AS the landscape of small and medium enterprises continues to change, local tech firm Smego has launched a mobile app to assist B40 and micro-businesses manage their workload.

The main feature of the app is to help business owners set up online stores and track their data and inventories.

This will enable them to replenish their stock in a timely manner as their business grows.

Smego founder Westin Chew said he started the app in 2017 in Hong Kong with the aim of helping micro-businesses excel.

He said in 2019, he brought the app back to Malaysia to develop it further for the local market.

“In 2020, when the pandemic struck, we introduced the Smego 1.0 version, which is the basic package for micro users to digitalise their businesses,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

“It was introduced as a free app and at the moment, we have about 300 active users.”

He said the app is useful for owners to not only manage and promote their products but also assist in the back end of their businesses.

“Smego will manage the products, accounting and inventory and there is an e-commerce platform connecting to other online platforms,” he said.

“The link to Lazada and Shoppe will be completed soon. Integration and testing are being done.

“Business owners can place their products on Smego, which will then be featured on other platforms.”

He said they have spoken to government agencies and found that a lot of B40 and women entrepreneurs do not know about digitalisation.

“Many don’t know about digitalisation, even in the urban areas. They are still using the conventional method of selling their products in shops,” he said.

“By using Smego, we will link them to marketplaces (online) to sell their products.”

Chew said for example, if a person is selling products on Lazada, once a transaction is done, it will be reflected in the app.

“This will allow the users to manage the inventory of their products. So all they have to do is manage Smego where everything from the front end to back end is linked.”

He said those interested can download the app on Android, Huawei and iOS.

He said this year, they have started charging RM59 a month for the use of the app.

“The app is user-friendly. All the user needs to do is upload their products (photo, description and pricing) on Smego and automatically we will give the user an e-commerce platform,” he said.

“So users won’t need web hosting or seek a website to do e-commerce. All is in one place in the app.

“We also have a link for products that will soon be placed in Shoppe or Lazada. If there are transactions, all sales will come back to the users’ inventory and minus the stock.”

Chew said with the app, users will have e-commerce stores.

“For example, the users can share a link to their neighbours that they are selling nasi lemak. All product pricing and details will be featured,” he said.

“This is the way to digitalise their business, which will help the B40 and micro-businesses.”

View the business platform at www.smego.my. – January 18, 2022.