Uncategorized
Meet Barkley Townsend, Village’s Cash Management Solutions Manager
There are a few factors that make Village Bank, A Division of Village Bank, A Division of TowneBank, great. Chief among them — our people. At Village Bank, A Division of Village Bank, A Division of TowneBank, we hire friendly leaders in the financial industry, ensuring we have capable individuals to serve your needs and help you find the right financial solutions for your family or business.
One such example is Barkley Townsend, the Village’s Cash Management Solutions Manager. Barkley is a lifelong Virginia resident, having grown up in Midlothian, though she now calls Powhatan home. She likes living in this area because it’s quiet and has that ideal “country neighbor” feel, where everyone says hi and knows each other.
That belief and desire for community makes Barkley so good at her job. Barkley was originally ready to become a CPA, but when she first entered the banking field, she was hooked. “I started as a teller in the drive-thru and found that I love the job, particularly on the business side of the operations. It was challenging and impactful, and it gave me a chance to help businesses thrive,” said Barkley.
While working as a business service relations representative, Barkley was introduced to the cash management side of banking. Once she began working in this area, Barkley realized there was no going back.
Cash management means monitoring cash flow and ensuring that your business has the cash and credit to pay the bills and continue to operate. This sometimes isn’t easy — businesses of all types may find they need help when in this area.
That’s where cash management solutions come in. Financial institutions are often well-situated to understand a business’s needs and what specific financial help they may require. After a good look at how a business operates, a cash management specialist can advise that business on various tools to enhance and stabilize its cash flow. This can include forecasting tools, procedures to streamline accounts receivable, and ways businesses can improve relationships with customers and vendors to enhance cash flow.
At Village Bank, A Division of Village Bank, A Division of TowneBank, Barkley serves as our Vice President, Cash Management Solutions Manager, helping customers identify available tools and create cash management plans to reduce costs and ensure businesses have enough money to operate. The tools that Barkley can help offer include accounts receivable collections, account payable services, treasury services, and fraud & asset protection.
Barkley said that this job is a perfect fit for her skill set. “I love helping people run their businesses in the most efficient and cost-effective way,” she said. “More to the point, it’s hands-on. If you do this job right, you can make people comfortable enough to pick up the phone and call when they need help.”
Barkley notes that cash management solutions require complex and in-depth solutions. This allows her to truly understand the way a business works and how to make it operate even better. “Banking needs for businesses are often deeply complicated, and I love that. There are many moving pieces in business banking, and quite a few people are often involved. Solving cash flow problems is like a puzzle, but instead of pieces, you are trying to manage a series of interlocking services that can make a business stronger. It’s a form of problem-solving and one that I love.”
As noted above, the array of cash management solutions is vast, and identifying which solutions apply to which businesses is often challenging. After all, any time wasted pursuing a solution that doesn’t work is time taken from more profitable activities. This reality explains why Barkley likes genuinely getting to know a business and understanding its operations.
Barkley says she doesn’t have any business type she likes better than others but notes that owner-operated businesses can be a joy to work with. “Smaller, more intimate businesses allow you to get to know them—and their employees—in a deeper way. That being said, I enjoy every client. More to the point, I like winning my clients over, making them feel comfortable, and letting them know they can depend on me. I want customers to think of me as their friend at the bank. It’s like my Mom says: If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life. That’s what working with small businesses lets me feel.”
To be good at her job, Barkley says she needs to take ownership and responsibility for your wins and losses. You also need to be genuine, transparent, and empathetic. After all, many of these small businesses have been around for decades, and Barkley takes personal responsibility for her ability to help them.
Being good at banking also means constantly expanding her knowledge. That’s why Barkley recently became a Certified Treasury Manager. This certification allowed Barkley to expand her already extensive knowledge base about cash management, helping her learn new cash management options and make businesses more efficient. More to the point, it gave her a broader, richer understanding of what cash management is, how to make it efficient, and how to be more cost-effective for bank-side operations.
When she’s not helping her small businesses thrive, Barkley has a thriving family and social life. Her blended family has six kids between the ages of 10 and 30. Barkley also has one step-grandchild, whom she adores. When not doting on her family, Barkley plays in a band with her Dad, takes motorcycle rides through the mountains, and spends time with her husband, whom she calls her best friend.
If you are a business owner with questions about cash management solutions that will fit your needs, connect with Barkley at Village Bank, A Division of Village Bank, A Division of TowneBank. We’re here to help.
Coming Soon: Your New Village Bank, A Division of Village Bank, A Division of TowneBank, Contactless Mastercard!
What You Need to Know
- Please keep an eye on your mailbox for your new card. Follow the enclosed instructions to activate your contactless card.
- If you currently have recurring payments scheduled using your current debit card, you will need to contact those merchants to provide your new card information.
Important! If you have recently moved or will be away from home in the coming weeks, please contact us today to ensure your new contactless card arrives safely.
