Tag: COVID-19 Pandemic

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Marketing Sales

COVID-19 Impact: Meeting Customer Expectations Top Challenge for Indian SMBs Amid Pandemic

New Delhi, October 15: Amid the coronavirus pandemic in India, the small and medium businesses (SMBs) have been finding it challenging to bring innovative offerings to market, personalise customer engagements and keep up with demand when meeting customer expectations. A new report revealed that financial management is the top challenge SMB leader respondents personally face when growing their business. According to a study conducted by leading Cloud software company Salesforce, maintaining financial growth is the top challenge constraining future business growth. It added saying that meeting customer expectations is the top constraint on operations for SMB respondents in India.

The survey was conducted online by The Harris Poll on behalf of Salesforce. Sunil Jose, Senior Vice President, Salesforce India, said that while reduced customer demand is the top constraint on future growth, applying for financial assistance is the top consideration for the future of the business for the SMBs in the country. “Amid a challenging business environment, SMB leaders have displayed remarkable strength and resilience with only 16 per cent of SMB respondents in India expecting an entirely new structure post the pandemic,” the study said. “This demonstrates that SMBs’ in India are resilient and positive of business continuity ensuring they get back on track”, the study added.

A report by IANS said that while 30 percent of the SMB leader respondents in India expect business to be as usual, 48 percent believe it would be slightly modified. In addition to pre-pandemic challenges, the SMB leaders in India are now faced with operational restrictions, compliance mandates, and shifting customer expectations. However, SMB leaders remain optimistic about the future of their businesses globally, the report added.

It added further that even during the pandemic, SMBs are continuing to adopt new technology, with at least one in five SMB respondents reporting they’ve implemented at least one of the following technology solutions in the last six months, including email marketing software, customer service software, project task collaboration tools, or e-commerce software. “Globally, SMBs’ are at a critical juncture. The key to accelerating consumer demand and solving problems for scale, come down to how they leverage technology to deliver the best customer experiences,” Jose explained.

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Startup

5 Businesses That Can Turn Out To Be Winners Amid The Pandemic

India has faced a lot due to COVID-19, and to be honest, every person is now being affected by it. This pandemic has hit economies, employment, and all sectors in very different ways worldwide, and the small business is the one that has felt the pressure a little more.

It is said that every dark cloud has a silver lining. Similarly, some industries managed to grow because of the spread of the coronavirus. One of the examples is the underserved and unnoticed hygiene market that has made footprints in this pandemic as demand for these products has increased. With this, EdTech or online learning, space has been growing rapidly, due to staying home and upskilling themselves.

Let’s see which small business has thrived or started off amid this pandemic.

Cover Yourself with the Masks

In the times of the pandemic, one thing which came out as a survivor during this time is Masks. After medical communities around the globe declared masks as a preventing measure to alleviate the spread of the virus.

Therefore, this leads to a huge demand for masks led to small – scale companies to set up or start manufacturing mask with less investment

Protection for Hands- Gloves

From doctors to nurses and other healthcare people wearing medical gloves using it as a precaution for avoiding coming into contact. Not only the health care sector using it but, now common citizens also using it for avoiding infection through the surface.

So, it made demand and supply of gloves have increased, therefore it made small owners utilize this opportunity of manufacturing facility for disposable gloves with capital under Rs 50,000.

Wash Your Hand Properly – Hand Sanitiser

Due to this pandemic washing your hands has become the most important task of the day. Therefore, the demand for hand sanitizer also turned up more into 100x by the users. A lot of brands started producing it, as existing brands struggle to keep up with the pace of demand.

This huge demand leads to opportunities, and with the creation of business opportunities for many entrepreneurs.

Give 20 Seconds to Washing – Soap

Soap is one essential product of our daily life but, after WHO has advocated washing hands for at least 20 seconds to eliminate traces of the virus from the skin. Therefore, people have started a small manufacturing unit at home with fewer investments.

These soaps are made home ingredients like herbs or special anti-viral to sell and made huge demands with building trust among people.

Let’s Learn Online

One sector which has shown promising growth during these tougher times is the EdTech sector, which had shown immense growth and up-gradation. We all were forced to be at home, which pushed them to be dependent on technology for learning and updating their skills. These online platforms had everything to give users like online tutorials, masterclasses, webinars, and online workshops.

