From Local to Global: The Strategic Shift of Small Traders Through E-Business Platforms

Abstract

Today, adopting e-business platforms has emerged as a key tool for growth and competitive positioning in almost every business. Small traders who have mostly sold their goods in domestic markets are being provided with opportunities that enable them to extend their market coverage using digitalization. The transition to e-Business comes with new opportunities and improvements in the market share and scopes of business management as well as challenges that need to be handled properly. Given the importance of reaching out to small traders in the context of their digital transformation, it is important to know how aware and prepared they currently are concerning e-business, and more importantly, what actions they plan to take. The present study investigates the shift of small-scale traders in and around Coimbatore, India towards e-business platforms and addresses their awareness and readiness and strategy levels. The purpose of the research is to determine the extent to which these traders are already armed in accepting e-business, what benefits if any do, they expect from such business and challenges aside. Using questionnaires where a total of about thirty small traders were surveyed. Still, the purpose of this research is to analyse the strategies small traders will use e-business platform for growth with respect to their marketing, customer interaction and competition.