Categories
Technology

Facebook Unveils Business Suite, an App for Managing Business Accounts Across Facebook, Instagram and Messenger to Help SMBs Grow

Facebook (Photo Credits: Pexels)

San Francisco, September 18: In a bid to help small and medium businesses (SMBs), social networking giant Facebook has launched Facebook Business Suite, an app for managing business accounts across Facebook, Instagram and Messenger. This newly rolled out Suite is a new interface which aims to help businesses save time and stay up to date by managing their Pages or profiles across its family of apps. The suite allows them to post to Facebook and Instagram at the same time, and manage and receive messages, notifications and alerts in one place.

Facebook said it has announced a Business Suite for small businesses first, adding that it is a long-term investment to make this the main interface for businesses of all sizes who use Facebook, Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp. The firm added saying that the new facility  is available for small businesses globally starting today, i.e. September 17, and will expand to larger businesses next year.

Sheryl Sandberg, Chief Operating Officer, Facebook, in a blog post on Thursday said people can also easily see what’s working and learn what’s resonating with customers with Facebook and Instagram insights. “The last few months have been tough for small businesses everywhere, and while there are reasons to be optimistic there is still much uncertainty ahead. But whatever happens, Facebook will continue to do all we can to help them adapt, survive and thrive online,” Sandberg said.

Facebook had recently conducted a study on the impact of COVID-19 on consumers’ purchasing patterns and their use of digital tools to search for and interact with businesses The study revealed that half of those surveyed said they had spent more money online overall since the outbreak, and 40 percent have increased their use of social media and online messaging for product and business recommendations.

The survey also found encouraging support for local businesses. In the survey, of those who said they had started shopping at new businesses, nearly three-quarters said that at least one was a small business. Nearly 31 percent also said they will increase their spending with small local businesses once the pandemic is over.

Categories
Startup

Coronavirus Disruptions to Hamper MSME Recovery Prospects, Challenging Operating Environment to Remain For the Rest of 2020, Predicts Moodys

Ministry of MSME
Ministry of MSME (Photo Credit: PIB)

Mumbai, September 18: Credit rating agency Moody’s Investors Service on Thursday said that coronavirus disruption will hamper the recovery prospects of India’s micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). According to an Economic Times report,

Moody’s stated that economic and property market disruptions due to coronavirus will lead to higher delinquences by MSMEs. This will hit the companies’ asset-backed securities (ABS) over the remainder of the year and hurt their chances of recovery.

The credit rating agency expects India’s economy to contract 11.5% percent in the fiscal year ending March 2021. The coronavirus induced lockdown has severely impacted the economy of several countries including India. There have been job losses, businesses have been shut and many SME businesses have also stalled. Moodys informed that demand for SME’s goods and services has fallen along with job and income declines.

The report further states that the government of India’s stimulus measures like guarantees on loans to MSMEs will partially help to alleviate liquidity pressures in the sector but it not help the sector to avert a downturn.

The rating agency further elaborated that they expect the challenging operating environment for SMEs to continue for the rest of 2020, which will also be increasing the risk of loan delinquencies.

Categories
MSME

Narendra Modi Birthday 2020: Khadi and Village Industries Commission Creates 1500 Employment in 10 Cities on ‘Sewa Diwas’ to Celebrate PM’s Special Day

SFURTI Cluster of 500 artisans for making hand-knotted carpets in Prayagraj (Image Credit: PIB)
SFURTI Cluster of 500 artisans for making hand-knotted carpets in Prayagraj (Image Credit: PIB)

New Delhi, September 18: The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) on Thursday extended the benefits of various employment generation schemes to nearly 1500 persons in 10 Indian cities to celebrate ‘Sewa Diwas’. The benefits were extended to mark the birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The KVIC organised 14 programs to expand the ambit of its welfare projects to create local employment. The KVIC also distributed 6 innovative cycle-mounted tea/coffee selling units under project DigniTEA in New Delhi. The cycle-mounted tea/coffee selling units were distributed to unemployed local youths with an aim to enable the tea-sellers to earn a respectable livelihood.

