Providing information for business: government strategy for the online world

Governments assume a major role in providing information resources for business as a way of promoting national development. This has proven to be a much more demanding task than one might suppose, given the diversity and complexity of business needs and the limitation of government resources for undertaking the task. This chapter will: (1) identify the challenges posed for government online business information strategies, (2) discuss research relating to the information strategy of one Australian government agency to support export development among small business, and (3) set out a framework for government online information provision in a diverse industry context. Coordination of the many government information services remains a challenge, especially among different levels of government. Well-designed strategies can improve the usability of online information and the efficiency of government information services.<br /

Global E-commerce Readiness of U.S. SMEs towards the Mexican Market: Are American Small Businesses Prepared for Digital Commerce to Mexico?

The entry into force of the United States-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement on July 1st, 2020, ushered in a new era of regional trade for the region. The modernized agreement’s inclusion of a chapter specifically focused on expanding digital trade and investment reflected a business phenomenon that had expanded markedly over the last ten years: cross-border e-commerce within the former NAFTA region. This article examines the literature needed to assess the readiness of U.S. small and medium-sized businesses (SME’s) to sell to the Mexican market online based on the degree of localization of their firm’s websites towards the Mexican market. First, a comprehensive review of export readiness will be presented, highlighting the critical role of market readiness in the internationalization process of SMEs. Next, a detailed overview of key findings in the international marketing literature will be surveyed on the advantages and disadvantages of standardization-localization in international firm expansion and the critical role that localization plays in determining the international success of an SME. Finally, the author will examine the role of website localization as an integral aspect of adaptation to foreign markets, including assessment frameworks, identification of its role in export marketing success, and critical localization components. Future research includes assessing the global e-commerce readiness of U.S. firms in Mexico by using established frameworks to evaluate their website’s degree of localization for the local Mexican context

How do Australian small and medium enterprises communicate their environmental improvement activities online?

There have been calls in the IS/eBusiness literature for research on &quot;green&quot; IS/IT in a Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) context. The Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) literature has neglected the issue of how SMEs can use websites to communicate their environmental improvement activities. This paper links these two previously separate disciplines by reporting on a content analysis of 443 Australian SME websites from four industry sectors to identify if and how they use websites to communicate their environmental improvement activities. The study found that 47 websites were communicating such activities in some form. A detailed analysis was undertaken of these 47 websites to identify emergent themes relating to how these SMEs were communicating their environmental improvement activities. These themes resulted in a reconceptualisation of the traditional &quot;4 Ps&quot; of marketing for online communication of environmental improvement activities by SMEs: profile; product; process; and prominence.<br /

An assessment of the Irish speciality food enterprises’ use of the internet as a marketing tool

End of Project ReportThis study set out to explore the role of the Internet as a marketing tool for Irish speciality food producers and to research on-line speciality food sales as a business opportunity. The project achieved this through a combination of consumer focus groups, a producer web audit, producer depth interviews and an e-mailed on-line producer survey. Irish consumers acknowledged potential for on-line sales of Irish speciality food products to export and gift markets; however they could not see significant advantages for on-line sales in the domestic market. Experience with the product (and consequent importance of the purchase experience), the high delivery cost of an already premium priced product and difficulties associated with receipt of deliveries were identified as the main reasons for not purchasing on-line

Planning product software export -a method to identify opportunities and threats in new geographical markets

Product software export can be an attractive option for small and medium sized IT-companies operating in small local markets. In practice however, little support is offered for specifically those type of companies to support strategic preparation and to enable thorough export planning. The central aim of this paper is to present a Product Software Export Planning Method (PSEPM) that supports the decision making of management of product software companies to enter foreign markets. The method builds upon existing insights from the success factors of software export and strategic planning. It facilitates systematic export planning through strategic country analysis, i.e. a systematic comparison between the companies’ home country and the export country of interest. A similarities/differences and opportunities/ threats (SDOT) analysis is the other key part of the method. Through the identification of opportunities and threats, the specific challenges of entering the foreign market can be identified. The method has been applied to a case study at a Dutch product software company specialized in workforce planning applications. In addition, an expert validation was conducted by interviewing (former) board members of IT-companies. The method turned out to be useful for supporting export planning of small and medium size product software companies

Struggles and successes - How the internet and social media have affected the design and crafts industry

