UREKA offers full e-commerce solution to MSMEs
UREKA, an end to end e-commerce platform, seeks to register more micro small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) for free to support the achievement of a government target to put 100,000 MSMEs on ecommerce by 2020.
James Lleto, executive director of UREKA, said they expect at least 300 new MSMEs to register during the Ureka Forum slated on February 25 at the Mega Trade Hall in SM Megamall. At present, there 898 MSMEs that have been activated in their platform and are now actively engaging in e-commerce.
“Our target is aligned with the Philippine E-Commere Roadmap 2016-2020 to attain 100,000 MSMEs going e-commerce by 2020,” said Lleto, who is also UNIONBANK of the Philippines vice president for strategic partnership. UREKA is powered by UNIONBANK and its consortium partners.
During the UREKA Forum, MSMEs will be assisted in creating their own website. They are also extended a range of assistance and services, including website hosting, admin, product marketing to completing the sales transaction.
Lleto noted that having a website is important for a business venture to go full e-commerce. So far, however, of the 1.8 million registered MSMEs only one percent have their own website.
“Our goal is to be able to facilitate MSMEs towards a full function e-commerce together with this consortium because it takes more than a website to succeed,” said UNIONBANK Executive VICEPRESIDENT Genaro V. Lapez adding that the UREKA consortium offers a holistic approach to entrepreneurship.
UREKA conducted previous roadshows in Baguio, Iloilo and Davao. Now on its fourth leg, the Mega Manila Forum is targeting 1,000 attendees, consisting mainly of MSMEs and UREKA E-Cadets to participate in the event. MSMEs are required to bring their DTI registration, Mayor’s Business Permit and products.
The key enhancement for the UREKA Mega Manila is the pairing of the UREKA E-Cadets with the UREKA MSMEs so that together they can make their first ecommerce sale within days of their conversion to a “brick & click” business.
With this, MSMEs can take their business online in just a few hours by providing all pertinent information about their business and products for the website. Entrepreneurs will also have a chance to learn and interact with industry leaders from the consortium partners.
“UREKA is very much in line with UNIONBANK’s digital transformation mandate as it enables MSMEs to do e-commerce and, together with our consortium partners’ commitment to help achieve sustainable financial inclusion,” Lapez said.
UREKA is also in close partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry’s efforts to spearhead the country’s Philippine E-Commerce Roadmap 2016-2020.
Other consortium partners are PLDT SME Nation, Air21, SHOPINAS, Dragon-Pay, AMTI, Geiser Maclang Marketing and Communications, Inc., Panahon TV and Esquire Financing Inc. together with DTI, Department of Science and Technology and Department of Information Communication and Technology.
UREKA also welcomed its new consortium partners Microsoft and Facebook Asia Pacific who will further expand and sustain the UREKA e-commerce ecosystem.