The interest made birth and growth to the new and existing companies for flourishing. And given the opportunity to people who have the talent and skills to teach others.

As popularly said, that in every battle, there is a winning side and a losing side. So, in the fight with COVID-19 times, we have lost a lot, but, this small business got a chance to flourish.

 

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MSME

ECLGS for MSMEs: Banks Sanction Rs 1.87 Lakh Cr to 50.7 Lakh Business Units Under Credit Guarantee Scheme

Money (Photo Credits: Unsplash)

New Delhi, October 10: In a bid to help the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) sector, which has been the worst-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Finance Ministry announced that banks have sanctioned loans of about Rs 1,87,579 crore to 50.7 lakh business units under the Rs 3-lakh crore Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) for the MSME sector. Reports inform that of the 50.7 lakh business units, about 27 lakh MSME units received cumulative disbursement of Rs 1,36,140 crore till October 5.

The scheme is the biggest fiscal component of the Rs 20-lakh crore Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan package announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in May 2020 to mitigate the distress caused by lockdown due to COVID-19 by providing credit to different sectors, especially MSMEs. As released by the Finance Ministry, the latest numbers on ECLGS comprise disbursements by all 12 public sector banks (PSBs), 24 private sector banks and 31 non-banking financial companies (NBFCs).

“As of 5 Oct 2020, the total amount sanctioned under the 100% Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme by PSBs, private banks & NBFCs to MSMEs and individuals stands at Rs 1,87,579 cr, of which Rs 1,36,140 cr has already been disbursed,” the finance minister said in a tweet. The loan amounts sanctioned by PSBs increased to Rs 81,648.82 crore, of which Rs 68,814.43 crore has been disbursed as of October 5, Sitharaman further added. At the same time, private sector banks have sanctioned Rs 86,576 crore of loans and disbursed Rs 59,740 crore, while NBFCs sanctioned Rs 3,032 crore with disbursement of Rs 2,227 crore.

“The ambit of the Scheme was expanded to include MSMEs with turnover of up to Rs 250 crore & individuals for business purposes. As of 05 Oct 2020, Rs 17,460 crore of loans to individuals have been sanctioned, of which Rs 5,939 crore has been disbursed,” she in a tweet. In another tweet, Sitharaman said as many as 33 stranded housing projects with investment of Rs 4,197 crore were accorded final approval under the SWAMIH scheme. “Special window for Affordable & Mid Income Housing Fund (SWAMIH) is working at a fast pace to provide relief to homeowners. As on 05.10.2020, 33 projects with investment of Rs 4,197 cr accorded final approval & will lead to completion of 25,048 home units,” the finance minister said in tweet.

The overall, 123 projects have now been sanctioned, including final approval to 33 projects, with an investment of Rs 12,079 crore that would target to provide relief to 81,308 homeowners, she said. On May 20, the Cabinet approved additional funding of up to Rs 3 lakh crore at a concessional rate of 9.25 per cent through ECLGS for MSME sector.

Under the scheme, 100 percent guarantee coverage will be provided by the National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company (NCGTC) for additional funding of up to Rs 3 lakh crore to eligible MSMEs and interested Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency (MUDRA) borrowers in the form of a guaranteed emergency credit line (GECL) facility. According to a report by PTI, for this purpose, a corpus of Rs 41,600 crore was set up by the government, spread over the current and next three financial years. The scheme will be applicable to all loans sanctioned under GECL facility during the period from the date of announcement of the scheme to October 31 or till the amount of Rs 3 lakh crore is sanctioned under GECL, whichever is earlier.

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MSME

MSME Sector to Grow and Contribute to Job Creation With the Help of Structural Reforms Taken by Modi Govt, Says Finance Ministry Report

Business in India | Representational Image Only (Photo Credits: Pexels)

New Delhi, October 6: The Finance Ministry on Monday said that the major structural reforms launched by the Modi government in agriculture markets, labour laws provide unparalleled opportunity for the MSME sector to grow and prosper. These reforms will in turn contribute to job creation in the primary and secondary sectors. A report by the Finance Ministry stated that the historic labour reforms will benefit MSMEs to increase employment, enhance labour productivity and thereby wages in MSMEs.

