ZeroPaper, currently in our accelerator, is a free financial management tool for small businesses who don’t effectively control their finances.  They launched their open beta just over a week ago and are growing their user base quickly.  Below, CEO André Macedo gives us a few words about his team’s experience at 21212 and their product.  Check it out at zeropaper.com.br.

Tell us a bit about your time at 21212 up to now

André: The acceleration process at 21212 is among the best professional experiences for our team.  To have access to the most qualified mentors makes all the difference at a time when we need to position our new business in the market.

What is the problem you are solving?

André: 80% of Brazilian businesses do not effectively manage their business finances.  The two largest reasons are the lack of financial knowledge, and the complexity of financial tools currently available in the market.  We solve these two problems with the creation of a simple, intuitive, and educational tool.

What is your product?

André: ZeroPaper is a web platform that combines software and service, developed to increase the chance of survival for micro and small businesses.  We simplify the amount of manual data entry and in some cases, completely eliminate the need for manual entry through the collection of electronic invoices.  We extract information about revenue and expenses and automatically load it onto the cashflow statement.

After obtaining this data, we generate detailed reports and financial indicators that allow small business owners to manage their companies more efficiently and improve their financial knowledge.  At the same time, we continue to offer educational tools on the site that will teach the owners how to interpret the reports and indicators.

Tell us about your differential

André: We compare common expenses among businesses in similar markets, which allows us to advise our clients about how they can run their business more efficiently.  The small business owner will be able to see the actual financial situation of the company, plan their next actions, and focus more on the management of his business.   This is all done in a simple and intuitive form, reducing the amount of effort needed for effective financial management.  We do all of this with a system that is absolutely free for the small business owner.

Any concluding thoughts?

André: Our greatest asset was the information we acquired through interviews and conversations with our clients.  Whenever we had a question, we went to the streets and interviewed more clients.  This was the best gauge to measure whether we were on the right track.