When the pandemic hit in early 2020, Josh Lipinski wanted to use his 15 years’ worth of technical skills and branding chops to create something useful for people. As an outdoor enthusiast with an eye for soft goods, he capitalized on social distancing and designed a 100% waterproof backpack for hiking, camping, kayaking, and everyday use.
By fall of 2020, Josh had registered his business and received nearly 30 samples from manufacturers before he was ready to launch his original Kickstarter campaign. After the project failed to reach its funding goal, Josh worked to upgrade his marketing materials—including better quality photo and video assets—and tried a second round in 2022, which received nearly 15x its funding goal.
Once Breakwater Supply brought a production partner on board to handle sourcing, warehousing, and distribution, Josh had some new challenges to tackle: banking and accounting.
Bluevine feels like a champion for small business, while other platforms seem like they’re catering to big biz.”
– Josh L., Founder of Breakwater Supply
The problem
“I knew I needed to keep business and personal finances separate, so at first we used a different fintech for our business checking account,” Josh recalls. “But their platform missed some syncs with Wave, and the user interface wasn’t great.”
After a quick online search, Josh found Bluevine, which came highly recommended by fellow small business owners. As the largest small business banking platform in the U.S.,BVSUP-00186 Bluevine serves as a comprehensive financial hub for Breakwater Supply, offering:
Seamless international paymentsBVSUP-00144
Automatic payment scheduling
Convenient syncs with accounting software
“We wanted a reliable business banking platform with features and integrations that actually work. For us, Bluevine is critical to keep things moving.”
The solution
“I started using Bluevine as a place to pay credit card balances and for disbursements.” Josh continues, “Now, Bluevine Business Checking is my primary operating account, where all my money comes in and where I make all my outgoing payments, especially internationally.”
“Bluevine makes sending international payments easier than any other platform.”
But simple cross-border payments aren’t the only thing that’s impressed Josh. In fact, he estimates that Bluevine saves him close to 8 hours every month—that’s a full day of work.BVSUP-00187
“The ability to see all my transactions in one place, being able to track payments, and the seamless accounting integration… Bluevine lets you have a finger on the pulse of everything going on financially with your business.”
Switching your business bank account
Making a change to your checking account can feel daunting, especially when you have so many other tasks to juggle as a small business owner. But it doesn’t need to be a complicated process.
“Bluevine makes it so easy and seamless to open an account,” Josh says confidently. “Onboarding was simple and straightforward—I did it all on my own.”
Josh Lipinski is the Founder of Breakwater Supply, a New England–based outdoor company that crafts high-quality waterproof backpacks, shoes, accessories, and more. At the heart of everything they do, Breakwater Supply prioritizes making unique, durable, and affordable products while minimizing its environmental footprint.
Disclaimer
This content is for educational purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice of any type, such as financial, legal, tax, or accounting advice. This content does not necessarily state or reflect the views of Bluevine or its partners. Please consult with an expert if you need specific advice for your business. For information about Bluevine products and services, please visit the Bluevine FAQ page.
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Disclaimer
This content is for educational purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice of any type, such as financial, legal, tax, or accounting advice. This content does not necessarily state or reflect the views of Bluevine or its partners. Please consult with an expert if you need specific advice for your business. For information about Bluevine products and services, please visit the Bluevine FAQ page.
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Bluevine is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided by Coastal Community Bank, Member FDIC.