Many SMEs are creating diversified, flexible operating plans, deploying digital technology to transform traditional operations and marketing methods to seize market opportunities.
InnoClub, a platform created by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and Hang Seng Bank in 2021, recently held a Solution Day to comprehensively introduce innovative operational solutions, covering online banking, cloud accounting, human resources, payment remittance and marketing.
InnoClub brings SMEs in Hong Kong and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area technological information through seminars on different themes, business matching, exchange activities, and information on innovation and technology. It encourages them to deploy more new technologies and I&T solutions to help them upgrade and transform.
HKTDC Associate Director of Merchandise Trade and Innovation Eddie Lee said in his welcome remarks, “We particularly encourage start-up companies to cooperate with enterprises of different sizes, so companies in the market can understand and use the new technologies of start-up companies and upgrade and transform with technology. Start-up companies can also bring their ideas and technologies to the market.”
Angela Mung, Head of Sales, Business Banking Global Payments Solutions of Hang Seng Bank, said the banking industry emphasised the concept of Banking as a Service (BaaS), so Hang Seng Bank launched the All-in-One Business Solution to connect digital service providers, streamlining SME business.
“The benefit of companies going digital is that they can focus more on doing business," Ms Mung said. “When all business processes are electronic, human resources and costs can be saved, and more time and manpower can be freed up to run business.”
FlexSystem, a software developer with a history of more than 30 years, provides corporate customers with tailor-made digital business solutions, such as automated workflows, human resources, finance, inventory management and sales systems. It has served more than 2,000 corporate customers so far.
Carus Lu, Sales and Marketing Director of FlexSystem, said digitalisation let corporate customers use mobile phones to make local and cross-border payments, letting them keep track of a company's financial status around the clock.
Kay Lam, Founder of human resources firm People Technology said traditional manual handling of internal administrative work was time-consuming and led to errors. Digitalisation could help solve business pain points while protecting privacy.
Enterprises needed a comprehensive management platform to manage different systems and make operations smoother, as their scale expanded and number of customers grew.
Hong Kong start-up YOOV launched an enterprise cloud management system committed to providing small and medium-sized enterprises with a one-stop and customised enterprise management system to improve efficiency at lower costs.
YOOV Marketing Director Karl Leung said customers did not need any IT skills to operate the system.
E-wallets let the public easily process local and cross-border payments. QFPay HK uses one-stop smart payment collection to connect customers with traditional credit cards, near-field communication technology payments and QR code payments.
Terry Chan, Director of Finance and Compliance of QFPay HK, said the firm offered one-stop financial services, a boon in Hong Kong where there are more than 20 methods of electronic payment.
E-commerce and online payment solutions provider Fusion allows online payment requests through email, SMS and QR Code, and make credit card payments immediately to achieve one-to-one payment collection functions.
Jeff Chui, CEO of Fusion, said: “Our solution is based on the convenience of self-registration for guests. For example, property management companies charge monthly management fees to owners, or kindergartens charge parents certain fees, all of which involve large collections.”
Coupons and e-gift certificates can help stimulate sales but pose a burden on merchants. Coupon as a Service (CaaS) launched by the coupon platform Mezzofy lets merchants easily generate and manage coupons and promote them anytime and anywhere.
Mezzofy sales representative Bobo Lau said: “Since our establishment in 2014, we have issued a total of HK$30 billion in e-gift vouchers.”
On-us, a B2B electronic cash voucher solution provider, recently launched On-us Express, a one-stop electronic gift voucher platform, hoping to revolutionise the way small and medium-sized enterprises manage gift vouchers.
On-us Business Development Manager Cyrus Chan said: “On-us Express aims to help companies solve the difficulties they face when managing gift certificates.”