, resulting in customer benefits.

Safahi has over 3 decades of hands-on experience in areas such as information technology, telecommunications, financial services (FinTech), payment processing, foreign exchange and cross border remittances.

He has served as an advisor to several startup CEOs in the blockchain, payments, loyalty, and transportation industries such as Ripple, Bold Financial Technologies (acquired by Airbnb), Zuum Transportation and Loyyal.

To learn more about Alan Safahi, you may find him on LinkedIn. You may also visit ZED Network for more information on this innovative platform.

Originally Posted: https://www.ktvn.com/story/43350886/an-immigrants-journey-to-the-pinnacle-of-global-payments

Tips Streamline Payment Processing Strategy

According to Alan Safahi, an experienced entrepreneur and founder of a startup company in San Francisco, a solid payment processing strategy focuses on automating transactions between merchants and customers. Essentially, third-party services offer payment processing services, including accepting and verifying transactions. How to streamline your payment processing strategy? Here are the top seven tips. Read on!

1. Do your Research

Research is an essential aspect of doing business and optimizing operations. Performing thorough research means understanding the types of payment processing methods, choosing the right solutions, and implementing them accurately. Offline and online payment processing are two main methods, meaning you need to select the one that best fits your needs and your customers’ requirements.

2. Use Multiple Payment Options

Alan Safahi Orinda recommends offering multiple payment options for your customers, meaning you need to look beyond credit cards and debit cards. Research shows that customers in the 21st century want different options. Therefore, implement mobile payment features, contactless payments, and EMV payments.

3. Customer Data Management

All transactions, including online transactions, come with a large volume of data. It includes information about the customer, purchases, and shipments. Safahi recommends collecting and organize different data points to generate patterns, allowing you to use them on the market effectively.

4. Reduce Fraudulent Activities

Fraudulent activities are one of the most significant sources of loss because when you have chargebacks, you lose money. That’s why Safahi advises implementing a payment processing strategy that focuses on fraud prevention through high-level security protocols, including CVV code requirements, multi-factor authentication, two-way verification, etc.

5. Update the Payment Processing System

Alan Safahi Orinda has conducted thorough research on payment processing systems, and according to Safahi, declined payments are often due to system problems rather than payment methods. An obsolete or outdated payment system can’t manage a new credit or debit card, leading to payment rejection. Therefore, Safahi recommends updating the system to streamline the entire process.

6. Implement Reporting Methods

A payment processing system without integrated reporting methods can lead to ineffective payments. On the other hand, Safahi says that reporting tools allow you to analyze data, generate financial insights, and use this information to make better and informed decisions.

For instance, integrate a reporting tool with your payment processing system to streamline data analysis, including outstanding balance, payment requests, personalized text messages, etc.

7. Automate Exception Resolution

Many problems, such as incorrect customer or supplier information and data entry errors, can lead to invoice exceptions. Most companies resolve exceptions by hand that cost a lot of time and energy. Invoice exceptions are challenging and costly for businesses. According to Alan Safahi, you will achieve a more streamlined payment processing strategy when you automate exception resolution.

Final Words

A reliable payment strategy plays a crucial role for all businesses to achieve profits and survive in the long run, leading to more streamlined operations and overall success. If your business or company struggles to reach or complete its payment processing targets, follow the tips given above.

Originally Posted: https://safahi.com/top-7-tips-streamline-your-payment-processing-strategy-4309f7fe91e1

7 Fundraising Challenges Faced by Entrepreneurs

Alan Safahi, a startup founder in San Francisco and an experienced entrepreneur, says a promising startup requires unique business models and innovative products. Although most entrepreneurs focus on business models, Alan Safahi Orinda says that they ignore concentrating on fundraising. While fundraising is essential, it comes with many challenges.

1.     Lack of Patience

Most entrepreneurs want to raise funds quickly, which prevents them from attracting reliable investors. A lack of patience can prohibit you from building an experienced and skilled team of industry professionals. As a result, you don’t gain traction, market share, and key metrics to prepare a more in-depth pitch.

