Rotessa Rundown | Winter 2024
Hello Winter ❄️
Welcome to the Winter edition of the Rotessa Rundown! This issue is filled with updates to keep you informed and inspired.
- User Spotlight: Learn how Kerry, founder of My Cloud Bookkeeping, used Rotessa to support wildlife conservation in Zambia while seamlessly managing her business back home.
- Partner Program Perks: Discover the benefits of our Accountant and Bookkeeper Partner Program or explore our partner directory for trusted professionals.
- Holiday Reminders: Mark your calendars with our upcoming holiday closures to plan your payments accordingly.
- Team Highlights: Join us in celebrating MJ’s retirement and meet Jessi, our new Head of Customer Experience.
Happy reading—and stay cozy!
1. User spotlight: My Cloud Bookkeeping 👀
Kerry, the founder of My Cloud Bookkeeping, used her skills to support wildlife conservation efforts in Zambia—all while her business back home ran seamlessly. With Rotessa handling her payments, Kerry could focus on what matters most: making a difference.
Read the full story of how automation with Rotessa helped her to pursue her passion abroad.
Kerry with guide, Dingiswayo Mulamba.
2. Do you know about our partner program? 🤝
Rotessa's Accountant and Bookkeeper Partner Program is here for you! Accountants and bookkeepers can apply to join and enjoy benefits like discounted pricing. Not an accountant or bookkeeper? No problem—if you’re searching for one, our partner directory is the perfect place to start. You’ll find professionals near you who are already familiar with Rotessa, making the transition smoother than ever.
3. Upcoming holidays 📆
We will not be processing payments and our support centre will be closed on the following dates:
🎄Christmas Day, Wednesday, December 25
📦 Boxing Day, Thursday, December 26
🎉 New Year's Day, Wednesday, January 1
Any transactions scheduled on these dates will be processed the following day.
4. Behind the scenes at Rotessa 🎬
We recently raised our glasses to MJ, the first-ever Rotessa team member to retire! From day one, MJ's work ethic and dedication have made a lasting impact at Rotessa. We wish her all the best!
MJ with founder, Greg
Meet Jessi! 👋
Jessi is the newest member of the Rotessa team, as Head of Customer Experience.
Three fun facts about Jessi:
- Is a low key nerd with a video game and console collection, but not a hardcore gamer as she owns every version of Sims 3, but also almost all the Assassins Creed games.
- Heavy reader having already read 60 books in 2024, mainly Romantasy and Young Adult.
- Was born in the Netherlands and moved around a bunch in Canada as a child, leading to her graduating High School from her 11th school.
Life at Rotessa
Here's our team in action—collaborating, connecting, and making Rotessa what it is!
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We’d love to hear from you
If you have any comments or feedback about any of our updates or changes, please let us know at [email protected]. Your input helps us continue to make Rotessa better. Stay tuned for the next Rotessa Rundown for more exciting news and updates.
My Cloud Bookkeeping makes an impact abroad, Rotessa handles payments
We recently heard from Kerry, an inspiring Rotessa client and founder of My Cloud Bookkeeping, who spent four weeks volunteering in Zambia, Africa, with Accounting for International Development and Wildlife Crime Prevention. With a passion for conservation and supporting meaningful causes, Kerry dedicates her time to organizations focused on protecting wildlife.
But here’s the amazing part: while Kerry was thousands of miles away, her business back home was running smoothly, thanks in part to Rotessa. Automating her payments allowed her to stay focused on her volunteer work, knowing thather clients' payments were being handled with ease.
“Thank you so much for enabling me to travel and assist organizations doing important conservation work while my business takes care of itself!” says Kerry.
We’re thrilled to support business owners like Kerry who make a difference both locally and globally. By scheduling her payments with Rotessa, Kerry can pursue her passion for volunteer work without the daily demands of managing client payments.
Kerry with guide, Dingiswayo Mulamba.
Whether you're volunteering abroad or just want to save time to focus on what matters most, reach out to learn how Rotessa can keep your business moving forward.
Rotessa Rundown | Fall 2024
Hello Fall 🍂
Welcome to the Fall edition of the Rotessa Rundown! As the leaves change, we're thrilled to share Embrace Orthodontics' user story, insights on small business payment trends, and another payment horror tale. Also, stay informed about upcoming holidays, meet our newest team member, and have a look behind-the-scenes at Rotessa.
User spotlight: Embrace Orthodontics 🦷
Discover how the Embrace Orthodontics team focuses on patient care, from technology to seamless payments, all while fostering lasting connections. Dive into their story and see how they’re putting patients first. Read it now.
