New online businesses need more support to ensure they are visible and for potential customers to clearly understand what they offer, according to Sina Bugeja, who has decades of experience working in the social sector.
“Now more than ever, with the pandemic, businesses are moving online,” Bugeja, former chief executive of the Foundation for Social Welfare Services and the former director of the National Commission for the Promotion of Equality, said.
“People are working more from home. Many set up their small online business.
“However, as I keep seeing these small businesses sprouting up on social media, I feel there is not enough information about what they offer.
“There is an assumption that people know about them but there needs to be a platform where they can be seen by their audience and supported to grow.”
Bugeja, a senior lecturer at the University of Malta, flagged the need for this platform on the Facebook community page Women for Women, where she suggested starting a collection of online businesses that “could help financially those who have started them and us who require the services on offer”.
Her comment received over 200 responses from women sharing information and links about their ventures. The businesses ranged from women baking cakes and goodies for sale to handcrafting items.
Some offer online training courses, coaching sessions or professional consultation.
We are open to anyone who comes up with more bright ideas
One of the women who shared her business outline was Nicole Bugeja, a public speaking and performance coach.
“Having a platform of small businesses would be helpful.
“We are living in a time when knowing about small businesses and choosing them – over larger chains – can help professionals and the local economy,” she said, adding that a platform would also create a space for customers to make recommendations.
Like her, start-up owner Clare Cauchi feels that having a platform would be very helpful, especially for new businesses that may not have the time and money to invest in marketing.
Having been brought up in a family with a small business, she always knew she wanted to one day have her own business.
The pandemic was an eye-opener in terms of the impact people have on the environment.
This came at a time when laws are changing to reduce and eliminate single-use plastic – sparking an idea that led to Cauchi setting up Unique Eco, which offers sustainable alternatives to single-use plastic products.
“Having an online platform will definitely help. I have no problem being in the same space with competitors since, at the end of the day, it will ensure we deliver our best and this is for the benefit of customers,” Cauchi said.
Abigail Mamo, chief executive of the Malta Chamber of SMEs, said all businesses would benefit from visibility, especially small businesses that have limited budgets for their marketing.
She said the chamber, as the natural home for small businesses, had various initiatives to support businesses.
“We do carry out visibility exercises along the year but it is very much initiative-oriented, such as Black Friday, or related to specific consumer schemes.
“These initiatives create the right demand for collective visibility. Small businesses in Malta are very big in numbers and they are not homogeneous at all,” she said, adding that, from experience, many businesses preferred having their own private online presence rather than being altogether.
“Nonetheless, we are open to anyone who comes up with more bright ideas of helping small businesses, which is our main vocation,” Mamo said.