2.     Finding the Right Investor

According to Alan Safahi, each investor has different investment preferences, including the industry, the money of money they want to invest, level of risk, and investment timelines. Therefore, most entrepreneurs do not perform proper homework to find the right investor for their company and don’t know how to reach them.

3.     Low-Performing Pitch:

Although no pitch is perfect, Safahi says if your pitch has gaps like flawed assumptions, customer analysis, and ineffective strategy, you won’t attract a reliable investor. Beginners usually don’t know how to eliminate red flags, such as acquisition predictions, lack of knowledge on competitors, and not asking for a nondisclosure agreement.

4.     No Funding Strategy:

Most investors develop their strategies to support some businesses over others. Safahi says that entrepreneurs need their own strategy when raising funds. For instance, focus on business areas that require improvement and develop a plan that focuses on putting the capital towards the essential ones. Because entrepreneurs do not focus on metrics, they don’t know how to answer investors’ questions or give them a timeline for the future.

5.     Lack of Planning:

Safahi says raising funds is a significant undergoing and requires you to reach out to connections constantly and schedule meetings. Although most entrepreneurs focus on improve their pitches, they don’t meet angel investors and ignore planning future funding rounds on using the capital. All this can lead harm your business and prevent you from raising capital.

6.     No Articulation of Funds Requirements:

According to Alan Safahi, entrepreneurs who fail to substantiate or articulate funding requirements usually don’t raise enough funds for their new business. The primary reason behind this is that you don’t think from the lender’s perspective. Remember, the lack of preparation or substantiating funds requirements makes it challenging to analyze facts and figures, leading to a failed lending process.

7.     Using Unsolicited Emails:

Safahi argues that entrepreneurs who use unsolicited emails fail to connect with angel investors. Because investors receive thousands of emails every month, they ignore the unsolicited ones. Consequently, you get lost in the crowd even if you have an excellent idea. Therefore, make sure your email comes from a trusted investor or referral. Otherwise, potential investors may not consider your proposal.

Final Words

According to Alan Safahi, most fundraising performed by entrepreneurs is activity-centered instead of result-oriented due to an ineffective framework, less credible pitch, and lack of communication.

Originally Posted: https://buzztum.com/7-fundraising-challenges-faced-by-entrepreneurs/

Fintech B2B vs B2C Payments

According to Alan Safahi, a Fintech expert and San Francisco-based start-up founder, Fintech B2B and B2C payments play a crucial role in how companies and customers pay, move, store, invest, borrow, save, and protect money.

FinTech stands for financial technology that aims to automate, enhance, and streamline financial services. Alan Safahi Orinda says that Fintech can help companies, businesses, and consumers to restructure and manage their financial operations. 

Fintech utilizes machine learning algorithms, data processing tools, and specialized software to integrate, tokenize, and automate payment infrastructures, leading to increased flexibility and reduced risks. Read on!

B2B Fintech: According to Safahi, digital payments’ transaction value increased from $4.1 trillion to $5.2 trillion in the last two years. Undoubtedly, digital payments are a major driving force of the financial sector. The total transaction value will reach $6.7 trillion by 2023, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.8%. 

Safahi says Fintech payment solutions have high demands for the B2B companies. The B2B Fintech sector focuses on software-as-a-service (SaaS), empowering retail sellers, insurance companies, banks, and other financial institutions to streamline their payments. 

Unlike B2C, B2B Fintech is more common for tech companies and retailers who want to do business online. However, Safahi argues that the financial services industry is one of the most prominent groups to utilize B2B Fintech payments. 

B2C Fintech Alan Safahi Orinda has done substantial research on B2C Fintech, focusing on B2C solutions that focus more on products and services, especially those offered by banks. Safahi says that B2C Fintech payment strategies including different aspects, such as checking and saving accounts, personal loans, retirement savings, credit cards, personal financial management, and online payments.

Besides, B2C Fintech payment solutions integrate all these services into a single platform, such as an entire digital-only bank, leading to more secure and reliable transactions. Bear in mind that B2C Fintech has a diverse audience because these solutions suit everyone’s needs.

