Zelle Tips for Small Business Owners

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - As the weather warms up, small businesses around the country are getting busier — from local farmers markets, to contractors, and even wedding vendors and dog walkers. With that activity and rising concerns about the economy, comes the need to stay organized, manage cash flow, and ensure payments keep running smoothly – it can be a lot to stay ahead of!

Denise Leonhard, general manager of Zelle®, shared smart strategies small business owners can use this spring and summer to help manage any uncertainty - including how to stay on top of their payments, manage customer expectations, and avoid pitfalls – like falling for scams and fraud.

Denise is a seasoned financial services executive with over two decades of leadership experience, specializing in leveraging technology to expand access to financial services for consumers and small businesses. She holds an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and her career includes top leadership roles where she has driven innovation and growth strategies specifically tailored to the needs of small business owners.

Small businesses are increasingly turning to digital payments to streamline operations, improve cash flow and meet customer expectations. This shift helps business owners save time on manual process, reduce the risk of handling cash and access funds more quickly. As more transactions move online, digital payments are becoming essential to staying competitive and building stronger relationships with customers and suppliers.

This segment is brought to you by Early Warning Services

About Denise Leonhard:

Denise Leonhard is the General manager of Zelle®. In this role, she oversees the Zelle® business end-to-end, providing strategic direction, managing product delivery and development, maintaining customer and bank relationships, managing risk and controls, and ensuring financial outcomes.

Denise is a seasoned leader in financial services and electronic payments. with a career spanning over three decades in financial services and fintech. Denise’s impressive background includes serving as the general manager at Venmo, where she played a pivotal role in driving growth and launching a dozen new products. Prior to Venmo, she held several other leadership positions at PayPal and American Express.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Princeton University and a Master of Business Administration degree from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.

Denise is a member of the board of directors at Symetra Financial and the Surfrider Foundation.