Learn why Sabah, a New York-based artisan footwear brand, uses Highbeam as their trusted banking platform.
“It’s a massive relief to know there’s someone that has my back financially. With Highbeam in my corner, I can focus on building my company in a thoughtful way.” - Mickey Ashmore, Founder & CEO at Sabah
Background
Sabah is a New York-based footwear brand selling top-of-the-line leather shoes — entirely handmade by a family of artisans in southeast Turkey. When an endless rotation of banks, credit providers, and accounting firms failed to deliver, the Sabah team turned to Highbeam.
The Problem
Over the last few years, Sabah has scaled significantly – putting enormous pressure on the business’s finances.
Despite Sabah Founder Mickey Ashmore’s background in finance, managing Sabah’s increasingly complex cash flow and financial needs proved difficult. He was fed up with his national bank that provided no financing, strategic guidance, or any customer service of value.
Simultaneously, Mickey was constantly bombarded with merchant cash advance loan companies that positioned themselves as cheap and fast, but “felt dirty and highly predatory.”
While his accounting firm managed Sabah’s books, they provided generic income statements and balance sheets weeks later, leaving Mickey flying blind as he managed day-to-day cash flow.
Looking back, he admits managing Sabah’s finances was “a huge pain in the ass.” As a small ecom founder without a CFO, he needed a supportive banking and financial partner who understood ecommerce and his brand’s unique growth trajectory.
“I tried to juggle it all: making our financial engine run while still running Sabah as a whole. It wasn’t easy at all and the pieces began to fall apart.”
The Solution
After rotating through several disappointing financial providers, the Sabah team needed a trustworthy financial partner that understood their business and its specific needs.
Mikey wanted a genuine partnership that would help him make airtight financial decisions and keep Sabah on top of all its finances. Mickey eventually discovered Highbeam and “The solution instantly clicked. They checked every box.”
Highbeam’s ecommerce specific platform that combines banking with credit and insights was exactly what Mickey was looking for.
“I think money is money — but the sentiment and relationship goes a long way. That’s what Sabah has with Highbeam, which has made me feel truly comfortable.”
The Results
In Mickey’s words, Highbeam has dramatically streamlined and simplified Sabah’s finances.
In the past, traditional financial services required endless document wrangling: from the IRS, previous loans, accounting records, Shopify, and so on. Mickey instantly recognized how Highbeam’s “ ability to simplify the banking process was incredible.”
Since switching to Highbeam, the Sabah team benefitted from:
- A headache-free interface and workflow — banking is quick, easy, and intuitive.
- A flexible and fair credit line built for Sabah that has grown with the business.
Of course, Sabah also benefits from the full roster of Highbeam services: including banking, international wire transfers, card spend, and cash management.
"By using Highbeam as Sabah’s banking and credit provider, our team has the right foundation and tools to sustainably scale the next $10 million."
The Future
Sabah has never taken money from major investors, which means they’re not tied to performance benchmarks or a set timeline. Instead, Mickey resolves to build his brand for generations to come.
He emphasizes how, as a partner, Highbeam gets his vision and provides trusted guidance for that long-term mission.
Ultimately, Highbeam has built a founder and brand friendly financial platform that will let Mickey and his team build Sabah for many years to come.
“Highbeam stands next to me, providing a safety net and a transparent line of credit. Unlike a debt provider, I know we can build together for the long run.”
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