In conversation with Aaron, founder of Novi
As the founder of Novi, a digital marketing agency, Aaron is used to navigating complexity. But managing business cash across multiple savings accounts became an unnecessary drain on his time.
After a recommendation from a fellow business co-founder, Aaron decided to try Flagstone. What started as a small test quickly became a trusted part of his financial setup.
We spoke to Aaron about his experience, and how Flagstone now supports his approach to managing cash with clarity and confidence.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your business?
I’m the Director and Founder of Novi. We’re a digital marketing agency, which means we help our clients attract new customers through online advertising. Our focus is on helping businesses grow, become more profitable, and get better returns from their marketing spend.
We started back in 2009, so we’ve now been in business for 16 years. Our team includes nine full-time staff, and while we’re headquartered in Manchester, we also operate in Chester, Lancaster, and London.
What brought you to Flagstone?
Both my financial adviser at St James’s Place and a fellow business owner on the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses programme recommended Flagstone to me. After hearing about it a couple of times, I decided to give it a go.
Before I joined Flagstone, I was managing multiple bank accounts myself. I’d probably had an account with a lot of the banks on your platform at some point, manually moving money around as rates changed.
What were you doing with your business’s extra cash before joining Flagstone?
I was opening multiple business savings accounts directly with banks. Spreading funds to stay within FSCS protection limits and for diversification is really important to me. But over time, I became very time-poor.
It didn’t take me long to find decent accounts using comparison sites. But the real pain was managing several accounts and multiple log-ins – and the admin and time involved in that.
So, what do you like about Flagstone?
What’s great now is I don’t need to spend time searching. I get an alert when something’s about to mature, scan the list of accounts, check the interest rates, and then decide. The options are all there, in one place.
I’ll be honest though, I was sceptical at first – transferring money into a platform that isn’t a bank felt like a risk. I started small, just testing it with one account.
What really stood out to me was the transparency. When I transferred money and got a message saying the funds weren’t yet protected and needed to be placed into an account, I actually found that reassuring. It showed that everything was above board. Once I saw it was properly set up in my business’s name and the verification processes were in place, my trust levels grew. That’s when I started closing down all my other business savings accounts and moved the cash to Flagstone platform.
As a sole business owner, I have to be very cautious. But over time, using Flagstone felt secure. The checks and transparency are all there.
What factors do you consider when choosing which accounts to use on the platform?
I’ll keep an eye on what's happening with the Bank of England to decide whether to fix for longer or keep it more flexible.
I’m interested in having a range of accounts that have high interest – with a proportion of those locked in for a period, and a proportion that are instantly available. I keep a proportion held in an Instant Access account so I can withdraw it quickly if needed. Having quick access to funds is important. You never know when an unexpected cost or opportunity might come up.
Bank ratings definitely play a role too. I’d usually go with a known bank first, then a challenger bank we’ve used before.
A simpler way to manage business savings
Aaron moved away from manually opening and managing multiple bank accounts to keep his business cash within FSCS limits and access exclusive rates. Now, he has everything in one place – with full visibility and the flexibility to choose what’s right for his business.
With Flagstone, you can access accounts from more than 40 banks – more than any other savings platform. That means you can protect more of your business cash under the FSCS limit, while managing everything in one secure place.
Use our portfolio builder to see how you could protect and grow your cash.