To be in line with the policy of the Macao SAR Government and with a view to facilitate and simplify the lives of local residents, the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) is implementing the SME Outreach Scheme, by making regular visits to Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) and by means of “door-to-door service”, provides local enterprises with different types of advisory and support services. Recently, IPIM´s staff, along with the representatives of the Consumer Council, visited several SMEs, to help them with their applications for inclusion on the Consumer Council´s “Certified Shop” list. The initiative received very positive feedback from the enterprises. At the same time, under the outreach Programme, IPIM´s staff visit enterprises (“door-to-door”) to promote exhibitions and workshops organised by IPIM, in a bid to provide inspiration and assist local specialty shops explore new business potentials.
IPIM´s Door-to-door Service helps SMEs Prepare Their Applications on Consumer Council’s “Certified Shop” List
For many citizens and tourists, the Consumer Council´s “Adherents” and “Certified Shop” are symbols of identity and the signs are considered a symbol of “Attractive Appearance, Good Quality and Reasonably Priced”. Therefore, many local SMEs want to be associated with this scheme, including the “Tong Iec Pak Fa Fui Cheong Un Company Limited”. Third-generation owner of the business, Ms. Jennifer Loi said, “We have always been aware of the Consumer Council´s “Certified Shop” scheme, and also thought of joining, however, we did not know how it operated nor did we have specialised staff to handle the application procedures. Now, thanks to the support of IPIM, the enrolment procedure was completed through simply and easily.” When visiting the enterprises with the “door-to-door service”, IPIM learnt that Ms. Loi wanted to join the scheme, so along with the Consumer Council; IPIM´s staff helped her to complete all the procedures through its “one-stop” service.
Helping SMEs to Solve Their Problems Like a Friend
To operate a business in Macao, SMEs need government support. According to the Marketing Director of LemonCello Gelato, Ms. Nikita Fu, IPIM´s support is particularly important. “Even if IPIM does not come to our store, I can simply make a phone call and IPIM´s staff will help us solve all sorts of problems as if they were our friends”, she said, with a smile. She thinks that the delegations and workshops organised by IPIM can help local SMEs join together to become a network, and provide them the opportunities to learn from each other. Furthermore, the exhibitions organised by IPIM also helped LemonCello Galato expand abroad, making their products more famous and appreciated.
Exhibitions Have Become the Best Platform for SMEs to Showcase Their Products
“Thanks to audio-visual advertisements, many cleaning products on the market look powerful, but they are in no way credible.” Mr. William H. K. Chu, Managing Director of Ecolite Environment Products Ltd. (agent of ionised water technology from Japan) feels that the effectiveness of a product cannot be sufficiently expressed with just two or three sentences, and therefore, unlike other products which use exaggerated claims to highlight their features, Mr. Chu decided to skip advertising campaigns and instead participate in trade fairs, to meet his prospective clients face-to-face. His company is a frequent participant in the Macao International Environmental Co-operation Forum and Exhibition (MIECF). Through participating in trade fairs, the company not only promotes its environmental protection concept, but also showcases their products on-site and conducts business with integrity. In 2011, when he joined IPIM to participate in the Eco Expo Asia – International Trade Fair on Environmental Protection in Hong Kong, the Kwong Wah Hospital in Hong Kong, immediately showed interest in their products. Upon approval by the Hong Kong Hospital Authority, these products are now being used for the environmentally friendly cleaning of kitchens in the hospital’s Department of Dietetics.
Merchants Gathering at the “Macao Ideas” Trigger the “Green” Drinks Concept
This year, three young entrepreneurs who founded the “Long Prosperity Company Limited”, F. F. Si William, K. K. Chan Quincy and Chen Ren Yung decided to set-up their own shop for freshly brewed drinks – the Gathering, to avoid restrictions imposed by franchising. Applying their own ideas to the making of drinks, they carried out research and developed formulas combining different flavours, given that a introducing a new brand would be more challenging, though providing an opportunity to pursue an innovative and creative path. During the “Gathering of Macao Ideas Exhibitors”, organised by IPIM, they met a local environmental protection enterprise, and learnt that the company has developed technology that can break down plastic cups into small pieces for recycling. Mr. Si said, “We want to take into account environmental protection, for instance, a paper bag costs seventy times the price of a plastic bag, however, we have decided to use paper bags. If cups could be recycled, then the whole thing becomes more meaningful”. In view of this, in their visits to enterprises, IPIM immediately invited them to participate in the Macao International Environmental Co-operation Forum and Exhibition 2016 (2016MIECF), hoping that they could develop more green business opportunities.
IPIM will continue to promote the SME Outreach Scheme, by regularly providing support to SMEs at their establishments, as well as planning to collect information and opinions on the difficulties encountered by SMEs when doing business in Macao. The scheme aims to work in line with the development of the SMEs, by providing them with services that they need, as a mean to promote Macao´s economic diversification.