Apart from this, Union Minister of State for MSME Pratap Chandra Sarangi inaugurated an SFURTI cluster of 500 artisans for making hand-knotted carpets in Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh. Among other programmes, KVIC Chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena launched six different programs in Varanasi that include the first Footwear Training cum Production Center in Varanasi for leather artisans (Mochi) in collaboration with Central Footwear Training Institute (CFTI).

He also distributed electric potter wheels to 300 Kumhar families under Kumhar Sashaktikaran Yojana and 200 bee boxes to 20 farmers families under Honey Mission. The KVIC chairman also distributed 6 hand-operated Agarbatti making machines at Sewapuri Block in Varanasi under the Khadi Agarbatti Aatmanirbhar Mission.

KVIC chairman said sustainable development though local employment generation has been the key focus of KVIC which is aligned with the Prime Minister’s commitment of ‘Job to Every Hand’ (Har Hath Me Kaam). “It is the inspiration and appeal of the Hon’ble Prime Minister that has taken Khadi to a new height. We are hopeful that he will continue to lead Khadi as its biggest brand ambassador,” Saxena said.

Categories
Finance Strategy

MSME Ministry Rolls Out New Guidelines for Pottery, Beekeeping Activities to Rejuvenate Grass Root Economy in India

Pottery (Photo Credits: Pexels)

The Ministry of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) on Thursday announced new guidelines for two more schemes which include ‘Pottery Activity’ and ‘Beekeeping Activity’. The Ministry said that for pottery activity, the government will provide assistance of pottery wheel, clay blunger, and granulator. A total of 6,075 traditional and others (non-traditional) pottery artisans/rural unemployed youth or migrant labourers will be benefited from this scheme. “It will also provide wheel pottery training for traditional pottery artisans and Press Pottery training for pottery as well as non-pottery artisans in Self Help Groups,” it added.

The Ministry had few days back announced expanding and doubling the support to Artisans who might be interested in making Agarbatti. These new initiatives of the Ministry with beneficiary oriented Self-Employment schemes, are aimed at rejuvenating the grass root economy contributing to Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.

  1. For ‘Pottery Activity’ Government will provide assistance of pottery wheel, Clay Blunger, Granulator etc.
  2. It will also provide Wheel Pottery Training for traditional pottery artisans and Press Pottery training for pottery as well as non-pottery artisans in Self Help Groups.
  3. There is also provision to provide Jigger-Jolly training programme for pottery as well as non-pottery artisan in Self Help Groups.

In case of the Pottery improvements in the Scheme are:

  • Skill-development training on focused products like garden pots, cooking-wares, khullad, water bottles, decorator products, mural, etc. to SHGs of pottery-artisans has been introduced
  • Focus of the new Scheme is to enhance the production, technical know-how of pottery artisans and efficiency of potter energy kilns to reduce cost of production
  • Efforts will be made to develop necessary market linkages by tying up with exports and large buying houses

For ‘Beekeeping Activity’:

  1. In case of the Scheme for ‘Beekeeping Activity’, the government will provide assistance of Bee boxes, Tool kits etc.
  2. Under this scheme, Bee boxes, with Bee colonies, will also be distributed to Migrant workers in Prime Minister Gareeb Kalyan Rozgar Abhiyaan (PMGKRA) districts.
  3. A 5 days’ beekeeping training will also be provided to the beneficiaries through various Training Centres /State Beekeeping Extension Centres/ Master Trainers as per prescribed syllabus.

A total of 6,075 traditional and others (non-traditional) pottery artisans/Rural Un-employed youth/Migrant Labourers will get benefitted from this Scheme. As Financial support for the year 2020-21, an amount of Rs.19.50 crore will be expended to support 6,075 artisans with a Centre of Excellence, with MGIRI, Wardha, CGCRI, Khurja, VNIT, Nagpur and suitable IIT/NID/ NIFT etc, for product development, advance skill programme, and quality standardization of products.

Additional amount of Rs 50.00 crore has been provisioned for setting up of clusters in Terracotta, Red clay pottery, with new innovative value added products to build pottery to crockery/ tile making capabilities, under ‘ SFURTI’ scheme of the Ministry.

To begin with, Scheme proposes to cover, during 2020-21, a total of 2,050 Beekeepers, Entrepreneurs, Farmers, Unemployed Youth, Adivasis will get benefitted from these projects/programme.

