“Know-how exchange is one of the most strategic added values that SME Toolkit can provide”

CAD’s director, Fernando Casado, has been interviewed by SME Toolkit team, coinciding with the launch of the first SME Toolkit newsletter. In the interview, CAD’s director comments on SME’s potential and needs worldwide, as well as SME Toolkit critical role in providing tools in the areas where there are more deficiencies. According to Casado, there is a “general lack of managerial know-how on how to project vision with robust business plans and realistic commercial strategies, as well as a shortage of basic management tools and methodologies that enable entrepreneurs to develop successfully.” On the other hand, “there is a lot of know-how being generated at different levels” and he believes that articulating this knowledge “is one of the most strategic added values that SME Toolkit can provide.”

CAD’s director also explains what represents to work along with SME Toolkit team, and which are the main priorities in order to bring SME Toolkit to ‘the next level’. In this regard, he mentions four strategic goals:

  • Channel all this know-how towards mobile devices, especially non-smartphones
  • Engage more countries, especially from Latin America, Africa and Asia
  • More visual communication and eLearning products
  • More peer-to-peer learning among partners

CAD’s director also shares his broad experience in the field of SMEs and entrepreneurship, and explains three key lessons learnt that could be useful for SME Toolkit users and partners.

Since January 2014, CAD, in consortium with Haiku Media, has been chosen to manage SME Toolkit of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the world’s largest online portal dedicated to strengthening SMEs. As one integral part of the IFC’s SME development program, SME Toolkit is a global web-based product that leverages the latest information and communication technologies to provide SMEs in emerging markets with access to online business management information, interactive tools, and training to help them stabilize, formalize, and grow their businesses. To date, the program has launched 43 sites in 18 languages and serves more than 5.5 million visitors around the world each year.

Read the full interview