According to a report by PTI, the Finance Ministry said that important structural reforms that have been taken by the government to ease the risks posed by COVID-19 pandemic will strengthen India’s economic fundamentals and ensure long-term sustained growth. “The enabling policy environment and initiatives taken by all stakeholders to seize the available opportunities will actualise the growth potential of the Indian economy,” the monthly economic report prepared by the Economic Affairs Department of the Finance Ministry said.

The report further said that the sustained spread of the virus poses a downside risk to short-term and medium-term growth rate, adding that the government has strategically undertaken various important structural reforms, encompassing various sectors, to combat these risks. Meanwhile, the implementation of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ package and unlocking of the economy have ensured that economic recovery in India has gained momentum.

The PTI report adds that as on September 25, India’s foreign exchange reserves stood at USD 542.02 billion, equivalent to more than 13 months of imports. India”s probable growth path is visible in this assessment.

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Technology

Facebook Unveils Business Suite, an App for Managing Business Accounts Across Facebook, Instagram and Messenger to Help SMBs Grow

Facebook (Photo Credits: Pexels)

San Francisco, September 18: In a bid to help small and medium businesses (SMBs), social networking giant Facebook has launched Facebook Business Suite, an app for managing business accounts across Facebook, Instagram and Messenger. This newly rolled out Suite is a new interface which aims to help businesses save time and stay up to date by managing their Pages or profiles across its family of apps. The suite allows them to post to Facebook and Instagram at the same time, and manage and receive messages, notifications and alerts in one place.

Facebook said it has announced a Business Suite for small businesses first, adding that it is a long-term investment to make this the main interface for businesses of all sizes who use Facebook, Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp. The firm added saying that the new facility  is available for small businesses globally starting today, i.e. September 17, and will expand to larger businesses next year.

Sheryl Sandberg, Chief Operating Officer, Facebook, in a blog post on Thursday said people can also easily see what’s working and learn what’s resonating with customers with Facebook and Instagram insights. “The last few months have been tough for small businesses everywhere, and while there are reasons to be optimistic there is still much uncertainty ahead. But whatever happens, Facebook will continue to do all we can to help them adapt, survive and thrive online,” Sandberg said.

Facebook had recently conducted a study on the impact of COVID-19 on consumers’ purchasing patterns and their use of digital tools to search for and interact with businesses The study revealed that half of those surveyed said they had spent more money online overall since the outbreak, and 40 percent have increased their use of social media and online messaging for product and business recommendations.

The survey also found encouraging support for local businesses. In the survey, of those who said they had started shopping at new businesses, nearly three-quarters said that at least one was a small business. Nearly 31 percent also said they will increase their spending with small local businesses once the pandemic is over.

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MSME

MSME Revival: Nitin Gadkari Lists Steps Taken to Re-Boost Sector Hit by COVID-19 Pandemic

Union MSME Minister Nitin Gadkari. (Photo Credit: PIB)
Union MSME Minister Nitin Gadkari. (Photo Credit: PIB)

New Delhi, September 17: With the country’s micro, small & medium enterprises (MSMEs) sector badly affected due to COVID-19 pandemic, Union Minister of MSME Nitin Gadkari stated that the government had implemented various schemes and programmes for growth and development of the sector under Aatma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.

Among the major schemes to revive the ailing MSME sector include Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries (SFURTI), A Scheme for Promoting Innovation, Rural Industry & Entrepreneurship (ASPIRE), Interest Subvention Scheme for Incremental Credit to MSMEs, Credit Guarantee Scheme for Micro and Small Enterprises, Micro and Small Enterprises Cluster Development Programme (MSE-CDP), Credit Linked Capital Subsidy and Technology Upgradation Scheme (CLCS-TUS).

Under the Aatma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, the Union Ministry had made arrangements for:

a) Rs 20,000 crore Subordinate Debt for MSMEs.

b) Rs 3 lakh crores Collateral free Automatic Loans for business, including MSMEs.

c) Rs. 50,000 crore equity infusion through MSME Fund of Funds.

d) Newly revised criteria for the classification of MSMEs.

e) New Registration of MSMEs through ‘Udyam Registration’ for Ease of Doing Business.

e) No global tenders for procurement up to Rs. 200 crores, this will help MSME.

