SME MARKETSPACE

- A Place for SMEs to PROMOTE, NETWORK and TRANSACT

DP Bureau readies a social networking and marketing facility for small businesses in 2009.

Being a one-stop Advisory Centre for SMEs, DP Bureau is continuously innovating and finding new ways to assist business owners and SMEs to operate effectively and efficiently.

"What we want to do is to solve an issue often highlighted by small businesses — how to promote themselves cost effectively and at the same time leverage on the internet as a sales and marketing channel," said Ms Ong Siew Kim, General Manager for DP Bureau. The new service - SME MarketSpace has been in beta-testing, and looks set for release in early 2009. It is designed to help small businesses build an online presence and allow transactions to be carried out simultaneously. This is a vibrant online marketplace for SMEs to connect and also allows for market players to get and stay connected In contrast to traditional online directories, this new service – the SME MarketSpace aims to build a community of SMEs incorporating a business directory/listing & a marketplace. Through the use of social media tools (eg. Blogs, photos, online comments, etc.), SMEs can build a conversation and relationship with other prospective customers & suppliers within the community and buy & sell from each other.

The SME MarketSpace will help give our SMEs the platform to:

SME Marketspace enables SMEs to browse and/or buy products and services based on the various business types or products/services categories offered by MarketSpace members in the community for free. As a buyer user you will see uncensored reviews/comments of others within the communities to help you make a decision.

Alternatively, SMEs can subscribe to set up their own market space at an affordable annual subscription fee. The easy-to-navigate portal, SME Marketspace, with idiot-proof functions will enable non-tech-savvy SMEs to create their own web spaces for creation of "template-based" company profiles within a few minutes and maintain products and/or services catalogs to showcase their range of products and/or services to the other SMEs in the community. In the first phase, a tie-in with online payment service (eg. PayPal) will be available. In addition, SMEs are able to post advertisements and blog entries to stimulate online transactions.

"Above all, a community is about people helping each other. The SME MarketSpace will not only help SMEs establish a web presence, but will allow SMEs to have access to a community that will help support each other by providing advice and creating business opportunities." Said Ms Ong.

To support on-going engagements, our members are invited to complimentary demonstrations, workshops, seminars and networking nights.

If you like to know more about the SME Marketspace, please contact us at 6829 9800 or email us at bureau@dpgroup.com.sg