Tag: SME

Victoria, Australia – The Victorian government‘s relief scheme for tenants and landlords – the Commercial Tenancy Relief Scheme – has been extended from 1 January 2021 to 28 March 2021, according to the Victorian Small Business Commission (VSBC).   

The scheme was introduced to relieve financial hardship faced by tenants and landlords as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. 

Victorian Small Business Commissioner Judy O’Connell posted the news on Twitter.

The government will be continuing the support it has provided, which include the following: 

– A moratorium on commercial tenancy evictions from 29 March 2020 for the non-payment of rent for small to medium enterprises with an annual aggregate turnover under $50 million that have experienced a minimum 30 percent reduction in turnover due to coronavirus, where the tenant has followed the process for applying for rent relief. 

– A freeze on rent increases during the moratorium

– Rent relief provided by commercial landlords in proportion to (i.e. that matches) their tenants’ reduction in turnover due to coronavirus, made up of a minimum 50 percent rent waiver (the remainder can be made up of a rent deferral).

– A free mediation service for commercial tenants and landlords, accessed through the Victorian Small Business Commission (VSBC), to resolve disputes over rent relief

– The option for commercial tenants to apply to the VSBC for a binding order for rent relief if their landlord fails to respond to the VSBC or doesn’t engage in mediation in good faith.

The Government is also extending land tax relief to commercial or industrial landlords that provide rent relief to their tenants in 2021 and owner-occupiers of commercial properties.

The scheme’s support is provided for those commercial landlords and tenants under eligible leases. According to VSBC, small business tenants seeking rent relief within the extended period will need to apply to their landlord in writing with evidence of their eligibility as soon as possible, as a landlord is only required to provide rent relief from this date of application.

Further, if a tenant has already made a request and is seeking further rent relief for this extended period, then they will need to make another request to their landlord supplying the required evidence.

Regulations for the scheme have been made under the COVID-19 Commercial and Residential Tenancies Legislation Amendment (Extension) Act 2020. These regulations create temporary requirements for landlords and tenants for the duration of the scheme.

Hugging the tip of Australia’s east coast, Victoria is Australia’s second-smallest state, with Melbourne as its capital. 

Hong Kong – Website search engine optimization (SEO) services HKGSEO is opening its doors to provide free SEO analysis and consulting services worth HK$ 2,000 (US$ 257.97). 

The company said this is in response to more SMEs turning to the online market and setting up websites and online shops amid the pandemic. 

Earlier in 2020 when the pandemic struck, the Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC) in Hong Kong launched the ‘Distance Business (D-Biz) Programme’ subsidy, which has led to the increase of businesses opening up online sales channels for recovery. 

“Many companies are not familiar with website technology, website optimization, and SEO promotion are often ignored. In fact, SEO is one of the highest ROI of many online marketing channels and it is worthy of a long-term investment,” said the company in a press release. 

HKGSEO asserts its confidence in offering the free SEO services, having performed SEO for more than 500 enterprises, such as website analysis on CMS Web Content Management System, SSL Website Security Certificate for customer information protection, website mobile version,  as well as website loading speed and content.

Manila, Philippines – Digital payment company Visa has announced the launch of their newest accelerator program for APAC start-ups in expanding their business reach to a global level.

The new “Visa Accelerator Program” will focus on making selected start-ups be connected with bank and merchant partners of Visa globally through commercial opportunity collaborations. Furthermore, the accelerator program is designed for start-ups that have built a consumer base in their home country, and are ready to enter new geographical and consumer regions.

“In Visa’s ongoing work with the startup community, we often see companies face challenges when taking their business from a local success story to becoming a player in multiple markets. There is a vibrant fintech ecosystem in the Philippines. At Visa, we have global expertise that can help startups take their expansion plans off the white board and into the real world. We encourage Philippine startups who want to partner with us to join this program so we can help them scale,” said Dan Wolbert, Visa country manager for the Philippines & Guam.

