Why Carrma uses Bluevine as its primary business banking platform

Meet Michael Carr

Michael started his career as a video editor in 2006, spending time working on television shows and sports highlights. He then launched a creative agency in 2012, which was nominated for a Golden Trailer award several years later. With more than 20 years of post-production experience, Michael now runs his own studio, Carrma, which specializes in audio mixing, color grading, and full-service creative finishing.

Founded in 2019, Carrma has worked with numerous big-name clients in both film and television. Since growing out of his home office, Michael has hired several employees, navigated a global pandemic and supply chain shortage, and survived the entertainment industry strikes of 2023.

Finding a solution that works

“As a business owner, I don’t think you’re ever going to feel fully comfortable,” Michael says, mentioning that he meets with a group of fellow business owners as a form of support. “Business, like life, happens in real time. You’ll almost always have time to react, so you can figure out a solution that works.”

While Michael has applied that mentality to the various operational challenges he’s faced—like keeping the lights on during writers’ and actors’ labor disputes—he’s also applied it to his business finances. After using a traditional bank for about a year, he realized that his business checking account left much to be desired.

“Why am I not getting anything for my balances?” he wondered. “I wanted an account that let my money make more money.”

Michael also noticed some connectivity issues ailing his bookkeeper, which prompted him to seek out a better solution to save time on daily tasks.

I thought there should be a solution where my business could earn interest on its money, but without it having to be invested. Turns out that solution was Bluevine.

– Michael Carr, Carrma owner & CEO

Switching to Bluevine

A friend mentioned Bluevine to Michael, and he was immediately intrigued by the high annual percentage yield (APY) on checking balances.^BVSUP-00118

“The high APY was ultimately what made me choose Bluevine,” Michael recalls. But it wasn’t the only thing that impressed him. “Then, the biggest thing that blew my mind was that a real person actually reached out when I first opened my account. Onboarding was really straightforward, and the interface is easy to use.”

Now, Carrma uses Bluevine Business Checking as its primary account, with all funds flowing through one platform to keep everything streamlined. Michael and his team take advantage of features like bill payments, mobile check deposit, dedicated accountant login,^BVSUP-00076 and software integrations. He says, “Time spent transferring money between accounts and waiting for those transfers to go through is wasted time.” 

Michael adds, “One more thing that’s pretty cool about Bluevine is that same-day ACH is a payment option. Wire fees are much cheaper than other places, too.” For Carrma, being able to send payments quickly and securely—without huge fees—is a gamechanger.^BVSUP-00079

The best checking account for small businesses

Finding the right business banking solution can be a struggle, especially with so many options. First, small businesses have to figure out whether they’ll need access to brick-and-mortar bank branches, or if an online-only bank account fits the bill. Then, they need to consider all the features available and which are most important—from high-yield interest and sub-accounts to low fees and easy money movement tools.

Some small businesses might even use multiple business banking accounts because they:

• Can’t find a single account that meets all their business needs
• Don’t want to close their old business banking account
• Want to split up finances for different purposes
• Want to earn interest on some of their balances

The good news is that there is a banking platform out there for every business, one that eliminates the need to manage multiple accounts.

Michael Carr is the owner and CEO of Carrma, a post-production company that works with clients across the TV and film industries, including trailers, ad spots, creative content, and more.