QUEZON CITY, July 19 (PIA) – Staying true to its goal of providing assistance to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the country, the Philippine Trade Training Center – Global MSMEs Academy’s (PTTC-GMEA) concluded its webinar series on July 16, with a discussion on the next steps in the post COVID-world.

PTTC-GMEA’s Deputy Executive Director Ma. Fe Avila, said they will continue to share information so MSMEs can upskill themselves on how to survive in this pandemic.

Aptly titled, ‘How can MSMEs survive and thrive in the new normal,’ the webinar featured Dr. Deborah Elms, founder and executive director of Asian Trade Centre (ATC), as the resource speaker.

Dr. Elms shared that the global pandemic has provided opportunities for MSMEs on the kinds of best approaches for businesses to take utilizing online platforms.

“First of all, if you are online, right now, watching this, you are already ahead of many MSMEs who are not digital. And being digital is a crucial avenue for success, both on the pandemic situation and in to the new normal,” Dr. Elms said.

Aside from this, Elms said that it is crucial for MSMEs to develop more skills to be able to position their companies better in the future.

“Developing more skills is crucial. Developing new tools, new techniques for you personally, and for those members in your business to allow the entire organization, you and your colleagues to survive, to ratchet your abilities upward,” Elms said.

She said that while upskilling, it is also necessary to take an inventory of what the company’s footprint look like, to be able to adjust as necessary.

Elms added that MSMEs can use digital tools to do this.

“One nice thing about operating a business in 2020 and beyond, is we have an enormous amount of digital tools available and we have a lot of free materials available for MSMEs,” she said.

Elms also said that networking plays a critical role in the success of MSMEs.

Meanwhile, PTTC-GMEA Executive Director Nelly Nita Dillera emphasized the importance of networking for businesses as MSME’s encompasses a lot of activities, from marketing, to logistics, production and even sourcing of materials. She said that several platforms and soft wares are available for networking.

She also encouraged the MSMEs to continue looking for information to improve one’s self. “Information is power. With information, half the battle is won,” she said.

Dillera also hoped that MSMEs will be able to take advantage of the webinars the Academy is organizing for them and that MSME’s are able to learn from all of it. (VQR/PIA-IDPD).