Portal to provide free interactive tools, software, and educational content to small businesses in
the developing world through key regional partnerships
Washington, D.C., October 4, 2002
—The International Finance Corporation (IFC), today announces the launch of the English language version of the SME Toolkit at
www.smetoolkit.org
. Funded by the government of Japan and IFC’s Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Department, the SME Toolkit will provide small businesses in targeted developing countries with access to Web- and CD-ROM-based interactive tools, training, how-to articles, downloadable forms, and software that will enable them to improve operational and management practices necessary to grow their businesses.
“The SME Toolkit marks a significant milestone in IFC’s efforts to bring substantive computer-based training and distance learning opportunities to SMEs in the developing world,” said Harold Rosen, director of the SME Department.
The SME Toolkit will offer a range of rich interactive content to help educate small business owners and managers in seven core business areas: Accounting and Finance, Business Planning, Human Resources, Legal and Insurance, Marketing and Sales, Operations, and Information Technology. The selected content caters to both novice and mid-level users and has been extremely well-received in focus groups conducted in target markets.
Over the next year, IFC is planning to translate and localize the SME toolkit into approximately 5 local language versions in cooperation with partners in emerging markets .
IFC has developed both a Web and CD-ROM-based portal to deliver the SME Toolkit content to small businesses as well as a robust administrative tool that will allow regional partners to translate and manage all of the content and the portal framework in multiple languages simultaneously.
Over the next nine months, IFC intends to localize the Toolkit in collaboration with regional partners in Vietnam, Bangladesh, Philippines, Kenya, Ukraine, Mongolia, and elsewhere.
“Our content partners and regional partners have been and will continue to be critical to the success of the project,” added Rosen.
In addition to translating the core SME Toolkit content into local languages, regional partners will supplement the content with locally specific material, including local business directories, information about local sources of financing, and relevant product and market information.
Key partners of the SME Toolkit include:
· OPEN: The Small Business NetworkSM from American Express (
open.americanexpress.com
) offers small business owners a wide range of tools, services, and savings designed to meet their evolving needs, including convenient access to working capital and savings on business services from an enhanced lineup of OPEN Network partners. Small business owners can also access a wealth of free online resources to help them manage and grow their businesses.
· 3D3.COM (www.shopfactory.com) has been offering multi-award-winning e-commerce solutions to shop owners and Web site developers worldwide since 1996. For the SME Toolkit, 3D3.COM is providing a version of its ShopFactory shop-building software, which makes creating online shops in any language point and click easy. Combined with the integrated payment processing solutions from GlobeCharge (www.globecharge.com), ShopFactory makes the entry into e-commerce easy and affordable for small and medium sized businesses. To date more than 100,000 shops have been created with ShopFactory in over 100 countries. More than 30,000 merchants rely on GlobeCharge to process their orders around the world.
· CCH INCORPORATED: The CCH Business Owner's ToolkitTM (
www.toolkit.cch.com
) is a project of CCH INCORPORATED, a leading provider of business, legal, and tax information and software to the business community in the U.S. and abroad since 1913.
· My Own Business, Inc.: My Own Business (
www.myownbusiness.org
) is an online, twelve-session course providing the basic do’s and don’ts for entrepreneurs, as well as testimonials, quizzes, and a tool to create a business plan. Developed from the “real world” experience of experts in the field, the course has been continually refined and expanded since 1993.
· Palo Alto Software (www.paloaltosoftware.com) develops, publishes, and markets business productivity software products that assist business owners, entrepreneurs, and managers to achieve their business goals. Palo Alto Software publishes the award-winning and best-selling software packages Business Plan Pro and Marketing Plan Pro.
· Resin is a fast application server produced by Caucho Technology, Inc. (
http://www.caucho.com
), which is based in California. Resin features support for all the latest specifications including XML, servlet, JSP, HTTP and EJB. Resin includes support for Apache SOAP Web services and Hessian, Caucho’s fast binary Web services protocol.
About the International Finance Corporation
The SME Toolkit is a project of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group. The mission of IFC is to promote sustainable private sector investment in developing countries, helping to reduce poverty and improve people’s lives. IFC finances private sector investments in the developing world, mobilizes capital in the international financial markets, and provides technical assistance and advice to governments and businesses.
The Small and Medium Enterprise Department (
www.ifc.org/sme
) combines the market perspective of the International Finance Corporation with the policy expertise of the World Bank to promote local small business growth in developing nations. These merged capabilities create a powerful synergy and underscore a strategic commitment to improving lives by creating opportunities in small business.
