TALKING
‘‘ business
Small-to-medium-sized businesses , SMBs are the backbone of the South African economy and , in fact , the continent . A report by the International Finance Corporation , IFC estimates that micro , small and medium enterprises constitute more than 90 % of all formal business in South Africa , employ 50 – 60 % of the workforce and contribute 34 % of GDP . Across Africa , SMEs account for approximately 80 % of jobs .
These are staggering figures , and yet even though they are key drivers of economic growth , these companies often lag behind in an increasingly digital world , according to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development , OECD .
These businesses often face significant roadblocks on their digitalisation journeys . Research by Microsoft shows that 47 % of SMBs find the cost of new technologies to be the most restrictive factor to adoption , while 38 % have difficulty comparing available solutions and choosing the most appropriate option .
Tarsus On Demand , a recognised services and solutions aggregator in the cloud space across Africa , noted these challenges and developed Digital on Demand , a new marketplace platform with cloud-based solutions designed to solve the unique challenges faced by SMBs .
Digital on Demand has been carefully crafted as a response to a critical need in the market . The vision for Digital on Demand steps outside the one-size-fitsall approach . The marketplace has been curated to provide tailored , strategic solutions that resonate with the specific digital transformation goals and operational needs of SMBs .
Digital on Demand encompasses everything an SMB requires to grow , from domain registration and email setup to cybersecurity solutions . SMBs can scroll through the various categories to find suppliers for whatever they may need , from brand exposure to niche services such as agricultural AI solutions .
They can then read more about the supplier ’ s offering and contact them directly from the platform . They can also contact Tarsus On Demand for assistance in finding the perfect solution and provider if they need further advice .
Tarsus On Demand is enthusiastic about enabling SMBs on their digital journey . Tarsus On Demand
has always had a focus on the SMB sector . Through research it has found that most SMB business owners know the importance of digital transformation , but do not know where to start because nobody ’ s journey is a copy-and-paste endeavour .
While large enterprises have the budget to employ consultancies to guide them through the digitalisation process , most SMB businesses cannot afford exorbitant consultation fees . Digital on Demand will bridge that gap , helping SMBs craft a digitalisation journey and find the solutions , all in one place .
Tarsus On Demand did extensive research on the needs of the SMB segment , then acquired solutions to solve those key challenges . These solutions come in the form of software as a service , SaaS applications , run in the cloud and usually accessible through desktops and mobile applications as well as a web interface .
SaaS companies offer their products for a monthly subscription or a pay-as-you-go model , which may be cheaper than investing in on-premises software products upfront .
The Digital on Demand marketplace continues to grow . It continuously runs research to identify the key challenges faced in the digital transformation process by SMBs , and then sets out to find the correct providers that can solve those challenges .
Digital on Demand has also partnered with Microsoft to offer more solutions . The real value comes from Microsoft Cloud , as a platform to build and host solutions to not only enable and empower businesses to do more , but also provide access to the tools and technologies that drive digitisation . Through
Jessica Harvey , Business Unit Manager , Tarsus On Demand
www . intelligentcio . com INTELLIGENTCIO AFRICA 31