#smecorner

[greatcrownobservation-blog]

SMEcorner, an online lender for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), has acquired $30 million in funding through a Series B round, which reportedly includ

[businesswireindia]

SMEcorner, founded in 2015 by Samir Bhatia, has had its focus on providing quick access to secured and unsecured loans to Indian MSME sector. SMEcorner has now procured the license to become Non- Banking Finance Company, which will pave the way for more disbursements and faster growth for the company.

[taniyashah1029-blog]

SMEs In India - Are You Ready For Business Expansion? | SMEcorner

Setting up your business, expansion requires careful planning. Here are a few things to think about before taking the plunge.

SME India is on a growth spurt. Remember, growth has to be central to your whole organization and not just a small part. Check few essential things to be kept in mind before setting up plan for business expansion.

[smecorner]

SMEs’ Dependence on Mobile Solutions

Technological advancements have seen an increased demand among the SMEs. With the emergence of cloud services, the business activities of the SMEs have been facilitated. Their data storage process has become extremely convenient. The mobile phone has also become a popular medium.

Use of mobile solutions

The mobile phone is not just a medium of communication. It offers a lot more than that. The SMEs have recognized its potential and are using it for varied purposes. One of the purposes is the geo-location feature used for marketing activities. Circulating an ad to the people of a particular area used to be difficult earlier. But with the advent of geo-location feature, SMEs can target people in the same vicinity for a specific advertising campaign. It has made the work of the SMEs simpler. Through social media, this has become cheaper too. For instance, Facebook offers ‘Local Awareness Ad Product’ feature in affordable rates for the SMEs. Such features make mobile not just helpful and convenient, but also a great source for attracting customers.

Another popular use of the phone is to make mobile payments. There are many apps that have come with attractive features for mobile payments. Services like Apple Pay and Google Wallet have become more popular than the traditional Square, PayPass and Swipe. For using Apple Pay, SMEs are integrating POS (Point Of Sale) system that also supports the NFC (Near Field Communication) chip. There are a range of mobile payment options that the SMEs can choose from. Mobile payment through any form is what the SMEs are seeking for.

Mobile solutions have found a significant place in the business strategies of SMEs. According to SMB Group analyst, McCabe, 60% SMEs said that mobile solutions are important for their business activities. 87% SMEs said mobile apps add to the conventional business applications while 71% are of the view that these apps will replace the traditional methods completely.    

Integration of mobile, cloud and data

Earlier SMEs stored data in multiple devices for the employees. But now, they resort to cloud. This is because data storage in the cloud system ensures greater security and accessibility. If a device malfunctions or is lost or broken, then the data will be lost. But cloud will protect the data from such physical damages. Also, when an employee leaves the company, he can be easily blocked from accessing the data with the help of cloud.

Due to the enormous benefits and convenience offered, the integration of data, cloud and mobile solutions have become the new business approach for the SMEs.

[smecorner]

SME Market Cap Greater Than 10,000 Crore

The market capitalization of the 82 small and medium enterprises (SME) listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) crossed the Rupees 10,000-crore mark, in December 2014. In less than three years of launching a separate platform for small and medium enterprises, the total value of this segment touched Rupees 10,117 crore, with an average market cap of Rupees 120 crore per firm. BSE and the National Stock Exchange of India Ltd (NSE) set up separate SME segments in March 2012.  Whereas BSE has 82 companies listed on its SME platform, NSE has 6.

The SME segment has been witnessing a steady growth as far as listings are concerned. India holds massive potential for SMEs. The success of SMEs at the BSE in about three years of its launch has opened up many new avenues for future expansion of SME companies. If all goes well, this impressive growth could be led by fundraising from public; which essays that Indian investors are more than willing to invest in the right companies, no matter how small or big. Typically, the investors on SME platform include affluent businessmen, local, financial institutions, private equity firms and venture funds.

How do SMEs get listed?

As per the regulatory norms, companies hoping to be listed in the SME division need to file a draft document with the stock exchange. The companies don’t necessarily have to file the documents with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). This process has made it easier for upcoming businesses to raise capital via the platform and helps them get acquainted with the regulatory requirements for listed entities.

What More to Look Forward To?

Although we must hope for greater participation and rapid growth in the SME sector, considering that it is the backbone of the Indian economy, it is time that the market starts looking deeper into other factors including sales, market outreach, profitability and not just market capitalization.

The success of SME companies in India is definitely significant, however the presence of a separate platform for SMEs could give them the additional boost required to reach an international scale. One such platform that’s playing a substantial role in the SME lending space is SMECorner. SMEcorner.com is a simple and transparent online marketplace designed for SMEs to avail loans and allied services through a strong network of banks and NBFCs. Samir Bhatia, Founder and CEO, SMEcorner.com intends to assist SME companies by providing them with a hassle-free capital raising platform that further elevates the chances of their growth and expansion.