For this purpose a financial support of Rs 13 crore during 2020-21 has been provisioned to support 2,050 artisans ( 1250 people from Self Help Groups and 800 Migrant labourers), with a Centre of Excellence with CSIR/ IIT Or other Top class Institute to develop honey based new value added products. Additional amount of Rs. 50.00 crore has also been kept for developing Beekeeping honey clusters under the ‘ SFURTI scheme of the Ministry.

It may be recalled that the initiative to rejuvenate Agarbatti making at grass-root level few days back, is a step which also directed towards make India Aatmnirbhar in supply of this household consumption item. The interventions include the support to the artisans through training, raw material, innovation in the fragrance & packaging, use of new / alternate raw materials, marketing and financial support.

The program will immediately benefit about 1500 artisans, in providing sustainable employment with increased earnings. Artisans living in rural areas, Self Help Groups (SHGs) and ‘Migrant workers’ will particularly benefit from the program. In addition to enhancing employment opportunities locally, the programme will also help in capturing the export market in such products.

Categories
Startup

Govt Launches Artificial Intelligence Solutions Challenge, To Invite Startups to Address Challenges in Healthcare, Agriculture, Education & Other Areas

Startup (Representational Image Only, Photo Credits: NeedPix.com)

New Delhi, September 17: The Central government on Monday launched the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Solutions Challenge, where it invited startups to develop solutions to challenges in healthcare, education, transportation, agriculture, smart mobility and natural language processing.

According to a Livemint report, the top 15 startups will be given an opportunity to showcase their solution at a virtual global summit on AI—RAISE (Responsible AI for Social Empowerment) 2020—in October. In addition to this, the winner will also receive Rs 20 lakh award. The government will also be adopting their solution to wherever they can.

The aim is to make these startups self-reliant at a time when India has banned 118 Chinese apps over security concerns. The government has been urging Indian startups to come forward and fill the gap.

Last month, Ravi Shankar Prasad launched “Chunauti”- Next Generation Startup Challenge Contest to further boost startups and software products with special focus on Tier-II towns of India. The government earmarked a budget of Rs. 95 Crore over a period of three years for this programme. The aim is to identify around 300 startups working in identified areas and provide them seed fund of upto Rs. 25 Lakh and other facilities

Categories
Startup

Retail Business Ideas: Research, Explore and Start Your Retail Business

Millions of business ideas are available around you. However, one should start a business on the basis of their interest or passion and the investment they can make it.

If a retail business idea is popping up in your mind, we must say that it is one of the profitable and productive opportunities, not only in big cities but also in small towns. (Dr Vivek Bindra to Share Business Expansion Strategies During World’s Largest Webinar ‘Retail Ka Mahakumbh’ on September 27 Click Here to Register Now)

Due to COVID-19, starting a new business is difficult, but not impossible. Therefore, we come up with top retail business ideas that you can begin.

Bakery

You love baking and have skills, then opening a bakery business is the best dwelling house-based business choice. This business can either pop out at your home or you can collaborate with other bakery or retail shops for sales.

If you are considering a home-based job, then don’t forget to create a good plan and strategy.

Cooking Sessions

Have a love for food and cooking? And you have great skills in cooking too. If the answer is yes, then make this skill of the teacher. Due to the high restaurant opening made people forget their cooking skills. Time to revamp it, and fill the gap use your skill to teach others.

It’s a low cost you can plan your working style and register students as per your will. Once you have built the trust, then you can go forward with opening a food training center.

Grocery Shop

In our country, their enormous population, and everyday household supplies. Starting a grocery store in a good location gains tremendous popularity. Now, due to the pandemic, grocery stores have commenced delivering the groceries at home and even build their app to receive orders.

A grocery store is an evergreen business idea. You even don’t need any special skills for starting this business, just an accurate business plan.

Nursery

A plant nursery is one of the profitable ideas for anyone who loves gardening. Nowadays, people buying plants and gardening as a stress buster from daily routine work.

Thus, if you have the right knowledge of plants, then opening a nursery is a very profitable business for any individual. This line of work is low infrastructure cost makes it revenue-wise more lucrative.

Website Designing

Every startup, big companies need the website as it is known as the face of every business in this digital time. Every business owner needs a website to symbolize themselves. You own the skill, eye for creativity, and have time to invest in this.

