Information Society Watch

Judith E. Payne, Academy for Educational Development

The objective of the paper is to provide useful guidance to USAID development professionals as they create ways to help small and medium enterprises (SME) prepare for and use electronic commerce – to be “e-ready.” This is not an “e-commerce primer.” Instead, it focuses on what SMEs need to learn; how to tailor this to the context in which they operate; and the many ways such an e-readiness initiative can be delivered. The author posits that it is now time to more systematically offer the opportunities of electronic commerce to SMEs in developing countries, using appropriate technologies and applications, so that the anecdotes no longer tell of the exceptions but illustrate an accelerating trend. The paper uses a broad definition of electronic commerce, including the use of ICT in any way that improves an SME’s relationship with customers or suppliers. The concluding chapter of the paper provides dozens of useful resources for the development professional to draw upon when designing and delivering an e-readiness initiative for SMEs (Adapted from author).

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