Technology drives relationships at Small Business Week

The organisers of Small Business Week contracted Cape entrepreneurial success story, Knowledge Crucible, to develop, implement and maintain the business matching technology that will be driving the business linkages at this year`s event.

The result will be the first online businesses linkages database management system of its kind in South Africa.

Swisscontact South Africa, a SME development agency, in partnership with consulting company, Golden Rewards, won the three-year contract to manage Small Business Week. It, in turn, contracted Knowledge Crucible as an IT partner for the full three years.

Jessica Hadley-Grave, Small Business Week project manager, says: "Small companies face many challenges ranging from finance to labour to government regulations, but all of these can be overcome if the right business networks are in place. This is why Small Business Week is focused on developing linkages between relevant companies and this year, we are using technology to do it."

Knowledge Crucible developed a Web-based solution that uses database and business intelligence tools to identify potential business linkages between delegates and exhibitors. By filling out an online registration form on the Web site, www.smallbusinessweek.co.za, delegates will be automatically provided with a report detailing the exhibitor companies that are either looking for the kinds of services the delegate offers, or can offer the delegate something their business needs. Delegates can either download the list from the site, or collect it from the business centre in the Convention Centre. In addition, exhibitors are provided with a report of other exhibitor companies that might be interested in their products or services.

Rowan Reid, IT director at Knowledge Crucible, says: "Simplicity and speed were the design principles, so users will find that the registration form takes only a few minutes to fill in and the reports are easy to read, giving them all the information they need from contact name to exhibition stand number."

When discussing what can be expected from the technology in future, Hadley-Grave says: "We want this database to be available all year round with Small Business Week acting as the massive annual information update. Already all users have been supplied with a username and password so that they can update their information whenever they please. This kind of functionality will be extended so the database never becomes stale and unusable."

Small Business Week is expecting 5 000 delegates at this year`s event, a massive increase from the 3 000 that attended in 2004. Hadley-Grave believes this is further proof that this year offers "the perfect opportunity to develop a database that isn`t just a list of names but acts as a business linkages enabler that truly drives success".