Micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) spend 21.47 hours per week managing expenses — equivalent to more than 2 and a half days of a worker's time, based on an 8-hour workday.These data are inserted in“Overview of Corporate Expense Management in Brazil – 2025 edition“, unprecedented research carried out bySimple Account, Brazil's leading corporate expense management platform, andVisa, global leader in payment technology. The study provides a detailed look at the current state of how companies manage their finances and the obstacles they face.
In 46% of these companies, the task falls on the owners or partners, limiting the time available for strategic activities. In microenterprises, this number rises to 59%.For the CEO and co-founder of Conta Simples, Rodrigo Tognini, this number is still very significant and highlights how Brazilian SMEs are managing their finances in a traditional and archaic way, mainly because in many companies it is the owners or partners who dedicate themselves to this activity, time that could be allocated to other more strategic functions.
“The study made it clear that the lack of proper organization, control and management of finances creates a barrier and bottleneck for the growth and development of MSMEs. This is because the way it is done still resembles decades ago, without the right tools and solutions to leverage these journeys. We understand that with more structured and optimized management, companies can free up their leadership to focus on what really matters: business growth,” says Tognini.
Visa's director, Juliana Amoroso, emphasizes that today one of the most valuable assets for companies is time management, which is a major challenge for entrepreneurs of small, medium, and microenterprises, who end up accumulating roles and working hours. "By adopting innovative solutions, these entrepreneurs are able to automate repetitive processes, reduce human errors, and free up valuable time that can be directed toward essential strategic activities for the company's development," he says.
Financial management at your fingertips – literally
Agile and efficient management is one that promotes more control, security and allows more assertive decisions in the allocation of resources, something impossible for 39% of MSMEs, which still use manual resources, such as notebooks, to manage their expenses –approximately 7.5 million of the 21.8 million active companies.Microenterprises (45%) are the ones that most rely on inadequate solutions, followed by small businesses with 36% and medium-sized companies with 28%. This outdated method causes more headaches than solutions, as it consumes excessive time and increases the likelihood of errors, which compromises operational efficiency.
According to the survey, spreadsheets are the most used resource by Brazilian companies for expense management (65%), also highlighting the use of apps and bank statements (52%). The main reasons for resistance to adopting specialized solutions are habit (45%), the perception of high cost (44%), and not finding it necessary (38%).
Among companies in the North and Northeast, the number of respondents who indicated "finding it easier to manage in the way they are accustomed to" was higher, 70% and 67% respectively. The companies that stated they do not find a platform necessary were higher in the South, with 55%.When asked about the factors that could encourage the implementation of management platforms, the responses pointed to cost-benefit (49%), followed by simple language (39%) and accessible support (36%).
“Technology is no longer a luxury, it is a necessity. Managing expenses efficiently is the key to the success of any strategy. Financial management software allows you to automatically categorize corporate expenses, analyze data in real time, accurately control budgets and generate customized reports. These benefits not only make it possible to streamline processes, but also significantly reduce the risk of errors and provide insights for more strategic and agile decision-making,” explains Taeli Klaumann, CFO of Conta Simples.
Personal and corporate finances on the same card impact business management
Another factor that can limit the efficiency of daily operations is the use of a personal credit card for business expenses. The survey indicates that16% of Brazilian MSMEs (around 3.5 million companies)still have this custom, a practice that not only compromises the financial organization, but also harms the company's credibility with suppliers and financial institutions, making access to corporate credit difficult.
Companies that choose corporate credit cards reported benefits such as the elimination of bureaucratic processes, invoice registration, reimbursement requests, and accountability. The preference for using credit cards in companies is justified by attributes such as installment options and payment deadlines (52%), financial organization (22%), and practicality (16%).
The director of Visa Brazil comments that the numbers reflect the importance of investing in more professional financial management. It is essential for companies to separate personal finances from corporate finances to avoid complications and ensure greater control and transparency in financial management. With the adoption of corporate cards, entrepreneurs and employees can enjoy benefits such as process simplification, operational efficiency, and enhanced financial control. This transforms B2B payment flows, improving efficiency and providing a smoother and more secure payment experience for SMEs across Brazil.
Still, the study points out that there is room for greater penetration of corporate cards in the market, given that 5 out of 10 companies that have credit cards only have 1 or 2 units available for staff, which can be a limiting factor in the efficiency of daily operations.
The cost of misinformation
All this data brings an even more alarming number:100% of companies interviewed do not fully understand the meaning of “expense management”While sectors like sales and marketing have platforms for automation and analysis, the financial sector often relies on generic solutions that do not meet their specific needs. The result is a financial management that is light-years behind the other areas of the company.
The CEO of Conta Simples clarifies the doubt: “Expense management is the process of planning, monitoring and controlling the expenses of, in this case, a company to ensure that financial resources are used efficiently and in line with established objectives. It is a movement that involves identifying expenses, categorizing them, analyzing consumption patterns, creating budgets and implementing tools or strategies to optimize spending and avoid waste”, he summarizes.
Check out the complete study on Conta Simples and Visa here.
