Business Catalyst Podcast - with Viktoria Soltesz by Oak Business Consultant
- Viktoria Soltesz PSP Angels Ltd - CY10406204F
- Jul 23
- 2 min read
The Hidden Cost of Getting It Wrong: Why Payment and Banking Must Come First
I was a honored to be invited as a guest of the Business Catalyst Podcast by Oak Business Consultant, talking to Sadaf Abbas
As a guest on a recent podcast, I had the opportunity to share my journey from traditional accounting to founding PSP Angels and The Soltesz Institute , both dedicated to solving one of the most overlooked challenges in business: payments and banking.
Payment and banking today impact customer experience, risk management, technology, product development, data security, compliance, finance, and more. I argue that it should be considered a standalone function, an essential element of the business strategy, not just a part of finance. Payment and banking can empower a company to thrive or hinder its growth if mismanaged.
Through PSP Angels, I now guide businesses to create tailored payment and banking strategies that align with their unique operational needs, ensuring smooth fund flows, minimal rejections, and scalable growth by carefully selecting providers and methods suited to their structure, ownership, and jurisdictional requirements.
The ones who manage payment and banking tasks are not adequately trained to do so. Key areas, such as how payments and banking affect technology, UX, compliance, and other essential aspects in a business, are absent from accounting, economics courses, and MBAs. That is why I founded The Soltesz Institute, an independent educational platform that equips anyone with the tools to understand eery part of payment and banking.
During the podcast, I highlighted that banking and payment solutions must be customized, as each business operates differently, and banks evaluate risk based on factors like industry, transaction frequency, and fund origins, meaning a strategy that works for one company may falter for another, which is why PSP Angels crafts bespoke plans to mitigate risks and support long-term success.
While technology like AI can streamline data analysis and document checks, it cannot replicate the nuanced judgment gained from years of handling real-world cases, which is why I wrote Moving Money – How Banks Think, a book that evolved from internal training into a practical guide for businesses to understand payment blocks, prepare effective documentation, and design structures that function seamlessly in practice.
Investing in a well-planned payment and banking strategy from the outset proves far more cost-effective than addressing issues after they arise, as problems like rejected merchant accounts or frozen funds can disrupt or even halt operations. Early planning with PSP Angels or education through The Soltesz Institute ensures a solid foundation for sustained growth.
To watch the podcast: https://youtu.be/tmcLl-bwHFk
To access free courses and upcoming webinars, visit solteszinstitute.com and start learning how to think like a bank and how money moves internationally.