Areas of interest that Visa wants the participating start-ups to address are as follows:

  • Expand access to the digital economy to consumers and businesses that are underserved or cash-dependent
  • Support of small businesses as they struggle with changing technology demands and the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Leveraging the growing open data environment in the region to develop more personalized banking and shopping experiences
  • Developing new ways of moving money that aren’t dependent on traditional credit and debit cards

“There is no shortage of fantastic solutions coming out of the Asia Pacific, particularly the Philippine startup community. What’s most important to Visa is how we can support those solutions getting elevated to a stage where in a few months’ time they could be pitched as a commercial deal to a leading bank, retailer or technology company in the region. A big differentiator for the Visa Accelerator Program is our concentration on a small number of startups that are truly ready to unlock that next level,” Wolbert added.

Manila, Philippines – Philippine telco Globe’s SME service myBusiness will be running a “Gift Local” e-Bazaar on Lazada, creating an opportunity for select SME merchants to do live-selling.  

The e-bazaar will take place from November 27 to 29, and aside from Lazada, shoppers can catch the live-selling on Globe myBusiness’ Facebook page every 6 PM during the duration of the e-bazaar opening.

The virtual event is in line with the telco’s ongoing Gift Local campaign, Globe myBusiness’ campaign to promote SMEs in the spirit of Christmas shopping.

“The Gift Local campaign is all about supporting our local entrepreneurs by encouraging Christmas shoppers to buy local products. But this bazaar is unlike any other, because it incorporates the newly launched Globe myBusiness’ Unli Internet Plans, which brings the bazaar experience online for unli enjoyment,” said Alyssa Gil, Globe myBusiness’ segment marketing manager.

Aside from the ongoing e-bazaar campaign, Globe myBusiness is pledging support to the Ayala Foundation’s Brigada ng Ayala by donating 100% of the merchants’ joining fee to the foundation to provide help to disaster-affected areas as well as provide connectivity to public school teachers and students.

Malaysia – Continuing to help businesses accelerate digital transformation in the country, Maxis has officially launched the Digital Readiness Index (DRI), which is a first-of-its-kind online and interactive self-assessment tool that helps companies of all sizes across industries assess their level of digital readiness. 

At the virtual launch, Maxis’ Chief Enterprise Business Officer Paul McManus said the telco’s studies and continuous engagement with SMEs over the years have made clear the segment needs strong support to adapt to a rapidly changing landscape and to accelerate digitalization.

The DRI has the potential to generate actionable insights on the state of digital transformation of businesses and industries in the nation, including for government, particularly as a consideration for policy implementation and best practices for digital adoption

Paul McManus, Chief Enterprise Business Officer at Maxis

YB Dato Sri Dr. Haji Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, the Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives (MEDAC) commented, “For SMEs and entrepreneurs to grow in the domestic market and even expand into international markets, digital readiness will be imperative. Going digital is not an option but a necessity for survival. We, therefore, welcome the DRI initiative, which is in line with the Ministry’s vision to foster a holistic and conducive ecosystem of entrepreneurship in the country.”

Maxis’ collaboration with MEDAC

In conjunction with the launch, Maxis and MEDAC will be collaborating on several initiatives through the Ministry’s agencies – National Entrepreneurship Institute (INSKEN), TEKUN Nasional, and Co-operative Institute of Malaysia (IKKM).

These include incorporating the DRI into INSKEN’s ongoing targeted modules and trainings, exploring collaboration on Maxis’ Digital Entrepreneurship Workshop, and digital solutions for the Micro and SME segments. In addition, Maxis will also be sharing yearly updates of digital readiness in the country with the agencies through insights generated from the DRI to help them measure digital adoption rates in the country.

The DRI, which can be accessed through Maxis’ business website, analyzes three key pillars in business: customer satisfaction, employee productivity, and operational efficiency. A formula then determines the score for each pillar that tabulates a total score to gauge digital readiness – ranging from “Ready”, “Nearly Ready”to “Not Ready” and “At Risk”.

Alongside the general rating, the final report also provides competitor analysis, industry benchmarking as well as recommendations on the most suitable digital solutions for their needs. Companies can also opt to follow up with guidance from dedicated Maxis consultants. 

The tool had been piloted among 2,000 SMEs across industries retail, manufacturing, and transportation among others, where early insights showed that 58% of Malaysian SMEs are categorized as “Not Ready” in reaching its full potential in embracing digital technologies.

It also found that most SMEs are at the basic level when it comes to their customer engagement, where 61% are using email, while 40% use the holy grail social media as main communication channels. Meanwhile, only 26% of SMEs in the transportation, manufacturing, trade, and oil and gas sector track their company’s vehicles digitally.

