IBM, IFC launch new version of SME Toolkit

MANILA, Philippines - IBM Philippines, the International Finance Corp. (IFC) and Planters Development Bank affiliate PDB SME Solutions Inc., launched recently an enhanced version of the Small and Medium enterprise (SME) Toolkit, a free business program targeted specifically for business owners in emerging markets like the Philippines.

The SME Toolkit (http://philippines.smetoolkit.org) is a program that enables entrepreneurs and small businesses to learn how to implement the sustainable business management practices needed for growth in areas such as finance, accounting, business planning, international business, marketing, human resources or legal, at no cost.

“Small businesses are the growth engines of the world’s economies; yet their success rate is not as good as it could be simply because of the lack of access to good business management practices,” said IFC program manager Dr. Luc Vaillancourt. “Giving small businesses the information and new collaborative technologies they need will help them grow and prosper.”

Globally, IFC, the private sector investment arm of he World Bank, has joined with local partners to launch the SME Toolkit in more than 17 languages through 32 websites, all of which can now take advantage of the new version.

Since 2006, IBM has dedicated more than $5 million to transform the previous site with open source technologies and interactive tools, business forms and management material. The platform now includes new social networking tools such as chat rooms and blogs to create a forum where small and medium sized business can collaborate — anywhere around the world. This could help form partnerships that might have gone undiscovered.

SMEs in the Philippines will benefit from the upgraded business management platform with the new capabilities. PDB SME Solutions is responsible for customizing content and delivering information that will be most relevant to business owners in the country.

“The SME Toolkit website gives our Filipino SMEs the necessary tools and applications in managing and running their business better. Our role is more than just manage the contents of the SME Toolkit website, but we also want our Filipino SMEs to know that there is such a site that they can go to and for them to really benefit from the various information, tools and applications made available. Since 2007, we’ve been going to key cities nationwide in a series of road shows to spread the word about the SME Toolkit. As an affiliate of the Plantersbank, the country’s lead bank for SMEs, all our efforts are aligned with the bank’s thrust of enabling the Filipino entrepreneur,” PDB SME Solutions treasurer Ma. Bernadette Ratcliffe said.

Among the specially designed free tools are: an online calculator that helps small businesses determine their readiness for financing; free software to build a web site; free business forms used for employee performance evaluations; community tools such as online conferencing, blog capability, group calendars; survey and quiz builders to help small businesses make decisions; and a multilingual business directory to help small businesses link locally, regionally and globally.

Small businesses can also receive business training delivered via classroom workshops and partnerships with local support providers. The SME Toolkit can also help small businesses go global by providing detailed market access, investment and trade information for the 64 countries most exported to.

Local partners in each of the countries hosting the SME Toolkit, such as ICICI Bank in India, Dunn & Bradstreet in Singapore, and PDB SME Solutions in the Philippines, are responsible for making sure the more than 500 pieces of content, tools and resources are customized, localized and available in the language of their respective markets. These partnerships provide small businesses with local support, thus nurturing their businesses to improve their chance of survival and to generate more jobs.

“This truly is one stop shopping for small businesses as it levels up the playing field. We know the tools that large enterprises use most and we know the role technology can play in leading to growth. Now, every business can have the same chance to succeed. It’s vitally important that we help small businesses who are the major employers and growth engines in the country. The SME Toolkit directly supports our strategy to tap on the vast opportunities outside the Metro, wherein majority of the businesses are classified as SMEs. These are just the kind of tools that can help underserved markets be successful,” IBM Philippines country general manager James Velasquez said.

The SME Toolkit was launched by IFC in 2002. IBM has dedicated more than $5 million to transform and rebuild it on an innovative open source platform using top talent in IBM research. The toolkit now includes new Web features such as live chat, online forums, business directories and survey capabilities to create a community where small and medium sized business can collaborate — anywhere around the world. For example, a group of small businesses could gather in an online forum to devise a strategy to bid on a large supply contract rather than as separate bids. The community tools also create an opportunity for peer learning.

Since mobile devices are increasingly becoming the way users connect to the Internet, and sometimes the only way, the toolkit introduced the mobile phone access feature late last year to allow users to connect to the site using wireless devices such as cell phones. Eventually, they plan to add new partners, markets and languages.