In order to assist local young business starters and local SMEs to expand their business opportunities, the Macao International Trade and Investment Fair (MIF) this year has arranged a series of activities and services, including forums related to young entrepreneurship and SME business development, as well as seminars with various successful business starters and scholars to share their experience and insights. A SME Service Counter was also set up to promote the development of Macao´s young entrepreneurs and provide business opportunities to the local SMEs, in a bid to improve Macao´s economy.
Multiple and Diverse Activities to Develop Business Opportunities
This year’s MIF focuses on the development of young business starters and SMEs. For this purpose, the Macao SME Pavilion, Creative Pavilion and the Macao International Designer Exhibition were set up at the venue. Furthermore, 20 local young business starters were invited to participate as exhibitors, under preferential terms. Apart from providing a products and services exhibition platform to the young business starters and SMEs, the SME International Business Days also offered business matching and exchange services. Furthermore, over the three days, MIF has organised a series of forums, including the Young Entrepreneurs Forum of China and Portuguese-speaking Countries, a forum entitled “One Belt and One Road” Macau Youth Entrepreneurship Opportunity, The Forum of Excellence in Achievement of World Chinese Youth Entrepreneurs, Seminar on SMEs and Leveraging Business Capacity – Transform and Leverage your Business to Grasp Opportunities, Seminar on Entrepreneurship and Innovation- 10 Tips for Starting Your Own Business, and a forum entitled “Let Your Dream Fly, Start Your Business”. Experts and academics were invited to share their experience on starting a business with the participating business starters and also provided them some secrets to success.
The President of Macau Youth Entrepreneur Association, Ho Ka Lon, said that the sharing of experience with young business starters, through the above-mentioned forum, is especially meaningful. According to Mr Ho, the series of support measures launched by the Macao SAR Government has been widely acclaimed, for it can help youngsters grasp business opportunities and enables them to realize their dreams.
Successful People to Share Their Experience
In recognition of the world´s outstanding young Chinese entrepreneurs, the 12th World Summit of Chinese Entrepreneurs has selected and awarded the title of 2015 Outstanding Young Chinese Entrepreneur to nine outstanding young entrepreneurs, in the fields of environmental protection, arts, real estate, education, engineering, energy and chemical industry, and construction, including two young outstanding entrepreneurs from Macao, Mr Ho Ka Lon and Mr Chan Hoi Yin. The CEO of Azona (HK) Ltd, Mr Chan Hoi Yin, also a successful business starter, said that the young people of Macao has many advantages, such as international perspectives and the support policies provided by the Macao SAR Government to the business starters. He encouraged the young people to start their business in the fields that they are most interested in, in order to ensure the long-term sustainability of the business.
Service Counter Widely Acclaimed
The Organiser has set up a SME Service Counter, to provide consultation, market information and business matching services to the SMEs, in a bid to promote their transformation and upgrading. More than ten experienced business start up specialists were invited to provide professional advice to business starters at the SME Counter. The guests included Ms Terry Fung from Google Hong Kong, designer of brand packaging from Taiwan Ms Cynthia Lee, partner of Kar Consultants Ltd in Hong Kong Mr Paul Ma, and the Senior Trainer and Management Consultant of Macao Management Association, Mr Jeff Lee. A lot of enquiries were received from a large number of young entrepreneurs, such as how to expand the market and integrate resources. The specialists have also discussed with the participants on the requirements to start a business and also analysed successful and failed cases. According to them, Macao´s youth generally possesses high academic qualifications and excellent innovation ability, and therefore they should think globally, although based in Macao and have been encouraged to open up the Mainland and even the global markets. According to entrepreneurs who have made enquiries at the SME Service Counter, the service was very useful, apart being a service free of charge and that, through exchanges, they were able to learn a lot.
