IBM, IFC launch toolkit for SMEs

BUSINESS solutions provider, IBM Philippines, and World Bank affiliate International Financial Corporation (IFC) are leading the drive to boost support for the small and medium enterprises in the country, as the economy starts to recover.

With the launching of their newest program, dubbed as the SME Toolkit, IBM and IFC vowed to assist small and medium enterprises in the country.

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Based on the official data of IBM, the SME Toolkit is a program aimed to enable 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.

Since 2006, IBM 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," Owen Cammayo, IBM Philippines' communication officer, said. "Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the Philippines will benefit from the upgraded business management platform with the new capabilities."

Set to be formally launched in Davao City by middle of the month, the SME Toolkit is readily accessible online at http://philippines.smetoolkit.org.

Among the specially designed free tools that small and medium enterprises can access at the website 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 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 Toolkit, such as ICICI Bank in India, Dunn & Bradstreet in Singapore, and PDB SME Solutions, Inc. 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.

The Toolkit was launched by IFC in 2002. IBM has dedicated more than $5 million to transform the Toolkit and rebuild it on an innovative open source platform using top talent in IBM research. (CPM)