Fibank On a stylish working breakfast, Fibank (First Investment Bank) presented its special program aimed at women in business. It is the result of studies and discussions with experts and business ladies. "The goal the bank wants to achieve with this program is to establish itself as a successful business partner of any lady who has decided to fight the cliché that the business is reserved for men only." This was stated by Mrs. Sevdalina Vassileva, Executive Director of Fibank , when presenting the parameters of the program.
The name of the program is Smart Lady. Ms Vassileva presented the new perspectives that the program reveals for women in business. It is a compilation not only of lending opportunities targeted at business ladies, but includes a number of other financial and non-financial solutions that offer ladies support, security and safety. Smart Lady builds up and develops the unique for the Bulgarian market First Lady credit card line that First Investment Bank and Diners Club offered to business ladies.
The Smart Lady program offers a wide range of loan products under preferential and flexible terms, such as low loan cost and fees, convenient repayment schedules, long repayment terms - up to 15 years for investment loans and up to 5 years for working capital. The bank has also provided an opportunity for a complete service to the business ladies as well as a special care package for the employees of the company that includes a complex offer with preferences for all banking products and services as well as additional health insurance for access to quality health services and prophylactics. Applying for European projects is also covered here, where Fibank offers the ladies not only consulting and preparing the full application dossier, but also subsequent funding for the implementation of the project upon its approval.
During maternity, the ladies will have the opportunity to reduce their monthly installments to 75% over a period of 15 months. During that time the bank will not require a principal contribution to the loan used. Smart Lady program also includes a number of additional benefits such as a child-saving account with increasing return for the future of childred, a First Lady credit card with breast cancer insurance, discounts on purchases in over 400 retail outlets, access to VIP lounge at airports, other club privileges.
One of the biggest benefits women receive when using the Smart Lady program are the two specially designed "Health" and "Trouble-Free" insurances that are offered in conjunction with FiHealth Insurance.
An important advantage for business ladies is that Fibank will provide them with financial backing and will cooperate with them at every stage of their development. The bank will hold a number of conferences, trainings and information seminars where ladies will be able to exchange experience and get professional advice. An electronic platform is planned to be able to train and inform the ladies on topics that are relevant to them.
Partners of Fibank under the program are MasterCard and the Made in Bulgaria Union. Mr. Kancho Stoychev, sociologist and chairman of the Managing Board of Made in Bulgaria -Union of Small and Medium Business", also attended the working breakfast. He presented the social trends and stereotypes about women in business, the new challenges ahead in an increasingly globalizing and digitizing world.
The event was also attended by Mrs. Nadia Koshinska, Member of the Board of Directors of Fibank and Director of Banking for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, who presented the new opportunities and the role of banks in supporting the development of women in business. Mrs. Koshinska presented the positive experience and good examples that Fibank has accumulated in its 25-year history.