Innovation Projects
In our efforts to help Small Business Owners succeed we monitor the comprehensive data that we collect through our SaaS platform, survey our clients and ask what they need and listen deeply to our broader community. Our goal is to use our Design Process and Design Principles to consistently optimize how we deliver SLAP™ and SLAPloans to SMBs around the world.
Our Small Business First Commitment
Silver Lining has been committed to using cutting-edge technology, the best in behavior change science, and a modern team to build the best possible solutions that meet the real needs of today’s Small Business Owners. Every single thing we design, whether it be a new product, a new program, or a simple feature, is checked against our company’s commitment to being:
Tech-Enabled
In order to help small business owners at scale and at an affordable rate, we use technology to automate any system or process that we can. This allows for more time in high quality human engagement.
Based on Behavior Change Science
Instead of thinking about small business support as education or mentorship, we apply science to create comprehensive support that drives real outcomes.
Data-Driven
By understanding the behaviors of the Small Business Owners we work with we can understand what business owners really need and provide customized support to each individual at scale.
Built by Business Owners
Unless you have built a small business you do not know what it is like. Any new initiative, feature or priority is created, designed, and implemented based on the feedback and directive of our SMB community.
Focused on Results
While customer satisfaction and profit margins matter, we ultimately measure our success on the number of SLAPsters who hit their 1 Year Sales Goal. Everything we design is with that mission.
Celebrates Small
The economy is better when many people grow a small amount rather than a few growing a lot. Culture says bigger is better, but we know small business is big. Sustained small actions have a bigger long term impact than quick fixes or big changes.
Accessible for All
We are committed to economic justice and to ensuring that any Small Business Owner, regardless of their location, race, religion, gender association, age, or physical ability can access our support.
Tech-Enabled
In order to help small business owners at scale and at an affordable rate, we use technology to automate any system or process that we can. This allows for more time in high quality human engagement.
Based on Behavior Chance Science
Instead of thinking about small business support as education or mentorship, we apply science to create comprehensive support that drives real outcomes.
Built by Business Owners
Unless you have built a small business you do not know what it is like. Any new initiative, feature or priority is created, designed and implemented based on the feedback and directive of our SMB community.
Data-Driven
By understanding the behaviors of the small business owners we work with we can understand what business owners really need and provide customized support to each individual at scale.
Focused on Results
While customer satisfaction and profit margins matter, we ultimately measure our success on the number of SLAPsters who hit their 1 Year Sales Goal. Everything we design is with that mission.
Celebrates Small
The economy is better when many people grow a small amount rather than a few growing a lot. Culture says Bigger is Better, but we know Small (Business) is Big. Sustained small actions have a bigger long term impact than quick fixes or big changes.
Accessible for All
We are committed to economic justice and to ensuring that any small business owner, regardless of their location, race, religion, gender association, age, and physical ability can access our support.
Small Business First Design Process
Leveraging real SLAP™ data along with SLAPster, Partner, SLAPstrategist and SLAPexpert feedback, we use Think Tanks and collaborative design to not only decide what needs to be innovated but how we innovate it.
COMPLETED
Closed Captioning
SLAP™ is focused on creating deep connection and change. The comprehensive program includes a lot of content to absorb, events to participate in and calls to attend. Engagement with these experiences is challenging if you are neuro-divergent, have any hearing limitations, or if you have a visual learning style (as opposed to auditory).
Based on feedback from our community we focused on ensuring that Closed Captioning was incorporated into all auditory elements of the SLAPexperience.
Tech Enabled
Closed Captioning has been activated with Zoom and all embedded videos in SLAPcenter are Closed Captioned.
Data- Driven
We tracked the usage of Closed Captioned options to understand the percentage of users who engage with the feature.
Based on Behavior Change Science
The science says that change can only happen when you are getting outside coaching and peer support. This feature makes these elements more easily accessible.
Built by Business Owners
In a Live Event, a SLAPster with a hearing disability asked for Closed Captioning. Inspired by her and feedback from other SLAPsters, we built this feature.
