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Small business could claim to be
the world’s biggest business. It is estimated that more
than 95 per cent of the world’s businesses are small to
medium sized. Thus, international standards need to
provide as many benefits for small businesses as they do
for global enterprises, governments and society at
large.
Small business owners and
managers are hard-working people, sharply focused on the
survival of their enterprises, and international
standardization might seem far removed from their
practical concerns. However the fact is that
international standards developed by ISO, the IEC and
ITU have facilitated economic developments and the
dissemination of technologies that empower small
business, as much as their larger counterparts.
International standards have been
instrumental in the development of the electrical power
grids and telecommunication/ICT networks and global
supply chains, opening up more opportunities for small
business. Standards from the IEC, ITU and ISO have been
and remain major contributors to such developments.
The global supply chains,
offshore production and business process outsourcing
that are providing new openings for small businesses,
including those in developing countries, are built on a
solid foundation of international standards.
ICT standardization in particular
allows small businesses to reach far beyond their
physical location in search of new markets. For example,
with the spectacular growth of the internet, any
company, regardless of size, can now easily have a shop
window to the world. In addition, standardization
supports digitized manufacturing and quality control
processes, product information and financial
transactions – forming a basis for partnerships and
commerce unconstrained by location. These standards are
complemented by ones for good managerial practice.
Additionally there are standards
for products that add value to a growing number of the
services provided by small businesses. Small businesses
have at their disposal management systems and conformity
assessment standards which can help to establish them as
reliable suppliers and business partners, to satisfy
regulations, or to qualify for procurement tendering.
For pro-active small business
owners and managers who wish to identify potential
opportunities that international standards may hold for
their businesses, keeping abreast of developments in
ITU, the IEC and ISO is key to seizing market trends and
opportunities. Governments and trade associations in a
number of countries have also launched standards-related
initiatives for small businesses.
Clearly, international standards
can provide big benefits for small business.
International standards developed by ISO, ITU and the
IEC provide practical solutions to many of the
challenges faced by small business in today’s
globalizing markets. In so doing, they allow small
business owners and managers to enhance further their
traditional virtues of hard work, enterprising spirit
and close attention to the requirements and satisfaction
of their customers.
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