Systematic Online Market Entry and Close Support for Stable Settlement Targeting Seoul Small Business Owners with 5 to Less Than 10 Employees
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] On the 26th, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that it will prepare and implement practical support measures to help small business owners systematically enter the online market and settle stably.
Seoul plans to support the expansion of online sales channels by offering customized online education that busy small business owners can take at their preferred times, and by holding consultation sessions that connect them one-on-one with product planners (MDs) from major domestic distributors. The support targets small business owners with 5 to fewer than 10 regular employees (fewer than 10 in manufacturing, mining, construction, and transportation industries; fewer than 5 in other industries) whose business registration address is in Seoul.
A survey conducted by the Seoul Institute of Technology on 291 small business owners identified ‘providing customized education and programs (39.1%)’ as the most necessary support measure for the digital transformation of neighborhood commercial districts.
Accordingly, Seoul offers 12 free online courses that allow small business owners new to online entry to systematically acquire knowledge from basic to professional levels. Each course consists of 4 to 8 videos, with each video lasting about 30 minutes, enabling busy small business owners to grasp only the core content in a customized manner.
The educational content covers essential theories and practical skills, including analysis of the online market and consumer shopping tendencies, structural understanding of online shopping malls, product planning and composition, and pricing. It also includes immediately applicable content such as simulations for opening online stores, joining open markets, entering social commerce platforms, and building independent shopping malls. Sales and promotion techniques such as utilizing live commerce and product advertising are also included.
Additionally, consultation sessions connecting small business owners one-on-one with product planners (MDs) from major domestic distributors such as Coupang and 11st will be held in October and November. About 100 small business owners will be selected per session and connected with up to two distributor MDs for consultations. This provides opportunities to receive realistic advice on essential information for market entry, including product planning and distribution channel entry strategies.
Meanwhile, Seoul is operating various support measures beyond online education and MD consultation sessions for small-scale small business owners struggling to enter the online market. This year, 400 small business owners will be selected to receive support in six areas to secure competitiveness online: product design improvement, shopping mall detail page production, live commerce broadcasting support, promotional video production, expert coaching, and online consumer surveys.
Intensive support is also provided through a six-month program to cultivate excellent sellers who can serve as role models for other small business owners. Each company is linked with a dedicated manager who provides systematic support from preliminary diagnosis and product/service improvement to product production and online market entry, aiming to lead to actual sales growth. This year, a total of 40 small business owners are being supported.
Han Young-hee, Director of Labor, Fairness, and Coexistence Policy at Seoul City, said, “Although online shopping has become a consumer trend, some small-scale small business owners cannot even enter the online market because they do not know the opportunities or methods. We will continuously listen to the voices from the field and implement customized measures by reflecting the necessary support and opinions.”
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