By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. View our Privacy Policy for more information.

Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) Onboarding Programs for Online Selling: Insights & Best Practices

Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) need more than just digital tools to succeed online. Effective onboarding programs combine business skills training, tailored support for different platforms, and ongoing assistance. Despite these efforts, many programs are hard to find, often exclude women-led businesses, and there’s no unified national database for MSEs.

To uncover what makes onboarding programs for Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) effective in helping them sell online, we conducted in-depth interviews with 19 stakeholders, including government institutions, NGOs, digital platforms, and support organizations. Through this research, we mapped out program types, success factors, and the challenges faced by both MSEs and program implementers. We found that successful onboarding is not just about digital tools; it also requires building foundational business skills, tailoring to different platform pathways, and providing ongoing support. The report provides practical insights and best practices, while highlighting systemic gaps such as limited program discoverability, the exclusion of many women-led businesses, and the absence of a comprehensive national MSE database.

_{Cover Image source:}_KOPERNIK

Download full report