Facebook survey provides insights into SMEs’ outlooks, challenges

Those are among the findings of a “Future of Business” survey carried out by Facebook in collaboration with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the World Bank.
During the first seven months of this year, more than nearly 100,000 small businesses on Facebook, across 22 countries, responded to the survey via e-mail. The aggregated data provide many insights into businesses’ outlooks, challenges, tactics and demographics.
More than 3,936 SMEs across Thailand responded to the survey. Asked about their confidence in doing business, 37 per cent described their future outlook as positive, compared with 14 per cent who felt positive about their current situation. Of the Thai respondents, 20 per cent are engaged in international trade.
The Future of Business survey polled Facebook business-page owners, both newer and long-standing companies.
Clair Deevy, Asia-Pacific head of economic growth initiatives at Facebook, said: “With one of the largest online communities of small businesses in the world, Facebook provides a lens into how new and long-standing small businesses view the world.
“This survey aims to provide a pulse on the current and future economic environments in which small businesses operate in countries across the world. Better insight into business characteristics and strategy can create opportunities for people and businesses around the world and deliver on digital’s promise to drive economic growth and innovation.”