Website designing can be the best retail business idea you can think of as it is a minimum requirement idea of a laptop and internet connection.

In recent times the Indian retail industry has surfaced as a fast-growing industry. With the right business plan and research work can make your retail business idea into a great success. As the success of the retail business depends on the correct knowledge of the product. We hope the shortlist of retail business ideas help you in inspiring for starting on your own.

 

Categories
Marketing

Digital Marketing Tips for Small Businesses in 2020: 3 Ways to Up Your Game Online

डिजिटल मार्केटिंग
डिजिटल मार्केटिंग

After COVID-19 hit us, small businesses and MSMEs are looking for ways to adapt to the new normal. They look for the right opportunities to afloat in tough times. In the current scenario, where is a lack of physical options and more dependency is on the digital landscape. Digital marketing right now provides value to small businesses to expand themselves.

During this tough time, startup, small businesses have the chance to figure out what is best for their marketing strategies and channels. It is a challenge to give a hard look at digital marketing techniques. After the number of research and study, we discovered that business owners are more invested in their resources and making marketing efforts.

Here we share this guide of tips for small businesses on how they can be more productive with digital marketing.

Build an Influential Social Media Presence

Social media is now a very useful and practical aspect of many digital marketing strategies mainly all kinds of business. This is an opportunity to interact face to face communication which is very important at the current time. They help you to reach your customer which creates a trust relationship between your brand and customer.

Today social media is a vital part of a small business marketing plan. They have understood the importance of social media for the brand. So, if your not on one of the platforms, then go now use social media and take your brands on the heights.

Email Marketing Campaign to Connect

A lot of people believe that email marketing is outdated, maximum small businesses use email to facilitate connection with costumers. Half of the small businesses plan to use this marketing as part of a digital marketing strategy.

The impact of this marketing is beyond a junk inbox, as it gives a personalized touch to the customer which leads them to come back. Building this relationship is key in small businesses to expand their brands.

Develop Website Marketing Efforts

In 2020, online visibility is considered essential for all kinds of business. If you don’t own a website, you are still not existing in the market. Web platforms can be the highest source of medium to start acquiring the knowledge of website marketing.

Today, every small business will invest in website marketing to establish their digital presence. As today every new or old customer looks for the website therefore, by creating online relationships, website marketing is one of the most popular tactics. After studying the traffic and engagement of the site, company owners can find areas to grow and plan in the future. This is the easiest way to find what works and what doesn’t work for your brand.

Digital Marketing can benefit small businesses during an unpredictable time. The effect of COVID-19 can be long-lasting; therefore, business needs to start planning digital marketing goals to set them on top from others in the market. There are more digital marketing tips which can help you we have mentioned the top three here.

 

 

 

Categories
MSME

MSME Revival: Nitin Gadkari Lists Steps Taken to Re-Boost Sector Hit by COVID-19 Pandemic

Union MSME Minister Nitin Gadkari. (Photo Credit: PIB)
Union MSME Minister Nitin Gadkari. (Photo Credit: PIB)

New Delhi, September 17: With the country’s micro, small & medium enterprises (MSMEs) sector badly affected due to COVID-19 pandemic, Union Minister of MSME Nitin Gadkari stated that the government had implemented various schemes and programmes for growth and development of the sector under Aatma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.

Among the major schemes to revive the ailing MSME sector include Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries (SFURTI), A Scheme for Promoting Innovation, Rural Industry & Entrepreneurship (ASPIRE), Interest Subvention Scheme for Incremental Credit to MSMEs, Credit Guarantee Scheme for Micro and Small Enterprises, Micro and Small Enterprises Cluster Development Programme (MSE-CDP), Credit Linked Capital Subsidy and Technology Upgradation Scheme (CLCS-TUS).

Under the Aatma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, the Union Ministry had made arrangements for:

a) Rs 20,000 crore Subordinate Debt for MSMEs.

b) Rs 3 lakh crores Collateral free Automatic Loans for business, including MSMEs.

c) Rs. 50,000 crore equity infusion through MSME Fund of Funds.

d) Newly revised criteria for the classification of MSMEs.

e) New Registration of MSMEs through ‘Udyam Registration’ for Ease of Doing Business.

e) No global tenders for procurement up to Rs. 200 crores, this will help MSME.

