OREANDA-NEWS. March 21, 2014. Alfa-Bank’s fee revenues at year-end 2013 in the small business segment grew by 45% to 58.2 mln US dollars, with monthly on-demand customer deposits, compared to the last year, grown by 41% to 852 mln US dollars.

Number of the customers — small business companies and individual entrepreneurs (with revenues up to 150 mln rubles per annum) — exceeded 90 thousand, having grown by 57% over the year. In doing so, at year-end 2013 Alfa-Bank has nearly 2-fold boosted its market share by the number of customers — by 2.21%.

Alfa-Bank started working with small business and individual entrepreneurs (companies with revenues up to 150 mln rubles per annum) in 2010. In spite of the fact that the Bank launched this business in the already established market it managed to win its own niche, having focused on transaction products. Over the three years period the Bank’s Mass Business has been showing good pace of growth in the transaction product revenues even keeping ahead of mid-market growth rates.

The Bank’s small business credit portfolio at year-end 2013 grew by 30%. The Bank offers individual entrepreneurs and small business companies one of the largest in the market unsecured loans — up to 6 mln rubles.

"For us it is important to maintain low risk level, therefore we are not striving to build up aggressively our credit portfolio. Our anchor product is not lending, but transaction services, including those products and technologies that support our customers’ day-to-day business. We want to help business develop further on, and with this in view, we focus not only on traditional banking services, but also on the creation of non-financial services, which idea was enthusiastically welcomed by our customers. It covers legal support, a joint product launched with Yandex-Direct and a unique business concierge-service", — said Mikhail Povaly, Member of the Executive Board, Head of Mass Business at Alfa-Bank.

Last year, Alfa-Bank offered small business accompanies and individual entrepreneurs a number of new interesting products and services. So, in April the Bank launched a unique product of legal support to small business throughout the country. Each entrepreneur having opened an account with Alfa-Bank now gets a certificate for legal support to its business by one of the best companies local to its place of business.

The joint campaign started by Yandex Direct and Alfa-Bank in April 2013 and continuing through 31 May 2014 has already helped many entrepreneurs to place first time ever their business advertising in the Internet. Those companies and entrepreneurs who have opened their accounts with Alfa-Bank received additional funds for contextual advertising on websites in Yandex Direct.

Alfa-Bank was first in the market to launch business concierge-service for entrepreneurs. "Alfa-Concierge" provides for legal and financial consultations, and secretary services on a 24/7 basis throughout the world.

In September, the Bank presented its updated mobile banking Alfa Business Mobile with an opportunity to make payments. Application for Android and iOS is available for downloading in AppStore and Google Play. Today, this service is used by over 12 thousand customers. One of the most popular products of the Bank is Alfa-Cash card. Through the use of the card entrepreneurs can perform cash-in and cash-out transactions, with an immediate posting in the company account. At the start of 2014, the number of issued cards exceeded 49 thousand. Alfa-Bank’s cash-in ATMs grew by 570 — to 1,745 machines.

In 2013, Alfa-Bank opened 38 offices for servicing small business companies and individual entrepreneurs, where customers may enjoy a full range of products, services and consultations. To date, there are nearly 200 offices like that operating throughout the country.