The government will help set up platforms for E-commerce to benefit small and medium businesses – in the next few days the Digital Israel project in the Prime Minister’s Office and the Israel Small and Medium Enterprises Authority will launch a program for promoting E-commerce and internet marketing among the small and medium businesses.

Through the program, an aid package will be provided for businesses interested in setting up an internet store for E-commerce, opening the door to business opportunities, leveraging their sales potential and increasing their financial strength, stability and ability to overcome financial crises, such as the recent one caused by Operation Protective Edge. The program will operate via the network of Maof branches – the Israel Small and Medium Enterprises Authority’s new network in the field launched earlier this year.

Around 1000 small and medium enterprises in southern Israel will participate in the first stage of the program. The program has been approved as part of the comprehensive government program for economic development of the communities in southern Israel and the Gaza periphery, drawn up by the Director General of the Prime Minister’s Office, Harel Locker.

Services provided for businesses will include:

· Courses on internet trading and marketing

· Professional advice by leading experts in the field

· Financing of up to 16,000 NIS to set up a platform for an internet store

· Setting up a payment system on the company’s website and setting up a delivery system

· Internet marketing and sales campaigns

· Adapting sales websites for cellular use, etc.

Minister of the Economy, Naftali Bennett commented “The online world is a vital tool for small and medium businesses, and we are working to help every business owner reach the clients waiting for him online. We want the business owners to be there, and we support the entrepreneurs both in their web activity and in the path to reach it.”

Director General Locker added “The Digital Israel project promoted by the Prime Minister’s Office, serves as a digital National Roads Company of Israel. This is the way to “erase” the concept of the periphery by networking Israel with better education, medical services, welfare services, and doing business independent of geographical location. The technological support package which the program will provide for small and medium businesses in the south will allow business owners to leverage their potential and business exposure far beyond their geographical location, and contribute to their strength.”

Ran Kiviti, who is Director, Israel Small and Medium Enterprises Authority at the Ministry of Economy stated “E-commerce opens new doors for small and medium businesses, in both the local and global markets, and is considered to be a significant growth engine in the world’s leading economies. We want to help the small and medium businesses join the world’s most advanced markets, enabling them to develop and flourish.”

CEO Digital Israel, Dr. Yair Schindel added “The ability to combine a virtual store, online payment and delivery will allow every small or medium business in southern Israel to market and sell its products throughout Israel and abroad. There is great willingness among local and foreign consumers to purchase products from the south so as to strengthen it, and all that we need to do is leverage existing technologies so as to enable this to happen with ease and comfort.”

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)