Manuel Aleu

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Financial fuel: How Amex products help Manuel Aleu manage multiple businesses

Manuel Aleu has a talent for helping small businesses thrive – whether through his own ventures or strategic investments.

After working many years for Fortune 500 tech companies, he was drawn to the idea of launching his own financial services start-up.

“I always wanted to be an entrepreneur and do things my way,” he says.

Aleu ran that business for five years before selling it, then shifted his focus to acquisitions, combining his expertise in small business ownership, technology, and financial services. Now a versatile entrepreneur and investor, he owns five businesses in the San Diego area, leveraging American Express business products to help him grow and manage all of them.

Seeking to spot trends and make strategic business investments, Aleu focuses on industries like plumbing, HVAC installation, and recycling – sectors that offer stability and are generally less vulnerable to A.I.-driven disruption.

“All those different types of businesses are very hot right now because you need them,” he explains.  

With his expertise in financial strategy, he also helps other small business owners navigate sales and manage their finances more effectively.

Toolkit to back your business

A suite of American Express business products helps Aleu keep his businesses moving forward. From American Express® Business Cards¹ and American Express® Business Checking² to an American Express® Business Line of Credit³, these tools can be used to help with cash flow management and business growth. Plus, some of them, like his Business Checking and Business Cards, allow Aleu to earn Membership Rewards® points⁴, which he uses to unwind and enjoy the success he’s built.

For example, he says his American Express® Business Gold Card, along with two American Express® Green Cards  and an American Express Blue Business® Plus Credit Card[CP3] , have helped him manage expenses while fueling his family vacations.

“We love Italy, so we spend the summer there – two months every year,” he reports. “Because all these Cards are connected to my Membership Rewards® account, I accumulate a lot of points which I can redeem to pay for flights and more.”

He also takes advantage of airport lounges through his personal Amex Cards when traveling abroad, including his favorite Centurion Lounge in Mexico.

“Amex lounges are great. I really love them,” he says.

Being part of the American Express® Corporate Program allows Aleu to see his personal assistants’ spending all in one place. These assistants have the American Express® Corporate Green Card.

“I like it because when I go and see the statements, sometimes I don’t recognize the expenses. But I see the name next to it, so I know that’s the person who actually made the purchase,” he says. “That helps a lot.”

Amex products that work together

Along with his various Card products, Aleu relies on American Express Business Blueprint™⁵ to help him manage business spending and gain cash flow insights. The free, online cash flow dashboard designed for small business owners offers a quick snapshot of select American Express and linked external accounts for a deeper understanding of how money moves in and out of the business.

“It gives me a high-level overview of everything,” Aleu says. “That’s very useful.”

Aleu also takes advantage of his Business Checking account, finding the direct integration with QuickBooks® Online to be valuable. He also likes being able to view the Business Checking Account using Business Blueprint.

“I like having my Business Checking account with my linked Cards all in the same place,” he explains.

Flexible access to business funding

Aleu says he’s also used funds from his available Business Line of Credit to help provide additional cash flow when all other resources are committed to purchasing a new property. Given his positive experience with American Express, he now helps other entrepreneurs better understand the benefits of a business line of credit.

“Lines of credit are amazing tools if you know how to use them,” he says. “It’s a win-win."

Keeping at it with care and confidence

Aleu’s business products work together, backed by the strong support Amex provides. Being an Amex Member has helped this entrepreneur in many ways. Whether it is redeeming his points for personal travel or providing tools to help fuel business growth, Amex has been a great resource for Manuel.

“Amex has the best customer service,” he says. “They always listen to me and try to help.”

Story Footnotes

¹Application and approval required.

 ²Deposit products offered by American Express National Bank. Member FDIC. American Express currently accepts applications from eligible U.S. businesses. Not all applicants will be approved for a Business Checking account. 

