KUALA LUMPUR: SME Corp Malaysia (SME Corp) is encouraging more entrepreneurs to do business online as it carry out its nationwide roadshow from May 18.
Titled Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) Week 2017, the roadshow is a collaboration with 18 ministries and 65 agencies.
It will be officially launched in Terengganu on May 18, and feature over 3,000 exhibitors with 307 activities and over 550,000 expected visitors from throughout the country.
In 2016 and 2015, the annual event recorded 2,677 and 1,314 exhibitors respectively with 291 and 168 activities as such.
Its chief executive officer Datuk Dr Hafsah Hashim said her agency's survey last year showed 32 per cent of SMEs had ventured online with most moving into consumer goods such as food, groceries and apparel, from only six per cent in 2010.
Hafsah and her team targets by 2020, 50 per cent of SMEs would have leveraged on the Internet to further their business growth.
In a recent briefing here, she told reporters the SME Week 2017 aims to provide visibility to SMEs prospects in developing the nation’s economy.
From May 5 to 26, there are business matching sessions between the SMEs, online players and hypermarkets to source for new suppliers.
Among those which have confirmed their participation are Lazada, 11street, Google, and hypermarkets such as Giant, Tesco, Lulu, Mydin and Aeon.
“There are also training events on how to position and market SME products efficiently via online platforms. These include photography, packaging, warehousing and logistics," she said.
“SMEs will find it beneficial as their products will not only be available in the domestic market, but also globally immediately,” she added.
On potential SME sales throughout this nationwide roadshow, Hafsah noted her team forecasts RM82 million, which is 12 per cent more than last year's RM72.8 million.