Maxis earlier launched its “Retransformation” campaign in September, which calls on organizations in Malaysia to rethink and reevaluate their digital transformation strategies.

On the DRI, Maxis collaborated with multinational telecom company Vodafone which launched a similar Index in Europe. 

Singapore – Media company Clozette and online marketplace Sift & Pick have announced a new partnership to allow Japanese merchants enter the Southeast Asian e-commerce scene through a one-stop e-commerce solution.

Entailed within the collaboration is the leverage of discovery shopping platform Shoppin’guu, which is operated by Cool/JP, another Clozette partnership with Cool Japan Fund, that is supported by Japan’s Ministry of Economics, Trade and Industry. Cool Japan Fund is a private equity fund focused on funding enterprises focusing on promoting Japanese products globally.

Along with Cool/JP’s growing editorial authority and Clozette’s rising number of partner influencers and creators, Clozette integrates its knowledge of content consumption behavior among millennial & Generation Z consumers to create a curated global e-commerce marketplace and physical retail store at Changi Airport in Singapore, alongside Sift & Pick’s e-commerce solutions, logistics experience,  and payment infrastructure development.

“Our special partnership with Sift & Pick allows us to offer merchants in Japan exciting market entry opportunities in SEA that were previously not possible. COVID-19 heightened global demand for increased digital touchpoints through social engagement solutions such as influencer marketing, snackable videos and livestream selling,” said Roger Yuen, founder  and chief executive officer at Clozette.

“As a pioneer in the social commerce space, we are uniquely placed to address the needs of today’s consumers given our proven proficiency in social storytelling, our extensive network and rich insights into the Southeast Asian market, having worked with over 300 global, international, and local brands over the past decade.” 

Roger Yuen, founder  and chief executive officer at Clozette

The new partnership between the two companies will see a close collaboration on  category development, supply chain, and fulfilment as well as data and influencer marketing, and social commerce, which seeks to help Japanese brands and sellers, especially small and medium enterprises (SMEs), gain collective resources and expertise of the alliance to face challenges specific to online retail in SEA.

“We are delighted to partner with Clozette to bring more Japanese brands into Southeast Asia. Adding to our carefully curated selection of fashion, beauty, lifestyle, and home and living products will provide our diverse customer base with a richer shopping experience. Shoppin’guu’s blend of storytelling is very well-suited to drawing out the heritage, high quality, and uniqueness of many Japanese brands that are often neglected, and we look forward to seeing how our collaboration will further delight shoppers with new brand discoveries on our marketplace,” added Cavin Poh, general manager at Sift & Pick.

Sydney, Australia – SME marketing company Metigy in Australia has recently concluded its funding round, which the startup will use in expanding its services globally.

The funding, closing at USD 20M, will be initially used to expand its business to the United States and Southeast Asia, specifically in Singapore. Furthermore, the funding will also aid in growing the company’s product and engineering teams in Australia.

We’ve had fantastic growth so far but it’s just the beginning — there’s a massive opportunity to help the nearly 30 million small businesses in the U.S. and 150 million businesses across South East Asia. According to Google, 97% of SEAsian SMEs have no ad tech or martech solutions and also lack the supply of talent to meet that demand. Innovative technology developed with the SME in mind is the only way to solve this problem

David Fairfull (pictured left), CEO and co-founder at Metigy

He also added,“We created Metigy to make digital marketing an effective tool for all types of businesses, not just those with massive marketing budgets. Half of all small businesses fail within the first two years, and marketing — or a lack of effective marketing — is always one of the key reasons. We want to improve those odds and give them a fighting chance.”

The startup is working closely with Google and telecommunications company Optus, and has created strategic partnerships with companies such as Singapore’s SingTel, who co-sell Metigy’s tools to add value to their own business customer relationships.

Speaking about the funding round, Darien Jagger, lead investor at Cygnet Capital, states that Metigy’s fast expansion pushed the venture capital to invest in the startup.

“Cygnet was an early-stage investor in Metigy and after seeing their impressive growth, it absolutely made sense to lead this current raise. Completing the raise 100% oversubscribed in this market with an all Australian investor group is a testament to the solid business the team has built. Strategically, this also places Metigy firmly on the path to remaining Australian based,” Jagger stated.