³American Express® Business Line of Credit offers access to a commercial line of credit ranging from $2,000 to $250,000; however, you may be eligible for a larger line of credit based on our evaluation of your business. Each draw on the line of credit will result in either a separate installment loan or a single repayment loan. All loans are subject to credit approval and are secured by business assets. Every loan requires a personal guarantee. For single repayment loans, we charge a total loan fee that ranges from 0.95%-1.80% of the amount you borrow for 1- month loans, 1.90%-3.75% for 2-month loans, and 2.85%-6.05% for 3- month loans. Single repayment loans incur a loan fee at origination and the principal and total loan fee are due and payable at loan maturity. There are no required monthly repayments for a single repayment loan. Repaying a single repayment loan early will not reduce the loan fee we charge you. For installment loans, we charge a total loan fee that ranges from 3-9% of the amount you borrow for 6-month loans, 6-18% for 12-month loans, 9-27% for 18-month loans, and 12-18% for 24- month loans. Installment loans incur a portion of the total loan fee for each month you have an outstanding balance. If you repay the total of the principal of an installment loan early, you will not be required to pay loan fees that have not posted for subsequent months. For each loan that you take, you will see the applicable loan fee before you take the loan. Once you take the loan, the loan fees that apply to that loan do not change. We reserve the right to change the loan fees that we offer you for new loans at any time. American Express reserves the right to offer promotions to reduce or waive loan fees from time to time. Not all customers will be eligible for the lowest loan fee. Not all loan term lengths are available to all customers. Eligibility is based on creditworthiness and other factors. Not all industries are eligible for American Express® Business Line of Credit. Pricing and line of credit decisions are based on the overall financial profile of you and your business, including history with American Express and other financial institutions, credit history, and other factors. Lines of credit are subject to periodic review and may change or be suspended, accompanied with or without an account closure. Late fees may be assessed. Loans are issued by American Express National Bank. Single repayment loans may become available to eligible new and existing Business Line of Credit customers at different times.

⁴ Enrollment in the Membership Rewards ® program is required. The Corporate Green Card and the Global Dollar Card - American Express® Corporate Card is charged a $55 annual enrollment fee. A program fee is not applied for the Corporate Gold Card, Corporate Platinum Card®, Global Dollar Card - American Express® Corporate Platinum Card, and Global Dollar Card - American Express® Corporate Executive Gold Card. Some Corporate Cards are not eligible for enrollment. For a full list of eligible Corporate Cards, please see the full Membership Rewards Terms and Conditions. Card Member eligibility for enrollment is based upon the company’s participation in the Membership Rewards program. Get one Membership Rewards point for every dollar of eligible purchases charged on enrolled Corporate Green Cards, Corporate Gold Cards, and Corporate Platinum Cards®. Eligible purchases are purchases for goods and services minus returns and other credits. Eligible purchases do NOT include fees or interest charges, cash advances, purchases of travelers checks, purchases or reloading of prepaid cards, or purchases of other cash equivalents. 

Terms and Conditions for the Membership Rewards® program apply. Visit membershiprewards.com/terms for more information. Participating partners and available rewards are subject to change without notice.

The value of Membership Rewards points varies according to how you choose to use them. To learn more, go to www.membershiprewards.com/pointsinfo.

⁵ American Express Business Blueprint is the small business digital experience that allows a customer to view on one digital dashboard summary account information for the following American Express small business products: American Express® Business Cards, American Express® Business Line of Credit, and American Express® Business Checking. The customer can also choose to link their third-party issued business bank accounts and business credit cards to Business Blueprint. Not all third party accounts or cards can be connected to Business Blueprint. Business Blueprint allows the customer to view data insights and track their business cash flow and expenses by viewing reports that American Express prepares using the customer’s linked account information. Business Blueprint provides a 30-day bank account balance projection, using the daily balances from the customer’s linked bank accounts from the last 90 days. To be used in the account balance projection, the customer’s bank account must have at least 90 days of data available. While the cash flow management service from Business Blueprint is currently free, each of the business products from American Express that are visible in Business Blueprint has its own fees, eligibility criteria, application process and approval requirements. The Business Blueprint service (including any data insights provided to the customer) does not constitute legal, tax, financial or accounting advice, and is not a substitute forobtaining competent personalized advice from a licensed professional. You should seek professional advice before making any decision that could affect the financial health of your business. American Express makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness or timeliness of the reports, projections, data or account information that are available to the customer from Business Blueprint.

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