Recently, due to the dominance of mass-production, independent designers and craftspeople are now facing various challenges. Social media platforms and content-rich websites are used in innovative ways to promote stronger relationships between craftspeople and consumers, while improving the quality and reliability of local crafts and their provenance. The core purpose is to discover the current situation of independent designers and craftspeople, and more specifically, to investigate how internet marketing and selling methods are used by independent designers and craftspeople to help them gain fame and reach international customers. The SANTAKANI project will be used as a case study in support of the research and learning goals of this paper. The research process is framed into two distinct phases: a background study and project development. In the background study phase, empathic design methodologies were utilized to understand the current situation of designers and craftspeople, including their struggles in utilizing internet marketing. Based on user insights in the project development phase, lean startup development methodologies were used to constantly evaluate and improve the project. Paper mock-up, wireframe, and different versions of the SANTAKANI web platform were reviewed to achieve a deeper insight from both the designers and their customers. The findings brought out the preference of the independent designers and handicrafts people when adapting a new marketing service. It also revealed the internet browsing and design product purchasing habits of the design consumers. In particular, the results provide a specific focus on Chinese designer consumers and their attitudes toward overseas design products

A socio-technical approach to broadband diffusion by SMEs

Technological deterministic theories such as Diffusion of Innovations (DOIs) theory provide a useful view of the diffusion process of new technologies. However, the view provided is limited, as it mainly looks at the supply side of the diffusion process hence, the need for the ability to examine various sides that influence the diffusion of new technologies. The Social Construction of Technology (SCOT) provides an avenue to examine such views. In this paper, we examine the adoption of broadband by Small/Medium size Enterprises (SMEs) using a proposed framework that applies notions from SCOT. An initial application of the framework shows perception gaps among the social groups involved in the diffusion process of broadband. These gaps might explain the slow take up of broadband by SMEs in the UK

Marketing diagnosis for the SME “Mais que Papel”

Mestrado em Ciências EmpresariaisLocalizada na Amadora por quase uma década, a Mais Que Papel tem dois ramos de negócio: centro de cópias (B2C) e venda e assistência técnica a equipamentos de escritório (B2B). Recentemente o negócio dos equipamentos, que é a principal actividade da empresa, entrou num período de estagnação e os gerentes estavam à procura de novas maneiras de acelerá-lo. Este estudo é o primeiro plano formalizado para o desenvolvimento da empresa, e está focado na área que apresenta a maior necessidade de melhorias ? Marketing e Comunicação.. A metodologia foi adoptada de diferentes fontes teóricas tendo em conta as particularidades do contexto do marketing B2B e do e-commerce para atingir necessidades especificas deste projecto. Os dados primários foram recolhidos através de entrevistas semiestruturadas com a gerência da empresa e de um questionário online aos clientes. Os dados secundários para análise da situação externa foram retirados de diferentes bases de dados e os relatórios para análise interna foram fornecidos pela empresa. A investigadora também teve a oportunidade de participar no trabalho do dia a dia da companhia para observar as dinâmicas e ter um melhor entendimento do sector. O resultado deste estudo foi a formulação da missão, da visão, dos valores e objectivos da empresa, a percepção das tendências actuais do mercado e das actividades de marketing dos competidores, insight da forças e desafios da empresa e, no fim de tudo, a elaboração de um plano de intervenção para atingir os seus objectivos de curto prazo.Located in Amadora for almost a decade, Mais que Papel has two branches of business: copy center (B2C) and office equipment retail and support (B2B). Recently, the machine business, that is the main activity of the company, faced a period of stagnation and the managers were looking for new ways of accelerating it. This study is the first formalized plan and diagnosis of the firm's development, and it is focused on the area that showed the greatest need for improvement - marketing and communication. It was developed taking into account the particularities of the B2B and e-commerce marketing context in terms of market structure, demand characteristics, customer behavior, segmentation and marketing mix. The methodology was adopted from different theoretical sources to meet specific needs of this project. The primary data was collected through semi-structured interviews with the company management and online client questionnaire. The secondary data for external situation analyses were taken from different databases (such as INE, Pordata, Eurostat, etc.) and the reports for the internal analyses were provided by the company. The researcher also had an opportunity to participate in day-to-day work of the firm to observe the dynamics and to get a better understanding of the sector. The result of this study was formulation of the firm's mission, vision, values and goals, overview of the current market trends and competitors marketing activities, insights on company's strengths and challenges and, after all, elaboration of an intervention plan to achieve its short-term goals.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio