Success Story
When traditional banks failed Aida, she turned to Silverbird
Aida, a Swedish national, was pregnant and stranded with her husband and young daughter. She was twenty-eight years old, and she was bored. There wasn’t much to do — all the shops were shut.
Naturally, she did what many bored twenty-somethings do: she posted a selfie on Instagram.
It was an ordinary selfie. At least, that’s what she thought. But quite soon she received a complimentary message from her friend, asking her what skincare products she used.
Soon, Aida found herself chatting to her friends and family on Instagram about the therapeutic benefits of shea butter and the amazing women who make it. Her Instagram was flooded with messages from followers. Everyone seemed to want a piece of the gold.
So, Aida bought ten suitcases worth of the stuff and once they managed to get a flight back to Sweden, she sent parcels of shea butter to their friends and family.
Aida and her husband realised there was an opportunity here — not just to make money for themselves but to provide an export opportunity for the women who make women’s gold. They tucked into their private savings and bought more shea butter.
Orders were piling up — they had to find a way to send money quickly. Aida had lost all hope.
Business should be simple.
Here was a successful family company with a vision, suppliers, a market and a desire to do good. But they encountered problems from the get-go. Even though they had a registered company and the correct paperwork, every bank avoided them like the plague.
Aida wasn’t surprised.
But World Remit wasn’t enough — they could only send two hundred euros at a time.
They started to think about giving up on the business entirely.
“I thought it was too good to be true."
She even contacted a member of the Silverbird team to ask whether all of the money could really get to Ghana.
“Of course, Silverbird makes it easy for merchants to easily send international payments, with no limits.” Silverbird's customer support team replied.
She hasn’t looked back since. From the easy-to-use interface to the smooth transactions, Aida is ecstatic about Silverbird.
“Three clicks and the money is sent — that’s it!"
But it wasn’t just the sleek, simple interface that impressed her. Nor the professionalism of the employees. It was their warmth.
Flash forward two years later: four thousand kilos of shea butter and black soap sell out in two months.
They have plans to expand the business and import new skincare products from Morocco.
— Aida
Imagine a future where banking is inclusive and on the side of customers. Where cross-border payments are instant, limitless and anyone from anywhere can participate. This is the world we’re building at Silverbird.
We’re determined to help merchants grow their businesses by removing the barriers to entry that traditional banking have put in their way, including sky-high transfer fees. These blocks are not only unfair but unnecessary.
Silverbird began in 2020 as the smarter, digital alternative to traditional banking, and our core belief hasn’t changed. SMEs deserve an equal right to participate in the global economy, no matter their size or location.
By making payments borderless, limitless and affordable, we deliver the most fundamental ingredient of trade: freedom.
— Max Faldin
CEO & Founder of Silverbird