Focused on Results
We want people with all learning styles and differing abilities to access SLAP with ease so that they can put all their focus and energy on hitting their goals.
Accessible For All
This feature has made SLAP more accessible to our diverse community by taking into account disabilities, language challenges, and learning preferences.
Celebrates Small
Turning this feature on for all videos, events, and calls is a relatively small investment that had significant impact for our community.
COMPLETED
SLAP In Spanish
As more resources are being made available to diverse business owners, the Hispanic and LatinX communities continue to be dramatically underserved. The majority of Technical Assistance and access to capital resources available to SMBs are not available in Spanish.
With the support of Wells Fargo, we have launched the SLAP experience in Spanish so we can give comprehensive support to Spanish-speaking SMBs.
Tech Enabled
By using the multi-tenancy functionality, SLAPcenter allows users to choose to have their SLAPexperience in English or Spanish.
Data- Driven
By using SLAP data, we are evaulating the performance of Spanish-speaking SLAPsters vs. their English-speaking counterparts so that we can further optimize their experience.
Based on Behavior Change Science
By making our comprehensive structure and support available to Spanish-speaking SMBs, we hope to prove that when anyone has the right access, they can succeed.
Built by Business Owners
The first 50 Spanish-speaking SMBs who use this feature will form a focus group that will provide iterative and real-time feedback.
Focused on Results
We will consider this project a success when we prove that Spanish-speaking SMBs have the same success rates as their English-speaking counterparts.
Accessible For All
Translating SLAP to Spanish makes the program accessible to Spanish-speaking SMBs in the world. This project also lays the foundation for more localization projects to come.
Celebrates Small
A series of small steps over 18 years has put Silver Lining in a position to finally bring SLAP to millions of Spanish-speaking SMBs worldwide.
IN PROGRESS
Diversity In SLAPcenter
The Silver Lining community is incredibly diverse and has representation from over 65 countries and multiple races, religions, gender associations, sexual orientations, ages, physical and neuro abilities.
As we have built Silver Lining, there is significant diversity in our team, amongst our SLAPexperts and in the SLAPschool and SLAPworld experiences. We intend to further this commitment to representation and belonging by ensuring there are at least 100 diverse voices amongst our SLAPstrategists and embedded in SLAPcenter.
Tech Enabled
By adding a “How I Did This” button into SLAPcenter, we are ensuring that our entire software platform is re-designed to incorporate diverse perspectives.
Data- Driven
Based on SLAP data, we will continue to add SLAPstrategists and “How I Did This” voices to meet the real needs of SLAPsters.
Based on Behavior Change Science
We are literally adding the perspectives of real Small Business Owners throughout SLAPcenter so that their experiences help other SMBs grow.
Built by Business Owners
We believe that with increased diversity and belonging, more Small Business Owners will fully access the SLAP structure and support, leading to increased results.
Focused on Results
We believe that with increased diversity and belonging, more Small Business Owners will fully access the SLAP structure and support, leading to increased results.
Accessible For All
Representation matters and by showcasing diverse Strategists and SLAPsters we demonstrate that success is accessible for all.
Celebrates Small
We believe that every story matters and by giving a number of diverse SLAPsters the chance to share their success, it will have a big impact on all future SLAPsters.
IN PROGRESS
Property Ownership
The reality is that Small Business Owners have low approval rates for residential and commercial property loans. This innovation project, in partnership with SecondMuse Capital and supported by Wells Fargo, is focused on designing a new financial product that responds to the specific needs of SMBs who want to purchase property. We will design something that is profitable, sustainable, fair, and accessible. We want to make sure that it creates a win-win opportunity for SMBs, investors, and Silver Lining.
Tech Enabled
The Property Loan qualification, application, and management will be fully automated through SLAPcenter.
Data- Driven
The Property Loan algorithm will be based on SLAP behavioral data instead of credit scores and traditional financial data which has historically led to SMBs not getting approval.
Based on Behavior Change Science
The Property Loans will be structured to reward good long-term behavior and will act as an incentive for success.
Built by Business Owners
The Property Loan product is created by a design committee that includes Small Business Owners working with industry experts.
