What is new: More than a thousand small and medium-sized business (SMB) owners in nine countries weighed in on a recent UPS survey to tell us how they are doing ... what is holding them back and how they are overcoming obstacles.
Why it matters: Helping SMBs reach customers around the world is a top priority at UPS. The more we understand their needs, the more we can develop tools to help them grow and advocate for trade policies that level the playing field.
Three survey takeaways:
- Simple – SMBs want to export, but need simpler regulations, taxes and customs fees to grow. Reducing these barriers to trade opens markets, helping small businesses grow their exports.
- Equitable – While women-owned SMBs are more likely to sell online, they tend to experience different challenges than SMBs owned by men, particularly with financing. International trade helps reduce the gender wage gap.
- Green – Most SMBs say they want to be more eco-friendly. And they are looking for partners and suppliers who offer sustainable services and materials.
UPS has expertise in all those areas. See how we showed up for these small businesses:
- CocoVeda – UPS helped the Singapore-based company with an all-woman operations team export its plant-based wellness products to 80 countries.
- Yingari – The Turkish maker of sweets struggled until the UPS Women Exporters Programme showed them the tricks of the trade.
- Chica Bean – UPS helped this Guatemalan coffee maker save money and quickly reach new international markets.
- Apotheke – The U.S.-based candlemaker started exporting very quickly thanks to the UPS Digital Connections programme.
Survey says: Learn more about what small business owners are telling us (English versions) in Canada, India, Indonesia, the UK, Vietnam, Brazil, the UAE, France and Italy.
To read the full report (in English), please click here