Small business payment trends 📈
By choosing Rotessa, you've taken a proactive step to optimize your operations, save on costs, and ensure that your business continues to thrive. Here are some key insights:
- 29% of small businesses in Canada identified cash flow as their most significant challenge.
- Approximately 40% of small businesses experience late payments, with an average delay of 20 days.
- On average, small businesses in Canada spend up to 2% of their revenue on payment processing fees.
Source: Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB)
Another horrific tale 😱
"A client was supposed to pay us after they got back a particularly large tax refund with our help but when we got tired of waiting we asked why the delay and they said they spent all the refund money to get out of jail." - submitted by Muib
Have a payment horror story you want to share? Send it to [email protected]. If we publish it, we'll send you Rotessa swag!
Upcoming holidays 📆
We will not be processing payments and our support centre will be closed on the following dates:
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Monday, September 30
Thanksgiving Day, Monday, October 14
Remembrance Day, Monday, November 11
Any transactions scheduled on these dates will be processed the following day.
Behind the scenes at Rotessa 🎬
Meet Daniel! 👋 Daniel is the newest member of the Rotessa team, in the role of Web Developer and Graphic Designer.
Three fun facts about Daniel:
- He enjoys cooking and trying new foods (he's also a big fan of fries and ice cream as a snack).
- He's the former world record holder for Luigi Circuit in MarioKart Wii.
- Despite being a homebody, he has been cliff jumping, canyon swinging, paragliding, water skiing, ridden many roller coasters, and one day hopes to go skydiving.
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We’d love to hear from you
If you have any comments or feedback about any of our updates or changes, please let us know at [email protected]. Your input helps us continue to make Rotessa better. Stay tuned for the next Rotessa Rundown for more exciting news and updates.
From technology to payments: Embrace Orthodontics puts patients first
The team at Embrace Orthodontics often feels a sense of sadness when a patient's treatment plan comes to an end. Over the typical two-year treatment period, the twelve-person team, led by Dr. Cadman, forms strong connections with their patients, seeing them every 6-10 weeks.
“We really get to know them as they are coming through for treatment,” says Marley Ring, Orthodontic Assistant and Office Manager. “We’re usually a little bit sad when we dismiss them and don’t get to see them anymore.”
It’s obvious the Embrace team takes pride in the service they offer and cares about their patients.
“We are constantly evolving and adding in the newest technology and methods to our treatment approaches to make the patient experience as smooth as possible,” says Marley.
Located in Prince Albert, Embrace Orthodontics is the first office in Saskatchewan to offer LightForce braces, a custom 3D-printed bracket system that is patient-specific. Dr. Cadman also regularly attends conferences to acquire new skills and ensure they stay current with the latest advancements in orthodontic care.
Making sure their office runs smoothly is also important for their patients’ experience. This includes their payment process. Patients can pay for their treatment over time, on average making 18-24 monthly payments.
Based on a recommendation, Embrace Orthodontics started to process their patients' pre-authorized debit payments with Rotessa. According to Marley, using Rotessa has improved efficiency and convenience for both patients and staff.
“We were just using pre-authorized debits straight through our bank, and the system they used sucked honestly,” states Marley, “It was at least an hour a day going through and making sure everything is approved a couple of days in advance, and then go in a couple of days later and try and search for their reports to see if it was declined or returned for any reason.”
“Whereas with Rotessa, we set up the payments and forget about it until we have to post them,” says Marley. They also use Rotessa’s reporting tools to quickly get the status of their transactions, “It’s very very simple and a lot less work for us.”
Using Rotessa’s online authorization tools, they quickly get permission from their patients to debit payments from their bank accounts. “Getting them to fill in the information to get set up, we get that back within a half hour of sending it to them,” explains Marley, “Before we would have to send them a paper copy and beg for them to send it back and it would take weeks to get anything back from them. It’s way faster to get everyone set up and way easier.”
Although they do accept credit cards, Marley notes that the fees are high so they encourage patients to pay using pre-authorized debit, which they seem to prefer.
They have also found Rotessa’s Payment Reminders helpful, “We usually don’t really have that many that are insufficient funds or get returned but I find with the reminders it’s been even better,” says Marley, “People get that and ‘yeah I’ve got to make sure money is in the account’ and they know that payment is coming out.”
At Embrace Orthodontics, patient care goes beyond just treatment—it’s about building lasting relationships, staying up to date on the newest technology, and ensuring every aspect of the patient experience is as smooth as possible. With innovative approaches like LightForce braces and efficient payment solutions through Rotessa, Dr. Cadman and his dedicated team are committed to delivering top-notch orthodontic care with a personal touch.