Apart from this, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched an online Portal ‘Champions’ on June 1, 2020, aiming to cover aspects of e-governance including grievance redressal and handholding of MSMEs. Through the portal, total 18,723 grievances have been redressed up to September 9, 2020, said Gadkari in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha.

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Startup Technology

‘Grow With Google’, a New Online Programme Launched by Google to Help SMBs Build Digital Safety Net Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

Google (Photo Credits: Unsplash)

Tech giant Google has introduced a new online programme to help business owners learn how to build an online presence, find more customers, sell online or work remotely. This is being done amid the coronavirus pandemic to help business that digital tools can provide a safety net for small businesses. The new ‘Grow with Google’ lessons that have been included in the programme can vary from two-minute tutorial videos to live workshops. It can range from beginner level to advanced, so every business can find what they need to become more prepared.

According to a report by IANS, the programme was announced after a report this week showed how a ‘digital safety net’ can serve as a support system for small businesses and helps to mitigate the negative business effects of COVID-19. A report by non-profit Connected Commerce Council in partnership with Google stated that practically all small businesses in the US were disrupted by the pandemic, facing reduced customer demand and hours of operations as well as employee layoffs. 85% of small businesses said COVID-19 made them rethink their approach to digital tools, allowing them to adapt.

The study further revealed that businesses that had a digital safety net in place and used a variety of digital tools — like digital ads, digital payments, data analytics and customer insights tools — felt better prepared. However, not all small- and medium-sized businesses have a digital safety net. The new ‘Grow with Google’ lessons are designed to serve the interest of these businesses.

Here’s How ‘Grow With Google’ Will help SMBs:

  1. Google has introduced a new programme called ‘Grow With Google’ on the ‘Google for Small Business website’. Click here for direct link.
  2. Grow with Google is partnering with SCORE, a network of volunteer, expert business mentors, and non-profit International Downtown Association (iDA) to complete a series of affordable and easily accessible Grow with Google workshops for 50,000 small businesses across the US.
  3. Business owners can find personalised Google product recommendations for their business, as well as helpful tips and practical guides to help small businesses get the most of these tools
Categories
Motivational Startup

Startup World Excitement Returns Amid COVID-19 Pandemic as Venture Capitalists Show Faith And Deal Discussions Heat Up

Startup (Representational Image Only, Photo Credits: NeedPix.com)

Mumbai, September 11: Coronavirus pandemic had badly affected businesses all over. Over the last few months, we saw numerous job losses, businesses being shut amid the lockdown. However, with the relaxation in the lockdown norms, the situation is improving. According to reports, venture capitalists are slowly returning to the startup world.

According to the Moneycontrol report, investors have started writing cheques, making big bets, something that was expected would take longer. Some names include Dailyhunt, ShareChat, skincare brand WOW Skin Sciences, and meat delivery startup Licious deal discussions have heated up.

Last month, fantasy gaming startup Dream11 emerged as the title sponsor of this year’s Indian Premier League (IPL).  The Indian unicorn replaced Chinese handset company Vivo, which opted out of sponsorship this year amid India-China border standoff. Infact, the company is counting on a bumper IPL for business recovery.

Infact during the lockdown as well, in March and April, online education, healthcare and gaming startups were the direct beneficiaries.

This surely comes as good news because when the pandemic hit India, investors hit the panic button and made their exits from the already finalised deals, postponed their fundraising plans and went aggressive on cost-cutting measures.

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Finance MSME

Finance Ministry Sanctions Rs 1.61 Lakh Crore Worth of Bank Loans to MSMEs Under ECLGS to Battle COVID-19 Pandemic

Union FM Nirmala Sitharaman, with other Finance Ministry officials. (Photo Credit: PIB)
Union FM Nirmala Sitharaman, with other Finance Ministry officials. (Photo Credit: PIB)

New Delhi, September 8: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday announced that the Central government had so far sanctioned loans amounting to Rs 1.61 lakh crore to MSMEs under the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS). The amount has been sanctioned as a component of the Rs 20-lakh crore Self-Reliant India Mission package, announced by FM Sitharaman in May 2020 for firms to tackle the economic effect of COVID-19 pandemic.