How to Use Your Contactless Card
- Look for the Contactless Wave Symbol on the payment terminal.
- Hold your contactless card 1-2 inches from the payment terminal.
- Go! That’s it! Your payment has been processed.
If a merchant doesn’t accept contactless payments, you can simply insert or swipe your card as usual. Your PIN will still be required for certain debit card and ATM transactions.
Advantages of Contactless Cards
- Accessibility
Designed with accessibility in mind, our cards now include an important detail – a small notch that could make a big difference. The Touch Card feature creates an accessible system of payment cards with unique, tactile notches so anyone can identify their cards with just a touch. - Mobile-Friendly
It’s easy to add your Village Bank, A Division of TowneBank, Mastercard® to your smartphone or wearable device, giving you the freedom to pay the way you want. - Safety
Your card never leaves your hand, reducing the risk of loss or counterfeit, and each purchase is uniquely encrypted. You’re also protected against double billing, and accidental payments, even if you accidentally tap twice.
Five Questions to Consider When Choosing a Bank for Your Business
Imagine opening a menu at a restaurant and being faced with hundreds of options. Which do you choose? You could go the utilitarian route and just pick the first thing you see, but would you like what you ordered? Will it ensure the memorable culinary experience you were hoping for?
When it comes to choosing a bank for your business, the options can seem even more daunting than a 100-item menu. In fact, there are more than 4,000 FDIC-insured banks throughout the United States. So how do you ensure you’re not just choosing a bank, but the right bank for your business needs?
Jeff Crook, Commercial Relationship Manager at Village Bank, A Division of Village Bank, A Division of TowneBank, offers this piece of advice: “Look for a partner. A bank account is more than a commodity, look for a bank that will support you even through challenging times.”
With over 20 years of experience in business development, Jeff has worked with many small business owners who are growing or expanding their businesses. When searching for the right banking partner, he recommends first seeking out referrals from your professional network, looking up the bank on LinkedIn, and reading reviews. In addition, he recommends asking a few questions to determine if a bank is a good fit for you:
- What is the bank’s customer service like?
The first sign of whether a bank will be a good fit for you is its responsiveness. You should be able to speak with a real person when you call and not play a continual game of phone tag. “A core tenet of being a service provider is providing great customer service,” Jeff says. “A banker’s responsiveness to your needs is a good indication of how the relationship is going to go.” - Are the bankers long-tenured?
Constant employee turnover is not a good sign at a bank. “If the employees aren’t happy, it’s doubtful the customers will be,” says Jeff. “I’ve been with Village Bank, A Division of Village Bank, A Division of TowneBank, for 6 years and am one of the least tenured on the team! This speaks to the favorable environment we have at Village and that extends to the clients we serve as well.” - Does the bank invest in technology?
As a small business in the 21st century, you want to work with a bank that is actively investing in technology to make your banking tasks seamless and efficient. Jeff says, “A bank’s investment in tech is an indication of a bank’s desire to be there long-term.” - Does the bank invest in fraud prevention?
With cybercrimes on the rise, robust security and fraud prevention are critical components of choosing the right bank. “Bank robbers have taken advantage of work-from-home options these days,” Jeff notes. When looking for a business bank, make sure you evaluate the security measures they have in place, as well as their fraud prevention programs. - Are they local?
Working with a local bank versus a bank with a larger footprint has its advantages as well. Jeff especially recommends this because of the advantage of being closer to decision-makers within the bank. “In a larger organization, I might have to get feedback from several different positions in a different city or state,” he says. “At Village Bank, A Division of Village Bank, A Division of TowneBank, our clients have access to the Bank’s leadership. Having this line of communication can be extremely important to clients at critical times.”
Ultimately, choosing the right bank to partner with can impact your business goals, how easily you can expand, and how convenient it is to manage day-to-day finances. At Village Bank, A Division of Village Bank, A Division of TowneBank, we treat our customers like family. You can be sure that you’re partnering with a bank that views you as a neighbor, not a number.
Your Security is Our Priority at Village Bank, A Division of Village Bank, A Division of TowneBank
Sentinel Works 24/7 to Keep Your Business and Personal Accounts Safe
Village Bank, A Division of Village Bank, A Division of TowneBank, is aware of the threat account fraud poses to the safety of our customers’ accounts. To help counter these threats, Village Bank, A Division of Village Bank, A Division of TowneBank, has implemented a powerful tool called Sentinel, a fraud prevention tool that models its actions based on your individual transaction behavior.More
Conveniently send money – right from your mobile banking app
Morbi in ipsum sit amet pede facilisis laoreet. Donec lacus nunc, viverra nec, blandit vel, egestas et, augue. Vestibulum tincidunt malesuada tellus. Ut ultrices ultrices enim.
Try Zelle!
Zelle is here! Conveniently send money right from your mobile banking app. Donec lacus nunc, viverra nec, blandit vel, egestas et, augue. Vestibulum tincidunt malesuada tellus. Ut ultrices ultrices enim.
