SMEs 'must look regionwide'

Pacharee, who is also a co-founder of boutique public relations company Brand Now, recently joined Bangkok University School of Entrepreneurship and Management’s distinguished panel discussion on entrepreneurship in the AEC.

At the event, Prof Dr Wutnipong Warakraisawad, Busem’s director of administrative affairs, revealed 93 per cent of the Thai businesses had no customers outside Thailand.

As a result, she said when consumer confidence was low and customers were not spending much or abstaining from spending, small firms were the first to take a hit.

"To stay on top of the game, I think that Thai SMEs should be more competitive and outward looking," she said. "The first step is to integrate English into the workplace, as it is the language for international business. Effective communication is critical for all businesses, especially for those who want to serve Asean customers in Thailand and expand into the region.

"I’m a firm believer that a company’s success depends on the talent and commitment of its team. Top talent will see the AEC as an opportunity to work in other countries and gain more experience. Some businesses may find their talented employees getting poached by Asean companies when they open offices in Bangkok or other cities."

She said one success or failure factor for SMEs was how they responded to these changes.

She said the good ones would be those who were able to cope with the changes and adapt. These pioneers would be trailblazers.

"These are the SMEs we want to attract to the Entrepreneur Now Awards, as they have something to share and a story to inspire us all," Pacharee said.

She said Bangkok Now had initiated the Entrepreneur Now Awards his year to be a programme that recognises enterprising people and teams operating in the Kingdom. The project’s goal is to foster forward momentum for SMEs.

An international marketing and communications professional with more than 18 years of experience, Pacharee delivers winning solutions for some of the world’s most influential brands. From brand management to direct marketing to internal communications and community relations, Pacharee’ s proven expertise and solid grasp of market communications come together with results – top marketing strategies for clients around the globe.

Pacharee founded Bangkok Now in 2003 with a group of friends and professionals who want to make a difference in the community. Bangkok Now currently has 3,000 employees and is dedicated to supporting SME businesses in the capital. The motto of Bangkok Now is "link and inspire".

"Last year we worked on an awards programme that recognised expatriate entrepreneurs," Pacharee said. "The inspiration to collaborate on that project was a simple one. My business partner and I are also entrepreneurs. As business people, we are always looking for a way that will take us to the next level.

"We operate on the premise that life is a boomerang – what you give is what you get. We treat the awards as a CSR [corporate social responsibility] programme that supports the community of upcoming start-ups and entrepreneurs. It’s our way to give to the community and in the process we also learn and grow."

She said during the judges’ meeting last year, a few judges suggested they should include Thai entrepreneurs in the programme.

The 2015 Entrepreneur Now Awards have been improved based on the feedback of participants at the 2014 awards, coupled with studies on other business awards in the Asia Pacific.

The company then drafted the award plan and shared it with partners, including the American Chamber of Commerce in Thailand, the Thai-Italian Chamber of Commerce, the Irish-Thai Chamber of Commerce, Bangkok Entrepreneur, UNESCO and YouGov.

"We focus on SMEs because this is the area that has the most potential," Pacharee said. "Last year, I attended the Young Presidents’ Organisation, where Dr Surin Pitsuwan gave a key-note address.

"In his speech he spoke about SMEs in Asean and Thailand. According to the ADB [Asian Development Bank], there are 2.7 million SMEs in Thailand and that makes up 98.5 per cent of the total enterprises. The SMEs contribute nearly 40 per cent of the country’s GDP [gross domestic product] and employ 80 per cent of the workforce. Based on these statistics, the force that SMEs can exert on the market place is tremendous."

The Entrepreneur Now Awards event will be held on November 17 at Four Points by Sheraton Bangkok. Over 100 nominations from Thais and foreign SMEs have been received since July. Judging is taking place on November 3 and winners will be announced on November on November 17.