Apart from this, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched an online Portal ‘Champions’ on June 1, 2020, aiming to cover aspects of e-governance including grievance redressal and handholding of MSMEs. Through the portal, total 18,723 grievances have been redressed up to September 9, 2020, said Gadkari in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha.

Categories
MSME Startup

Comprehensive Space Act to Help Start-Ups to Make Rockets, Launch Vehicles For ISRO Soon, Says K Sivan

ISRO's rocket launch. (Photo Credit: Facebook/ISRO)
ISRO's rocket launch. (Photo Credit: Facebook/ISRO)

Chennai, September 16: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman and Department of Space (DoS) Secretary K Sivan on Tuesday said that the Union government will come out with a policy for launch vehicles and rockets, space exploration and a comprehensive Space Act. The new policy will help several space sector start-ups that are coming up in the country for making rockets, satellites and others.

Speaking at the international space conference and exhibition titled ‘Ushering the new era in Indian Space Sector’, Sivan said that the insurance sector can also get into this important field once the policies and law are in place.

Sivan also said that a comprehensive Space Act and various policies are in the pipeline while he was elaborating on the legal and policy framework that is being planned with the government to open up the space sector for private players. However, the ISRO chief said the government will govern the space activities through policies for every line of activity and the Space Act. With this, the insurance sector can get a way out in the space sector.

Stressing on plans to encourage start-ups and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the space sector, Sivan said the DoS through the Space Enterprise Encouragement and Development (SEED) scheme will support them to take up innovation, research and product development and services for ISRO.

The exhibition was organised by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in association with ISRO, Antrix Corporation Limited and was supported by NewSpace India Limited (NSIL).

Categories
Business motivation

Motivational Thoughts To Inspire The Entrepreneur Within

Ever given a thought why motivational speaking has evolved into a separate industry altogether? Have you ever thought about what importance does motivation hold in your life? Turns out, motivational thoughts/quotes are something that is required by all and everybody who wants to outperform and excel in their lives. Be it a student or an owner of a business giant, everybody needs motivation. 

If we talk specifically about the entrepreneurial world, it is filled with highs and lows, success and failure, encouragement, and discouragement. Just imagine if Steve Jobs wasn’t as motivated as he was, how were we supposed to enjoy the excellence that apple is? If Sundar Pichai would not have received the right kind of motivation at the right time, none of us would be surfing the internet with the brilliant browser, google chrome.

Join us on this inspirational roller coaster, where we present to you some brilliant motivational thoughts that will ignite the fire within you to win the world over.

“Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice.” – Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs has tried to convey a very important message here for all that it is extremely important to mute everything else and listen to what you are all about. Pay attention to the thoughts you produce and generate. It is important to realize your true feelings to explore the real you and to save your individuality. What you are capable of thinking, nobody else in the entire world will be able to generate the same thought process. In this fast-paced world, don’t forget that accepting yourself is the key to listening to your inner thoughts and feelings while paying attention to what you are all about and how you can make a difference.

“Take criticism seriously, but not personally.” – Hillary Clinton

This is one quote that hits hard. When you take an initiative that is always under scrutiny, it could be one of the toughest tasks to handle feedback that you receive on a very regular basis from people around you, be it your boss, investors, managers, or even your family for that matter. It is a blessing in disguise to receive constructive criticism from the other end of the table as it is undoubtedly the most efficient way to repair the damages and frow for the betterment. But there will be times where you can’t help but take those harsh words to your heart and let them not only hamper your productivity but ruin your confidence as well. But once you figure out how to master telling destructive criticism apart from the constructive one, it will become a cakewalk for you to put that positive feedback to good use. 

“If you’re going through hell, keep going.” – Winston Churchill

We know it is easier said than done, but then what do you think is the best option other than keeping the hope alive to see the light at the end of this metaphorical tunnel? We know it is very hard to keep going in the toughest of times but it is way better than just playing the blame game, succumbing to the pressure, and giving up hope. We do not ask you to look at the possible outcomes of this journey, but we surely do ask you to keep taking the baby steps to the world that is full of positivity, hope, and life.

Always remember that consistency and hard work have the ability to solve even the biggest of the problems in this world. Just try and take each day as it comes and deal with one problem at a time.