Rotessa Rundown | Summer 2024
Hello summer ☀️
Can you believe we're almost halfway through 2024 already? As we reach this milestone, we want to share some exciting updates with you in this edition of the Rotessa Rundown. Meet Tom from Castle HR, an online HR consulting firm specializing in small businesses. Explore two new features that benefit you and your customers, mark our summer holiday closures on your calendar, and learn why June is a special month here at Rotessa.
User spotlight: Castle HR 👀
Tom Nickalls is the entrepreneur behind Castle HR, an online HR consulting firm that helps businesses scale by building exceptional teams, implementing effective processes, and driving growth. Learn more about Castle HR's impressive client success rates and how they use Rotessa to streamline their operations in our latest blog. Read it now.
Send reminders and receipts to your customers 📩
Have you been using Rotessa's new notification features?
Payment reminders allow you to automatically send email notifications to your customers three days before their payment date, ensuring they have funds available and reducing NSF charges.
Payment receipts provide your customers with payment confirmation and a transaction record, reinforcing credibility and trust in your business.
If you haven't already, now is the perfect time to start sending reminders and receipts to your customers! Learn more and get started today.
It's our 14th Rotessaversary! 🎉
June is a special month for Rotessa. 14 years ago, our founder Greg, decided to help make getting paid easier for small businesses. Fast forward to today, our commitment to our users is unchanged. We have met so many great people and great companies doing great things. We couldn't be prouder of how far we've come and we are excited about the future. Thank you for being part of our journey!
Another horrific tale 😱
"One of our tax clients still has not had their return filed because they had not paid our fees yet. We had spoken many times since April, usually there are excuses about food or gas, but the latest excuse was because they needed to get a tattoo." - Elysha
Have a payment horror story you want to share? Send it to [email protected]. If we publish it, we'll send you Rotessa swag!
Upcoming Summer closures 📆
We will not be processing payments and our support centre will be closed on the following dates:
Canada Day, Monday, July 1
Civic Holiday, Monday, August 5
Labour Day, Monday, September 2
Any transactions scheduled on these dates will be processed the following day.
In addition, for our US customers, transactions scheduled for Independence Day, Thursday, July 4 will be processed the following day.
Behind the scenes at Rotessa 🎬
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We’d love to hear from you
If you have any comments or feedback about any of our updates or changes, please let us know at [email protected]. Your input helps us continue to make Rotessa better. Stay tuned for the next Rotessa Rundown for more exciting news and updates.
Castle HR: Scaling Success
Tom Nickalls didn’t plan to build an online HR consulting firm. He’ll tell you it’s a long way from the job he once had in sandpaper distribution. Tom founded Castle HR to solve a problem and to use his entrepreneurial passion to help other businesses.
Two things happened. First, Tom had the misfortune of being let go from a successful tech career, building sales teams. “It was a brutal experience,” describes Tom, “If you had a checklist of all the things you could do wrong, they hit all the notes.”
Second, to figure out what to do next, Tom spoke with his software and tech company contacts. He saw a common theme, “I found out that none of them know what to do with HR,” he explains, “We all white knuckle it until we get to some magical number that we think we should hire an HR person and we have no idea what we need.”
This was the beginning of Castle HR in 2019. Today, Tom’s team provides services to SMBs from coast to coast. His staff are all senior HR professionals with at least 10 years of experience. Their clients are growing businesses with 15 or more employees.
“It’s an exciting time for businesses, let’s scale this and make this something bigger,” explains Tom, “It becomes no longer a focus on revenue and product, it’s how to build the best team, that’s where we come in.” Castle HR implements processes and teaches clients how to scale their business, from tech stack reviews to talent acquisition strategies.
The expertise Castle HR offers is working, “Clients that stay with us for two years, on average, grow by 68% in that time,” says Tom, “Year one is kind of building it out and year two is about really refining it and executing and making sure it’s working.” Eventually clients do outgrow Castle HR,“ We hand the keys to the car over when they get to the point that they need to hire someone full-time.”
Castle HR provides its services for a monthly subscription fee. They have used Rotessa to collect client payments from the beginning. Using Xero to automate invoices, Tom also wanted to find a way to automate payment collection. His search led him to pre-authorized debit services with Rotessa.
“Hands down this is the best money every single month that Castle spends, period, end of story,” says Tom, “It’s fantastic because I have zero time spent on account receivables.”
Rotessa’s reliability and ease of use allow Tom and his team to focus on what matters: facilitating the growth and success of clients.
“I’ve never had to call customer service, I’ve never had to complain, I’ve never had a problem with anything. It’s fantastic.”
From its start to now as an SMB leader in HR consulting, Castle HR stays focused on helping businesses. Rotessa helps make things smoother behind the scenes and leaves more time for what matters. Castle HR's commitment to its clients promises continued excellence in shaping the HR consulting game and scaling success for businesses.