When American Express first asked me to share my story, it was easy to say yes. You see, I’ve been a customer for over two decades and use my card every single day, just as we do in our business and their products have helped me scale and grow my companies.
When I first started out in business, a mentor of mine gave me some advice that has stayed with me for my entire career. She encouraged me to make my money work for me and to focus on building financial independence and creating wealth for my future.
I was two years into my first business when I applied for my first American Express Card. As a leader of a business, I’m always looking for hacks that will make my life easier and I was grateful to discover this one very early on.
There are a few reasons why I love my American Express Platinum Business Card above other cards:
1. The Membership Rewards
Like any business owner, I have huge expenses. It makes perfect sense to use a Card that has a rewards system, so we can earn points while paying for those expenses.
Quite frankly (in my humble opinion!) the American Express rewards system is the best there is. Every business owner is going to see value in different ways, but for us the Membership Rewards points mean better travel. I use my points mainly on travel for myself and my team, and it’s been a huge bonus to be able to cut some of this cost out of my business – and upgrade where we can too.
2. Up to 55 days to pay for purchases
As any entrepreneur will tell you, cashflow can be a major challenge for any growing business and understanding how your cash works is critical for success. Many small businesses close their doors after just a few years, and one of the key elements of whether they make it is how well they plan and manage their cashflow.
Even though my business has grown to include lots of financial advisors, both inside and outside of my company, I still watch our cash religiously. I check our accounts daily and work with my CEO and finance team to understand what expenses are on the horizon.
As a small business owner, being able to extend my cashflow for up to 55 days (depending on purchase date, and other factors) has helped immeasurably. It gives us some breathing space to plan for expenses and means we do not have to pay interest to access these funds. Of course, it’s imperative that you manage this timeframe conscientiously to avoid paying interest, or if worse comes to worst, pay a minimum amount.
3. Access to the Global Lounge Collection
Living in Los Angeles while the majority of my team are in Australia, and also regularly giving speeches all across North America, means I’m (regrettably) always at the airport. Being able to drop into one of the American Express Global Lounge Collection lounges means I can start and end my trips in style, sending off those last pesky emails and having a final pre-flight FaceTime with the kids – all with a glass of wine in hand!
Being an American Express Platinum Business Card member means I have access to over 1,200 airport lounges in 130 countries (including all Virgin Australia lounges!) so it’s a massive benefit for anyone wanting to travel as comfortably as possible. You also get this benefit when you have the American Express Platinum Card.