According to Safahi, younger people are the major groups that use B2C Fintech payment solutions. These include millennials and the generation-Z that are more familiar with the internet and SMART technologies, making them comfortable with online finances and transactions.

Moreover, recent reports show that B2C Fintech companies also target kids and teenagers to promote financial education and literacy. The purpose is to streamline processes and create customers for the future.

Final Words

Safahi’s extensive research and experience in the Fintech industry gives us valuable insights on financial services and relevant technologies. Safahi recommends companies focus more on Fintech financial literacy, allowing the average person to understand the concepts of B2B and B2C payments and enable them to use more tech.

Remember, Fintech B2B and B2C payment solutions are changing the world in 2021. Although the industry has yet to become mainstream, B2C and B2C Fintech are well-established payment solutions for over 20 years.

The Fintech industry targets to reach over two billion people worldwide without traditional B2B and B2C payments, such as bank accounts. The purpose is to allow businesses and consumers to access financial services without needing banks and institutions. 

Originally Posted: https://alansafahi.weebly.com/blog/fintech-b2b-vs-b2c-payments

Forex Trading Tools for 2021

According to Alan Safahi, a leading entrepreneur and San Francisco-based start-up founder, the foreign exchange market is unique in various ways. It offers a wide range of benefits, such as low cost, high liquidity, leverage, volatility, low capital requirements, and no restriction on shorting.

Because forex trading is unique, it is crucial to know the best trading tools to improve your bottom line. In today’s article, we will briefly describe some of the best trading tools. Bear in mind that we have selected the following tools based on Alan Safahi Orinda’s personal experience. Read on!

1. E-Trade

E-trade is one of the most valuable tools for forex traders. Established in the early 80s, E-trade provides a premium experience to traders, offering a wide range of features and benefits. Alan Safahi says that investors can benefit from zero-commission trades and join the community to ensure professionals manage their accounts.

E-trade is a perfect tool for risk analysis, charting, including historical charting and advanced intraday charting. The tool has an easy-to-use web interface and mobile application, allowing you to trade at all times.

2. Mataf

Mataf is a popular currency correlation tool for forex traders. You can use this tool to list correlations precisely and analyze interval codes. For instance, you can find a perfect inverse correlation, strong inverse correlation, moderate and weak currency correlations.

The tool also allows you to create a correlation table of a specific currency with respect to other currencies. You can compute one or more historical periods and put them in the box for intersection in the table. Safahi says a currency correlation tool like Mataf is an ideal solution for forex traders.

3. Ninja Trader

Ninja Trader is an excellent platform and high-quality tool that offers rich resources to forex traders. It includes over 100 technical indicators and offers automated trading options. If you are new to forex trading, look no further than all-in-one Ninja Trader. It provides unlimited access to historical and real-time forex data.

You don’t need to set up a brokerage account, making it an ideal platform for beginners. According to Alan Safahi, Ninja Trader is a sophisticated tool for using advanced charts and analyze simulators until they are ready for the live market.

4. MetaTrader 5

According to Alan Safahi Orinda, MetaTrader 5 is an easy-to-use and multifunctional trading tool, allowing beginners and advanced traders to use a wide range of sub-tools, including copy trading, automated trading systems, and technical analysis. Meta Trader is available for Android and iOS users.

One of the best features of MetaTrader 5 is advanced Market Depth, allowing you to get a chart, time, and sales information. You can create a separate account for trades and orders. The tool provides extensive support for all types of trading orders. Safahi recommends this MetaTrader because of its state-of-the-art execution modes.

5. Forex Volatility Calculator

Forex Volatility Calculator offered by Investing.com is an easy-to-use tool that allows you to choose weeks and calculate pair’s volatility. Bear in mind that you will get lower volatility when you choose a longer timeframe compared to increased volatility with shorter timeframes.

It is a straightforward tool for traders, and after displaying the data, you can check the average hourly and daily volatility. The web-based tool also allows you to break down the pair’s volatility by any day of the week.

Final Words

Do you want to streamline your forex trading and increase higher returns on investments (ROIs)? If yes, Alan Safahi Orinda recommends the tools given above. Make sure you explore the tools and get more information to use them properly. Until Next Time!