Focused on Results
The Property Loans will be an attractive option for investors, a profitable and sustainable product for Silver Lining, and will allow SMBs to accomplish their property ownership goals.
Accessible For All
The objective is to design a product that is based purely on behavior instead of credit scores and industry norms that negatively affect those from marginalized communities.
Celebrates Small
We believe that restoring communities and shifting generational wealth happens one small loan at a time.
IN PROGRESS
Gamification
As we look for more ways to promote behavior change, we designed robust research experiment with short-term, mid-term, and long-term challenges all with prize-based incentives. The goal is to test what types of challenges and types of prizes move behavior and result in small business success best.
Tech Enabled
The gamification feature is fully integrated into SLAPcenter and their behaviors is being tracked on the software.
Data- Driven
Based on SLAP data we collect, we will see which challenges make an impact on the achievement of goals.
Based on Behavior Change Science
We are testing behavior change principles of gamification to encourage the right behaviors that will lead to positive change.
Built by Business Owners
The prizes for the gamification challenges were submitted by Small Business Owners.
Focused on Results
The objective of this innovation project is to improve the success rates of SLAPsters. By seeing which incentives drive results, we will be able to integrate these challenges to the full SLAPexperience.
Accessible For All
All SMBs who are part of the program have immediate access to the gamification challenges.
Celebrates Small
We believe that every story matters and by giving a number of diverse SLAPsters the chance to share their success, it will have a big impact on all future SLAPsters.
PLANNED
Global Payments
With the beauty of a diverse, global community of Small Business Owners comes the complications of global transactions – payments for SLAP™, SLAPcapital Loans processing and repayments and challenges for the SMBs to buy from each other.
Our mission is to design and implement a set of financial solutions, to enable a feasible and sound financial environment within the SLAP™ community and beyond.
Tech Enabled
Payment tools, capital and management will be centralized through SLAPcenter giving SMBs a one stop solution to think about their business and their money.
Data- Driven
Any payment tools or financial products released will be approved based on SLAP™ data as opposed to industry standard criteria.
Based on Behavior Change Science
A significant component of behavior design is making things easier to do. When we simplify payments and create easy access it opens up opportunity for real change.
Built by Business Owners
A Design Committee will be formed, made up of Small Business Owners from around the world, to design exactly what they need.
Focused on Results
The goal of this project is that more SMBs have the ability to do business transactions which will result in them increasing their progress towards their Sales Goals.
Accessible For All
This will increase the dignity and opportunity for the majority of under-served Small Business Owners who cannot get approved for a credit card.
Celebrates Small
More Small Business Owners being able to do more small transactions literally results in higher confidence, more business success and a stronger global economy.
PLANNED
Connectivity
As we work with Small Business Owners in over 65 countries many of them have limited access to strong WiFi and enough data to fully utilize all elements of the SLAPexperience. The ideal systemic solutions are to ensure WiFi infrastructure and affordable data plans are available to everyone. In absence of that ideal, we are focused on creating easy and low bandwidth ways that allow SLAPsters with these technical limitations to still fully engage with SLAPcenter, our team, and the broader Silver Lining community.
Tech Enabled
We will design a low-bandwidth app for data entry and integrate it with more low-bandwidth tools for calls and interactions.
Data- Driven
We will measure the impact of these tech developments by closely monitoring all SLAP™ data to see if engagement and usage increase.
Based on Behavior Change Science
As we build an app, we will test different prompts to see if the use of mobile notifications can increase good behavior.
Built by Business Owners
A Design Committee of Small Business Owners who are affected by these issues will lead the innovation and we will build solutions that they recommend.
Focused on Results
We will continue innovating until we see that the ability to use SLAP™ is seamless enough that their progress towards their Sales Goals at least matches those of the general population.
Accessible For All
This will be a meaningful step forward in ensuring that SLAP™ is truly accessible for all – regardless of the WiFi and data access that their location provides them.
Celebrates Small
While we cannot control the deep systemic infrastructure issues around WiFi and data access, we can make a small change to our tech stack that will make a big difference.
