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Mastercard, vcita and Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry Launch Campaign for SME Digitalization

Tuesday, 19 October 2021 10:00 AM

vcita

SEATTLE, WA, and PARIS, FRANCE / ACCESSWIRE / October 19, 2021 / Seattle-based small business management platform vcita has partnered with Mastercard and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Ile de France (CCI-IDF) to announce the launch of Levelup21, a project designed to help French SMEs adopt best practices for digital business processes.

Levelup21 is a free, 21-day professional challenge that educates participants about the benefits of digital transformation while at the same time training them in digital best practices. The Levelup21 experience combines engaging and educational materials to empower small business owners with strategies like automating time-consuming administrative tasks, maximizing email campaigns to build loyalty, and applying new tools to optimize cash flow.

"The adoption of digital tools by business owners has been globally recognized as key to their success and the recovery of the economy," said Adi Engel, vcita's CMO. "At vcita we are fortunate to witness and take in these digital transformation success stories on a daily basis. We are delighted and proud to be joining the CCI-IDF and Mastercard in their ongoing support of SME success in France, and deliver something truly unique to business owners, together."

According to a Deloitte report, businesses with high levels of digital maturity are over twice as likely to be profitable and to see revenue growth than those with low levels of digital maturity.

COVID-19 boosted digital transformation internationally, as lockdowns and movement restrictions forced businesses to close their physical premises and find contact-free ways to continue to offer their products and services.

Many small business owners discovered creative ways to pivot online and digitalize their companies, but the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry noticed that the country's small business owners were lagging behind the trend.

An IFOP study commissioned by Mastercard in early 2021 reported that just 18% of microbusinesses in France accelerated their digital transformation because of the pandemic. The majority are still coming to terms with digital transformation, with 51% of respondents saying that digital projects are unnecessary for their business growth, and more than two-thirds indicating that digitalization is an obligation rather than an opportunity.

A recent survey from TEKsystems concluded that globally, small businesses are well advanced at this point on their transformation journeys. It was clear that education and training for microbusiness owners in France was a key issue, so the CCI-IDF was given the task of working as "digitizers" to help advance those goals.

The organization partnered with Mastercard and vcita to create Levelup21 to educate French small business owners about the value of digital transformation, while also giving them the basic skills needed to spearhead it successfully.

"We are aware that digitization is an issue that entrepreneurs sometimes find difficult to grasp, and so they often leave it on the back burner," explained Solenne Marquet, Director of Product Management at Mastercard. "That's why, with vcita, and Les Digiteurs at CCI-IDF, we have pooled our strengths to guide and support entrepreneurs from companies of all sizes to demonstrate that business digitization is an essential lever for growth and development."

Mastercard and vcita have been collaborating on various projects since 2018, to help more small businesses access a range of digital tools that can ease their daily management obligations and stimulate faster growth. In April 2020, vcita and Mastercard launched the "Business Unusual" portal to assist small business owners pivoting to digital during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Across industries, we're seeing new modes of communication emerging between customers and businesses, with companies responding to customer preferences by creating new workflows based on automation to maximize efficiency," explained Maxime Garreta, Regional Digital Coordination Manager at CCI Paris IDF. "To stay competitive, every company needs to see how they can make the most of these opportunities,"

vcita, Tuesday, October 19, 2021, Press release picture

About Mastercard (NYSE:MA)

Mastercard is a global technology company in the payments industry. Our mission is to connect and power an inclusive, digital economy that benefits everyone, everywhere by making transactions safe, simple, smart and accessible. Using secure data and networks, partnerships and passion, our innovations and solutions help individuals, financial institutions, governments and businesses realize their greatest potential. Our decency quotient, or DQ, drives our culture and everything we do inside and outside of our company. With connections across more than 210 countries and territories, we are building a sustainable world that unlocks priceless possibilities for all. For more information, visit www.mastercard.com.

About vcita

vcita helps small business owners and entrepreneurs build and manage a business they're proud of. Our dedicated business management platform and education hub address all day-to-day needs of SMEs, allowing them to remain competitive in an ever-changing digital-first economy. vcita's easy-to-use app helps solopreneurs and small teams manage their entire business online, turning time-consuming tasks like scheduling, payment collection, and marketing into simple, one-click operations. We build strategic partnerships with global enterprises to create long-lasting customer engagement and new SME growth opportunities. For more information, visit www.vcita.com/partners or follow us on LinkedIn.

About Les Digiteurs, the digitalization program of the CCI Paris IDF

Because digital technology is not only for large corporations, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Ile de France (CCI-IDF) operates Les Digiteurs, supporting small and medium-sized businesses in their digital transformation journeys. With the support of digital advisors available in all departments of the Paris region, Les Digiteurs offers concrete and adapted solutions: workshops, webinars, training, an information platform, diagnostics, individual coaching and digital events. With Les Digiteurs, small businesses can increase their chances of success and start the process of digital transformation. For more information, visit lesdigiteurs.fr.

Contact:

Dan Edelstein
[email protected]
+972-545-464-238

SOURCE: vcita

Topic:
Partnerships
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