Support and Consultation Centre for SMEs
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SUCCESS
E-newsletter
8 April 2021

What's New
Useful Information / Topical Issues
Business News

The Support and Consultation Centre for SMEs (SUCCESS) is an information and advisory centre for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) run by the Trade and Industry Department (TID).  If you are looking for free business information and practical consultation services, please visit SUCCESS.

Our Website's address is www.success.tid.gov.hk.

Our customer hotline is : (852) 2398 5133.

More Details
 

What's New

Event Calendar of the SME Centres

To enhance the integrated services of the four existing SME Centres, including SUCCESS under the Trade and Industry Department, the "SME Centre" under the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), "SME One" under the Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) and "TecONE" under the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation, SUCCESS has launched an "Event Calendar of the SME Centres" on its website. The Event Calendar facilitates enterprises to obtain information on seminars/workshops/activities organised by the four SME Centres from a single platform, and also provides links to the relevant event web pages to facilitate registration.

Please click here to browse the Event Calendar of the SME Centres.

SUCCESS Activities


In view of the latest development of the epidemic situation, the counter service of SUCCESS has been resumed.  Meanwhile, webinars, Customer Hotline (Tel.: (852) 2398 5133) and Email Enquiry (success@tid.gov.hk) continue to be operated as usual.  On the other hand, in order to reduce the risk of the spread of the novel coronavirus in the community, SUCCESS will not provide "Video Show of SME Seminars" for the public until further notice.

Webinar: "Powering Up Leadership Effectiveness through Listening"

(This webinar will be live-streamed on 16 April 2021)

Mastering active listening skills is of great importance to power up one’s leadership effectiveness and create better employee engagement.  In this webinar co-organised by SUCCESS and Hong Kong International Coaching Community, an expert will share with the audience through true stories on how effective listening skills would make employees feel appreciated, recognised and respected, with a view to improving employees’ performance and fostering a company’s culture. (This webinar will be conducted in Cantonese.) 

 

"Young Industrialist Awards of Hong Kong" (YIAH) & "Industrialist of the Year Award" (IOY) 2021 are now open for nominations

Federation of Hong Kong Industries (FHKI) launched the YIAH in 1988, which has awarded over 200 young industrialists, aged between 21 and 45 over the years.  FHKI introduced the IOY in 2002 to honour an exemplary industrialist with outstanding achievements to Hong Kong’s industry and society each year.  To date, 19 industrialists have been conferred with this prestigious award.

The Awards give recognition to industrialists who have made distinguished contributions to Hong Kong’s economic and social development.  The Awards also aim to enhance public recognition of industrial sector’s commitment to Hong Kong’s continuing prosperity and inspire more young people to build their career in industrial sectors so as to promote innovation and continue the sterling work of veteran industrialists.

YIAH & IOY 2021 are now open for nominations.  The nomination deadline is 31 May 2021.  For the details of eligibility and nomination procedures, please visit the Awards website www.yiah.org/en/.

Electronic Filing of Profits Tax Return

Corporations and partnerships satisfying the conditions specified by the Commissioner of Inland Revenue can file their Profits Tax Returns for any year of assessment from 2015/16 to 2020/21 and attach supplementary forms to Profits Tax Return S1, S2, S3 and S4 electronically under eTAX. Please visit Inland Revenue Department's website www.ird.gov.hk/eng/tax/bus_epf.htm for details.

Compensation levels for work injuries and occupational diseases increased

The Legislative Council passed three resolutions on 17 March 2021 to increase the amounts of a total of 18 compensation items under the Employees’ Compensation Ordinance, the Pneumoconiosis and Mesothelioma (Compensation) Ordinance and the Occupational Deafness (Compensation) Ordinance.  The revised levels of compensation will take effect from 15 April 2021.

Useful Information / Topical Issues

Support Measures relating to Liquidity  

In view of the cash-flow pressure of SMEs, SUCCESS has compiled a summary of support measures relating to liquidity.

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SME ReachOut  

Amid difficult business environment, HKPC knows SMEs are in the urgent need of cash to keep business running.  The newly established "SME ReachOut" support team is here to help SMEs well equip for bouncing back, through introducing and matching the appropriate funding schemes. 

"SME ReachOut", a dedicated service team operated by HKPC, has commenced operation starting from 1 January 2020 to support SMEs through free-of-charge one-on-one meetings.  The team would help SMEs identify funding schemes that suit their needs, while answering questions relating to applications.  

