Google has launched a competition for small, medium and micro-sized entities (SMMEs) called the “Small Businesses Going Global Video Challenge”.
The competition requires SMMEs to share their stories – via a short video no longer than four minutes - on how they have used internet technologies to participate in international trade and reached international customers.
According to a statement by the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the competition aims to help show how SMMEs can leverage internet technologies to become global exporters.
“This is a great initiative from Google to spread the word among micro, small and medium-sized enterprises about the potential of trading online,” said WTO director-general, Roberto Azevêdo. “The competition will encourage people to share their stories about how smaller firms can overcome the obstacles and seize the opportunities of doing business in other markets.”
He noted that while small businesses were already huge employers they often found it difficult to trade, however the internet helped to lower barriers faced by SMMEs.
The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and WTO will run the competition and select the winner and two runners-up who will win a trip to a master class at Google in digital skills tailored to SMMEs.
SMMEs interested in participating in the competition must upload their video to YouTube – or another video-sharing site – with the tag #msmesgoingglobal and email the link to msmes.global.challenge@gmail.com with their name, age, nationality and contact details.
The competition by Google is the first successful proposal for the ICC and WTO’s joint “Small Business Champions” initiative which aims to boost SMME participation in international trade.
