KUALA LUMPUR, June 3, 2014 – Representatives from 150 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) gathered in Kuala Lumpur today to learn more about how to boost their regional and global competitiveness by using e-commerce platforms and tools.

Leaders from large U.S. firms such as Baker & McKenzie, Ebay, Google, Paypal and UPS shared information focusing on leveraging e-commerce platforms and payment tools, maximizing international shipping and delivery services, the legal aspects of cross-border e-commerce, as well as strengthening global market presence through online marketing. 

The United States and the U.S. private sector in partnership with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) sponsored the ICT-focused workshop through the US-ASEAN Business Alliance for Competitive SMEs (Business Alliance), a collaborative effort between the US-ASEAN Business Council and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

“The United States supports the development of small businesses in ASEAN given their importance to foster economic growth in the region,” said the U.S. Ambassador to Malaysia, Joseph Y. Yun, in his opening remarks. “It is therefore important that these businesses take advantage of learning new technologies from multi-national companies, giving them the competitive edge and opportunities to enter new markets, regionally and globally.”

The entrepreneurs had the opportunity to interact with representatives of multinational companies to build their knowledge of e-commerce techniques, and ask questions about growing their businesses and joining the global supply chain. While small businesses in Southeast Asia have been key to the region’s economic growth, many have not taken full advantage of electronic commerce.

 The Business Alliance, which will eventually hold activities in all 10 ASEAN countries, creates activities to provide SMEs an opportunity to learn from succesful multi-national companies as well as foster leadership talent for high-potential and high-growth SMEs, and promote strong corporate governance and business ethics. The workshop in Malaysia was conducted in partnership with the SME Corporation of Malaysia, an agency providing informaiton and advisory services for all Malaysian SMEs.

“In today’s world that is driven by development of the latest technology, entrepreneurs in the region must use e-commerce,” said SME Corporation Chief Executive Officer Dato’ Hafsah Hashim. “Not only will it save time in conducting transactions, e-commerce also increases the efficiency of small business operations and enable them to provide service to a bigger base of customers.”

"The world is open for business, and Malaysian SMEs are perfectly positioned to leverage technology and the power of logistics to reach new markets,” said Shiumei Lin, UPS Vice President for Public Affairs, and Vice Chair of the US ASEAN Business Council’s ASEAN Committee. “We hope this program will provide the knowledge and best practices to navigate international trade and the world of e-commerce, including the opportunities and challenges associated with going global.”

The Business Alliance will conduct other training activities that will be held next in Jakarta, Singapore and other cities in the region throughout 2014. The Alliance is also working to establish a cloud-based portal to support Southeast Asian SMEs.