13 700 South African businesses have listed on local Internet Service Provider (ISP) Intekom`s Inzuzo business portal, establishing Inzuzo as a major procurement hub for small to medium enterprises (SMEs). The six month-old Inzuzo is South Africa`s first definitive business-to-business Internet portal developed specifically to promote the business interests and growth of the burgeoning SME market sector.
"The Inzuzo portal is gaining national status as the premium place to go for information on South Africa`s small to medium enterprises. It is living up to its name as - "The Home of Small Business" in SA," says Intekom`s Managing Director, Matthew Roesner.
According to Roesner, the portal creates an important interface between SMEs, the corporate sector and the public sector, and is expected to become the main entry and access point to local SME businesses, products, services and suppliers
"The free business card service, listed under www.inzuzo.co.za, enables companies to list or edit their product and service details online, thereby enhancing their exposure to corporate and international markets, as well as within the SME sector generally," says Roesner.
"The idea is to ensure a better success rate of start-up and small businesses and to help entrench this vital sector within the economy," he adds. Designed as an online information directory of where to go for what, the portal`s main lever is its targeted, value-added content and services.
Besides daily updates on breaking financial and investment news, the portal includes information and advice on running a micro enterprise or small business from home; starting, developing and marketing a new business; as well as how to grow and raise capital.
Other vital business information available on the portal relates to management and e-commerce strategies; finance, accounting and tax related issues; international expansion and government regulations, as well as advice surrounding labour and legal issues.
Information is also published on tenders and tendering assistance, affirmative procurement assistance, company registrations and SME forums, whilst database features include sophisticated product and service cataloguing of all SME businesses plus regional and sector indexing and search capabilities.
The portal also offers businesses access to Intekom`s range of bundled solutions designed to meet the Internet needs of developing businesses and help them compete with the corporate sector.
"The solutions are the product of extensive research by Intekom - including consultation with relevant stakeholders - into how SME businesses specifically can exploit the Internet to reach customers, cultivate relationships and develop new prospects," explains Roesner.
"Basically, we wanted to provide a customised, one-stop solution for clients at an affordable, flexible cost. Developing a range of bundled solutions that would meet the needs of both the high and low end of the market, and everyone in between, was obviously the way to go," he adds.
The end result is a range that offers SME users an exceptional low-cost opportunity to register an Internet presence and gain additional online consulting, Web maintenance and Web hosting services and support normally only available to bigger, established businesses.
Share