Singapore – As a complementary part of the tourism board’s ongoing “SingapoRediscovers” campaign, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) launched the “Made With Passion” campaign that puts focus on local lifestyle products in the country.

The campaign, made possible in partnership with the Singapore Brand Office and support from Enterprise Singapore, will feature local products from these categories: beauty & wellness, fashion & accessories, homeware & décor, and packaged food and beverage (F&B).

Initial stages of the marketing campaign will include a new brand mark for the partner local brands, whether in product packaging, in-store, and online. This then ensures brands show a strong connection with the Singaporean local community.

“Passion is at the heart of our Singapore story. We are also home to a host of innovative and iconic brands that have been created with passion.  By sharing the stories behind both established and up-coming brands, we hope that more people will be able to rediscover well-loved brands and be wowed by the myriad of brands that speak of our passion and creativity,” stated Lynette Pang, advisor to the Singapore Brand Office and assistant chief executive (Marketing Group) of STB. 

Local trade association support will also be also seen within this initiative, with support coming from the Association for Small Medium Enterprises (ASME), Restaurant Association of Singapore, Singapore Food Manufacturers’ Association, Singapore Furniture Industries Council, Singapore Retailers Association, and Textile and Fashion Federation.

“The Made With Passion initiative is most timely. ASME is very pleased to support this initiative as we recognise that it takes great passion and commitment to build, nurture and grow a brand. The launch of Made With Passion also reflects a maturing of our market in appreciating homegrown brands.  We can be proud of local brands and help them flourish,” said Chew Lee Ching, vice-president for awards and special projects at the (ASME).

Dilys Boey, assistant chief executive officer at enterprise Singapore commented, “The Made With Passion initiative is a gateway for Singaporeans to discover more of our local brands. With greater awareness and interest, Made With Passion will be able to amplify positive brand attributes of our Singapore brands across the wider lifestyle sector. We hope that Made With Passion will elevate Singapore brands collectively and help them achieve greater success.”

The campaign will be amplified online via the campaign’s upcoming website and social media pages.

Manila, Philippines – The country’s Department of Trade and Industry has rolled out its new Christmas-themed web series on YouTube titled “PASA-LOVE” to highlight various local and regional products in the country.

The web series, which translates to “Share The Love,”is the department’s answer to promote the “Buy Local” campaign, especially as Filipino entrepreneurs are hugely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The “Buy Local” campaign aims to help these entrepreneurs stay afloat by patronizing their products.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Xg0dF_4RRo&t=90s

“A lot of our countrymen have lost their jobs and their businesses due to the pandemic. Thus, this is the perfect time to let them feel the real spirit of Christmas. Through simple patronization of locally-made products, we can share our love for the country, and show the real definition of unity. Buy local, give local this Christmas,” said Blesila A. Lantayona, DTI’s regional operations group undersecretary.

The “PASA-LOVE” web series premiered last November 3 and has currently released its fourth episode, where the department has already promoted food products from the Cordillera region, locally-made shoes, and sandals from Marikina City, and heritage crafts from the Western Visayas region. More episodes are set to be released on its YouTube channel. 

Manila, Philippines – Local telecommunications company Globe, through its SME arm myBusiness, is launching its annual #GiftLocal campaign to encourage local support from micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME).

The campaign further encourages that Filipino consumers should buy gifts from local MSMEs, especially with the forthcoming holiday seasons this year. This is accompanied by Globe myBusiness’ partnership with e-commerce platform Lazada to host a three-Day e-Bazaar that will feature partner MSMEs such as Bayongciaga, Punta Riviera Resort, Old World Food Enterprise, and Robi & Peach RTW clothing.

“This year’s Gift Local campaign will serve an even greater purpose, as we feature the products of our SME partners that will delight Filipino customers for their gift giving celebration, while supporting our local SMEs bounce back in these challenging times,” Maridol Ylanan, Globe myBusiness strategy and marketing head stated.

In addition to online presence, Globe myBusiness will also feature products from their partner MSMEs to partner malls such as Ayala Malls and SM Premier Malls.

The annual #GiftLocal campaign coincides with the government’s “Ingat Angat Tayong Lahat” advocacy that pushes private corporations and SMEs to build consumer confidence to rebuild the Philippine economy.