A lot of small businesses do not know how to utilize the information technology in their works, and they need the support from the State and advices from consultants.
E-commerce has become the term more popular recently. However, a lot of businesses still do not know what e-commerce means. Therefore, the training courses need to be provided now, so that the businesses can sell their goods via e-commerce after 5-10 years, not 5-10 months.

The habit of aping others

Le Van Loi, Head of the Informatics Institute under the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), has noted that Vietnamese small businesses apply information technology in their works just to “follow the crowds.”

“They buy computers just because others have bought them, while they do not know what they will use the computers for and what benefits they can expect from the use of the computers,” Loi said.

Analysts have also noted that small businesses do not think that they need the advice from consultants in terms of information technology utilization. A lot of books and guidance documents have been published, but they remain inaccessible to enterprises, especially the ones in remote and mountainous areas.

In many cases, businesses said they have got puzzled with too many IT solutions which have been launched recently in the strong IT development. A lot of raised questions have been left unanswered for them, such as if they need to buy tablet PCs, whether they should buy laptops or desktops, what accountancy software products they should do and how much they cost, if they have enough customers to use the client management software product.

However, they do not intend to spend money to receive advice on the issue. In fact, some businesses say they want the advices from professional consultants, but they even do not know who the “professional consultants” are.

In fact, state management agencies and institutions once launched the programs to assist small businesses to access IT. However, there were only a few such programs. In some cases, the programs were run by some big businesses which aimed to upgrade the ability of their centipede-foot-shaped networks.

A plan at national stature needed

The Informatics Institute under VCCI has organized a lot of programs to assist small businesses to utilize IT in an effective way. However, most of the projects only had small scale.

One of the biggest projects was the Project 191, which was carried out in a large scale throughout the country in the period of 2005-2010. VCCI once asked the government to allow implementing the second phase of the project in 2011, but it was refused. As such, to date, there has been no national program on assisting small businesses to utilize IT for 2012, except two small scaled projects.

Experts pointed out that it is not simple to organize training courses for the businesses in remote areas. “You have to find the answers to a lot of questions: who would be the teachers, where the classes should be located, would there be teaching aids, and how to budget the programs,” Loi from VCCI said.

Therefore, they believe that it is necessary to implement national plans funded by the State which aims to help small businesses to upgrade their IT knowledge. The experts have stressed that one should not expect to see the programs bringing more money immediately.

“IT projects should not be compared with the bridge projects. You should not think that you can earn 100 million dollars tomorrow after you can get consultancy today,” Loi said.

E-commerce has become the term more popular recently. However, a lot of businesses still do not know what e-commerce means. Therefore, the training courses need to be provided now, so that the businesses can sell their goods via e-commerce after 5-10 years, not 5-10 months.