Informing about the update, the Union Finance Minister took to Twitter and wrote, “As of 03 Sept 2020, the total amount sanctioned under the 100% Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme by #PSBs and private banks stand at Rs 1,61,017.68 crore, of which Rs 1,13,713.15 crore has already been disbursed.”

Adding more, Sitharaman wrote, “Compared to 24 Aug 2020, there is an increase of Rs 5,022.06 crore in the cumulative amount of loans sanctioned & an increase of Rs 7,786.16 crore in the cumulative amount of loans disbursed by both #PSBs and private sector banks combined as on 03 Sept 2020.”

Here’s what the Finance Minister’s office tweeted:

Among other details, the Finance Minister said that public sector banks have so far sanctioned Rs 78,067.21 crore under the ECLG scheme, and Rs 62,025.79 crore has been disbursed as of September 3, 2020. She added that the Union Finance Ministry regularly held review meetings with the banks to ensure that the scheme achieves its objective of providing adequate liquidity to the MSME segment during the current difficult period.

As per government estimate, the ECLG scheme would benefit more than 30 lakh units of MSMEs and other businesses to restart their businesses after the COVID-19 lockdown. It is to be known that the government had announced its plans for Rs 3 lakh crore as an additional credit to MSMEs and small businesses under Aatma Nirbhar package.

Under the scheme, the loans would be available to units — whose accounts are standard — with up to Rs 25 crore outstanding and turnover of up to Rs 100 crore. However, these firms will not have to provide any guarantee or collateral of their own as it will be 100 per cent guaranteed by the government and a total liquidity of Rs 3 lakh crore to more than 45 lakh MSMEs will be provided.

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E-Commerce Finance

Essential Commodities to Fuel Revival of Retail Sector in India As Consumer Expenditure Remains Focused on Essentials, Says Report

Retail Sector (Photo Credits: Pexels)

A recent study has revealed that the demand for essential commodities is likely to drive the revival of the retail sector in India. According to a report by Anarock Retail and the Retailers Association of India (RAI) titled ‘Indian Retail – Certainty Despite Headwinds’, the average bill value for essentials has gone up 1.5 times after lifting of lockdown — from Rs 650 per basket in early March to more than Rs 900 per basket presently.

“Amidst the pandemic-induced slowdown, essential goods will fuel Indian retail industry’s growth in the coming quarters as consumer expenditure continues to remain focused on essentials, particularly food and grocery,” said a joint statement by Anarock and the RAI.

Anuj Kejriwal, MD & CEO of Anarock Retail, was quoted by IANS saying that COVID-19 will work as a catalyst for the growth of organised retail and e-commerce in India. “Online spending is on a marked rise with online shoppers projected to increase from 15 per cent in 2019 to 50 per cent of the total online population by 2026”, Kejriwal added. The CEO of Anarock Retail further added saying that other new retail industry trends, omni-channel retailing is evolving rapidly with brands collaborating actively to enhance their reach and many are using malls or in-mall stores as urban warehouses to ensure a faster delivery to customers.

The report further adds that organised retail and e-commerce are on an upswing. Giving details of the revival of several retail sectors, the report added that food and grocery, followed by apparel, fast moving consumer durables (FMCD) and electronics, furniture and home furnishings and quick service restaurants (QSR) will see a “v-shaped” recovery within the next two to three quarters. Meanwhile, several other segments including beauty, wellness and personal care and home essentials may take 4-6 quarters to recover fully, the report said.

Citing IBEF data, the report adds that the share of Indian organised retail will double to 18 percent in 2021, from 9 percent in 2017. Similarly, the e-commerce is expected to more than double to 7 per cent from the previous 3 per cent in the same period.

Kumar Rajagopalan, CEO, Retailers Association of India (RAI) was quoted in the report saying that Omni-channel was gaining importance before the pandemic and the pandemic has enhanced the importance of retailers having an omni-channel strategy.