Originally Posted: https://safahi.com/5-best-forex-trading-tools-for-2021-ee7c3abe647a

Top 10 Investment Challenges for Small Businesses

Alan Safahi, an experienced and skilled entrepreneur, has done tremendous research on small businesses. , Safahi a startup founder in San Francisco, research shows that there are over 400 million small businesses worldwide. These businesses play a crucial role in streamlining a company’s economy by offering 70% of employment.

However, most small companies fail because they don’t know how to invest in their business. In today’s article, we will highlight the top ten investment challenges for small businesses. Read on!

1.     Lack of Funds

A lack of funds or working capital is a common problem for small businesses, leading to disappointment and failure. Entrepreneurs, especially beginners, often don’t understand cash flow, underestimate funding, and develop unrealistic expectations. Not determining the amount of funding they need to start and stay in business is the biggest challenge faced by small companies.

2.     Inadequate Cash Flow Management

Cash flow management plays a crucial role in small business success. If you fail to manage your cash flow, your business will collapse in the first year. According to Alan Safahi, small companies or entrepreneurs who don’t maintain bookkeeping and perform ineffective accounts payable/receivable monitoring will fail on the market.

3.     Overloaded Information

Most people who want to start a small business involve themselves in performing unnecessary online research, flooding their brains with irrelevant information. As a result, they don’t know where to invest and how to make adequate investments. The sheer amount of complex and contradictory information found online can cause investment failure.

4.     Bad Timing

Although it is a less common challenge, most small businesses develop products or services without analyzing the market. Therefore, their investment strategy becomes less effective. According to Alan Safahi, small businesses lose money before making any because of the financial downfall or less demand for their products. Therefore, it is wise to analyze the market to achieve a better product-market fit, ensuring a solid investment strategy.

5.     Limited Resources

According to Alan Safahi, most small businesses or entrepreneurs start their companies on a shoestring. Alan Safahi Orinda’s research shows that 50% of all small businesses in the U.S start under $5,000. Even if your business is the most frugal, you will need money to stay afloat and productive in the market.

6.     Intense Competition

Alan Safahi says that most new entrepreneurs fail to perform competitors’ analyses. If you underestimate your competition, you will face insurmountable short-term and long-term challenges. Not identifying your competitors and how they are doing on the market will prevent you from understanding their strengths and weaknesses, leading to a failed investment strategy. 

7.     Unknown Risks

Entrepreneurs with limited resources are often unaware of the risks that can hinder their investment strategies. Safahi says unknown risks and lack of preparation lead to early and larger hits on a small business portfolio. Therefore, it is crucial to familiarize yourself with different types of risks. 

8.     Ineffective Business Model

An ineffective business model is directly proportional to a poor investment strategy. According to Alan Safahi, every small business needs a scalable model for its investment strategy, meaning they should align with each other. Your business model must align with your investment model and show the potential to increase revenues with reduced expenditures.

9.     Increased Investment

Alan Safahi Orinda says more investment can cause increased pressure on small businesses to scale up or streamline their company’s operations. Although increased investment is a good strategy for healthy growth, it can also cause harmful effects on your business operations in the future. The primary reason behind this is that you receive more investments, but you fail to expand your business accordingly.

10.      Not Sticking to the Plan

Entrepreneurs who make investments or funds are accountable to their investors. Safahi says they must follow your plan and spend the money transparently. However, it is crucial to avoid going on a spending spree. On the other hand, focus on promoting your products and services.

For instance, if you spend the money on the workspace, furniture, business trips, and equipment, you won’t have enough investment for your product. Remember, your product is the most important thing that you need to focus on to achieve success. Therefore, stick to the plan and follow a consistent approach.

Final Words

Investing in your startup or small business is not an easy task. It requires careful planning, analysis, and preparation. In this post, we have identifies the top ten investment challenges for small businesses. Make sure you follow Alan Safahi’s advice to overcome these problems. Until Next Time!

Originally Posted: https://www.businessmodulehub.com/blog/top-10-investment-challenges-for-small-businesses/