Porta meets Float: A recipe for success

We sat down with Porta’s General Manager Jason Cassidy to discuss the company’s experience with Float since their launch back in November. Porta is a subscription-based direct-to-consumer Italian food distributor that sells freshly prepared and frozen Italian cuisine. Porta engaged Float in their earliest days out of their desire to set up and automate payments for their digital advertising platforms. From the get-go, Float has made life easy on this fast-moving startup. Here’s what Jason had to say.

Q1: How long have you been using Float and what made you choose us?

We’ve been using Float since our early days back in November 2021 when we first launched. Our marketing team was finding it challenging to pay for online advertising with multiple cards across multiple sites. It became a hurdle to manage and we knew we needed a better solution. When we expressed this to our external accounting firm, they immediately referred us to Float. We did our homework and were instantly amazed with everything they had to offer. Being able to set up multiple cards for different channels was a big selling point for us. As a busy startup just getting off the ground, the last thing we wanted to do was spend time searching for a corporate card let alone setting them up. Float’s software was quick, flexible and super effective. Their automation and reporting dashboard was also really straightforward and simple to use. We also got access to all of our virtual cards in less than 48 hours!

Q2: What were the biggest pain points that Float solved for your business?

Float gives us the peace of mind of not having to constantly think about processing payments for multiple vendors and partners. It allows us to focus on higher priority projects while knowing that our vendors are being paid from the capital we already have. The platform is also automated and secure, and in the event that we exceed our spend limit, the system is always updated and reloaded within 12 to 24 hours. Before using Float, I would email my accounts payable team and have them pay nearly 30 bills a day. We certainly don’t have the mental capacity and time to do this as we grow. Today, Float gives us greater control on corporate spending and fully executes all our payments with ease.

Q3: What did company spending and expense management look like before Float?

“Before Float, we were doing things more conventionally — sending payments to vendors through e-transfers and having to keep track of it all. Now, we’re taking a more dynamic approach as Float automates the entire process for us.”

Our total spend has increased since we started using Float. The platform has not only allowed us to keep up, but it’s been able to keep up with our changing needs too. We’re buying all day, everyday in the digital advertising space so having this kind of flexibility has been great for us. We needed an option that enabled us to set parameters on spending, automate meticulous tasks, while still being able to access the capital available in our accounts.

Q4: How has Float helped to streamline your processes? Which features are the most useful?

Float has made our spend and expense management process a lot more streamlined for us. We’re not paying for anything that we’re not aware of and we have full visibility over the money going in and out. We’re a small but growing team and Float plays a key role in our ability to continue expanding. We can quickly spin up virtual cards for our employees, set limitations and categorize them virtually – it’s a huge time-saver. If we sign a new partnership, I know I can easily create a credit card for that vendor in a matter of 30 seconds, which is perfect for the way we work. At the end of the day, Float has removed a lot of the complexities by automating the flow of approvals, speeding up card issuance and simplifying the payment process with vital partners on a daily basis.

“Float feels like a product that was built for the future and will continue to evolve as we grow as a business.”

Q5: What would you say to other companies that are considering working with Float?

“Float has the feel of a major financial institution, but they treat you as if you are vital to their success – and that’s something I believe many startups can appreciate.”

Float provides entrepreneurs and business owners a consistent and reliable platform to track and manage their spending with the flexibility to simplify and automate daily accounting tasks. It allows businesses to focus more on growth and less on the nitty gritty. If you have capital and you’re looking for an easy way to issue corporate cards to your team, I would consider giving them a try. The platform also streamlines well with any existing SaaS products your team may be using – which is a key benefit that eliminates so many headaches. 

About Porta

PORTA™ is Ontario’s first Italian meal delivery service that delivers restaurant-quality, authentic Italian dishes to your door that are freshly made, flash frozen and cooked in 15-minutes or less. Use code FLOAT30 to get $30 off your first PORTA order at www.eatporta.com

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