Amazon Business: Scaling SMB Procurement Beyond the Buy
In the high-stakes world of small business, owners are often forced to act as their own CFOs. Recognising that these entrepreneurs are stretched thin, Amazon Business recently expanded its Business Prime benefits to offer more than just procurement.
By integrating enterprise-grade tools from Intuit QuickBooks, CrowdStrike, and Gusto, the program now provides nearly US$1,000 in additional annual value.
Speaking to Procurement Magazine, Todd Heimes, VP of Amazon Business, discusses how these strategic collaborations are democratising access to high-level security and financial management, helping SMBs reduce costs and focus on growth.
What's included in the new Business Prime benefits, and how much value do they deliver?
Small businesses come to us for help with everyday challenges. For SMBs, we understand that several of those pressures include managing back-office functions like financial management, cybersecurity, and HR compliance.
With its expanded list of benefits, Business Prime can help SMBs save nearly US$1,000 per year and simplify their business buying.
Business Prime members now get discounted access to QuickBooks Online Simple Start for streamlined financial management, ensuring they can keep a clean record of year-round purchases, making tax time that much easier. Additionally, qualified plans include free CrowdStrike Falcon Go with no device cap for cybersecurity protection, and savings on Gusto's payroll and HR capabilities built for small businesses.
Layer that on top of the fast, free shipping, Spend Visibility, Guided Buying, and flexible payment options, and it's a pretty comprehensive solution for running a small business.
How do these tools actually solve everyday problems for small businesses?
Small business owners wear a lot of hats, so these collaborations tackle some of the big headaches that eat up time and resources, specifically when it comes to financial management, cybersecurity, and administrative work.
With QuickBooks, small businesses can clean up their bookkeeping, keep an eye on cash flow and feel more confident in their finances.
This helps them stay tax-ready year-round. With access to CrowdStrike Falcon Go, an AI-powered cybersecurity solution that protects against ransomware and data breaches, they can strengthen security without needing a large IT team.
They also get easy threat detection and prevention. And finally, Gusto helps save time by automating payroll, simplifying HR management, and staying compliant with federal and state regulations.
What makes Business Prime different from other B2B membership programs?
We understand that small businesses need more than just a place to buy for work. They need comprehensive solutions, which is why Business Prime bundles essential tools into one membership.
Small businesses have a familiar place to shop, plus access to offers from trusted vendors that support key business activities, all integrated together.
Instead of searching for different providers for sourcing, accounting, security, and HR issues, Business Prime members have these services packaged together, giving them access to tools that used to be only for big companies, at prices they can afford.
What real-world cost savings or resilience gains have early adopters seen, particularly in managing indirect spend or third-party risks?
We regularly hear from customers how important these, and other Business Prime benefits, are for our small business customers as they grow. One real-life customer example that I love to share is Brass Bear Brewing.
The owners grew quickly from 1 to 85 employees and were able to open a second location two and a half months ahead of schedule thanks to Business Prime's fast, free delivery and tools like Reorder Lists and the QuickBooks integration that simplified operations as they scaled.
Our goal is always to help organisations save time and money through innovation, strategic collaborations and capabilities that address the evolving needs of SMBs.
Looking ahead, what other integrations or features is Amazon Business developing to support SMB financial health and supplier agility?
We're always listening to our customers and always looking for new ways to help businesses succeed. In preparation for tax season, we recently launched the Amazon Business Tax Supplies storefront offering a one-stop-shop for all small business tax filing needs, including tax forms, deals, and bulk pricing on essential supplies.
In addition, eligible Business Prime members can take advantage of the Amazon Tax Exemption Program (ATEP), which streamlines tax-exempt purchasing by allowing qualified organisations to make purchases without paying sales tax on eligible items. These are just two ways we’re helping SMBs – including tax professionals, accounting firms, and exempt organisations – save time and money on supplies so they can focus on serving their clients and growing their operations.
We're focused on delivering benefits that help organisations save time and money and operate more efficiently – whether that’s through sourcing innovation, strategic collaborations, or new capabilities that address the evolving challenges small businesses face.