There are over 40 funding schemes provided by the Government for SMEs, with different funding scopes, amounts and requirements.  "SME ReachOut" serves to enhance SMEs' understanding of the Government's funding schemes, with a view to encouraging better utilisation of the support provided by the Government, and to enhancing their competitiveness and development.  

For enquiries, please contact "SME ReachOut" Hotline / WhatsApp (Text Message Only) at 2788 6868 or email by sme_reachout@hkpc.org.



Dedicated Fund on Branding, Upgrading and Domestic Sales (BUD Fund) 

BUD Fund provides funding support to individual non-listed Hong Kong enterprises in undertaking projects to develop brands, upgrade and restructure their business operations and promote sales in the Mainland and ASEAN* markets, so as to enhance their competitiveness and facilitate their business development in these markets. 

To strengthen support to enterprises in exploring new markets and new business opportunities, TID rolled out a new round of enhancement measures to the BUD Fund in January 2020.  The enhancement measures include extending the geographical coverage of the Fund to all economies with which Hong Kong has signed Free Trade Agreements (FTAs)**; increasing the cumulative funding ceiling per enterprise to $4 million, including $2 million for projects in the Mainland and $2 million for projects in ASEAN and other FTA markets; and increasing the ratio of initial payment from 25% to up to 75% of the total approved government funding.

Further enhancements to the BUD Fund have been effective since 9 April 2020, including the removal of the geographical demarcation for each enterprise in undertaking projects in the Mainland and other economies which have signed FTAs with Hong Kong ($2 million cumulative funding each).  Enterprises can flexibly make use of the total funding of up to $4 million to undertake projects in the Mainland or other economies which have signed FTAs with Hong Kong.  Besides, enterprises participating in virtual exhibitions organised by Government-related organisations or reputable exhibition organisers with good track records are eligible for funding support under the BUD Fund.

HKPC has been engaged as the implementation partner of the BUD Fund to implement the funding scheme.  Online application service has been available from 30 June 2020 onwards.  Please contact HKPC at 2788 6088 or visit the official website of the BUD Fund ( www.bud.hkpc.org/en/ ) for details of the funding scheme.  HKPC also regularly organises seminars to enhance enterprises’ understanding of the BUD Fund.

* ASEAN comprises Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam.

* *Including the Mainland, New Zealand, the four member states of the European Free Trade Association (i.e. Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland), Chile, Macao, the ten member states of ASEAN, Georgia and Australia.

Webinar on "Maximizing people potential over Managing people, the new leadership mindset in the VUCA era"

(This webinar will be live-streamed on 15 April 2021) 

This webinar is organised by the Federation of Hong Kong Industries.  The business world has changed dramatically over the last few decades, and we now live in a world of volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity (VUCA).  In this webinar, speakers will share with participants how to use the strengths-based leadership to excel individual and team performance by leveraging on each other to tackle the V.U.C.A. one by one to win over the VUCA era. (Admission fee is required. This webinar will be conducted in Cantonese.)


More Details

T-box Workshop on "Garment Business: E-commerce for brand promotion and new opportunities"

(This workshop will be live-streamed on 19 April 2021) 

The workshop is organised by Hong Kong Trade Development Council.  While apparel industry is facing severe challenges under the impact of pandemic, the rapid growth of Ecommerce has generated massive influx of business opportunities.  In collaboration with Hong Kong Apparel Society (HKAS), the workshop will invite the Vice Chairman of HKAS to share insights to his company's transformation strategy, human resource reform and the use of new technology to develop innovative business operation model.  In addition, expert speakers will provide tips on adopting the two essential and easy-to-use technologies in retail technology management, namely RFID and 2D barcodes, and also share tactics on how to implement the principles and concepts of LEAN management to assist SMEs in reducing cost of supply chain so as to enhance competitiveness. (This workshop will be conducted in Cantonese.)

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Business News

 

GDETO Newsletter

The latest issue of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Guangdong (GDETO) Newsletter has been published.

More Details (in Chinese only)

Commercial Information Circulars (CICs) of the Mainland

The Trade and Industry Department issued a number of Commercial Information Circulars (CICs) on the Mainland's trade and economic rules and regulations. The latest CICs have been published. 

More Details

   
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