CPA Australia’s 13th Asia-Pacific Small Business Survey surveyed 4,252 small business owners or managers, including 301 from Indonesia, across 11 Asia-Pacific markets to understand business conditions and confidence.
Indonesian small businesses were the second most likely of the markets surveyed to be negatively impacted by the pandemic in 2021. Seventy-two per cent of Indonesian respondents nominated COVID-19 as the most detrimental factor on their business.
Forty-five per cent of respondents said they had shifted to online sales as a response to the pandemic, the highest of the surveyed markets. Benefiting from this proactive tilt towards e-commerce, 68 per cent of respondents earned more than 10 per cent of revenue from online sales, a significant rise of 10 percentage points from 2020. Sixty-one per cent used social media to sell their products and services in 2021, up from 51 per cent in 2020.
As a result of the surge in e-commerce and digital transformation, seven in ten stated that their business grew in 2021, making Indonesia the champion of business growth in the region. This achievement was reflected in the healthy proportion of small businesses that created more jobs. Thirty-five per cent of respondents said they had hired more staff in 2021.
Dr Adi Budiarso FCPA (Aust.), Chairman of the CPA Australia Indonesia Advisory Committee and the Director of the Financial Sector Policy Centre at Indonesia’s Ministry of Finance, said: “2021 was a very challenging year for small businesses in Indonesia because of the pandemic.
“Nonetheless, I am proud to see the resilience and agility of Indonesia’s small businesses. The survey findings not only show their skill in sustaining business operations but also growing through the use of e-commerce. Government assistance programs such as PEN program and Rumah BUMN no doubt assisted with this.”
These capabilities are translating to strong business expectations in 2022. Eighty-seven per cent of respondents expect their businesses to grow this year, making Indonesia one of the most optimistic markets surveyed. As a result, a high proportion intend to increase employees (51 per cent).
Ninety-one per cent of Indonesian respondents expect that they will definitely or possibly require external finance in 2022, the second highest result. Sixty-eight per cent will seek external finance for business growth. However, only one-quarter of respondents expect that accessing finance will be easy or very easy.
“Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are major contributors to our economy and employment. A friendly financing environment would enable them to keep expanding. According to the survey findings, banks are their primary source of finance. New rules issued by Bank Indonesia should encourage local banks to increase their lending to MSMEs from June this year.
Looking forward, Dr Adi suggested that Indonesian small businesses focus more on innovating to maintain their competitiveness in the Asia-Pacific region, as their intention to innovate has declined since 2019. “Although many small businesses grew, they will need to bring their innovation up a notch as there is strong customer demand for new products or services.”
CPA Australia recommends that Indonesian small businesses consider the following:
- Explore opportunities to innovate such as new products, services or processes.
- Leverage external finance for business growth, but pay attention to debt ratio and financing costs.
- Enhance cybersecurity protections and review IT systems regularly.
About CPA Australia
CPA Australia is one of the largest professional accounting bodies in the world, with more than 170,000 members in over 100 countries and regions, including more than 21,000 members in South-East Asia. Our Indonesian office, located in Jakarta, opened in 2011. Our core services include education, training, technical support and advocacy. CPA Australia provides thought leadership on local, national and international issues affecting the accounting profession and public interest. We engage with governments, regulators and industries to advocate policies that stimulate sustainable economic growth and have positive business and public outcomes. Find out more at 
cpaaustralia.com.au
#CPAAustralia
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Services
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
Stakeholder mapping, analysis, engagement and communication needs to be detailed to avoid business losses or even worse, a crisis. How can you do this effectively to prevent failure? ...
BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE
Data-driven business decisions have never been as crucial, especially in this era. MGBF leverages off, technology, experience and market presence to aid businesses in making accurate decisions. ...
GOVERNMENT RELATIONS
MGBF provides comprehensive strategic advice and results-focused solutions to solve clients' problems in business-government relations so they can focus on their core business. ...
BUSINESS & BROADER MARKET ACCESS
A critical business challenge is meeting the right decision-makers and potential buyers through the best channel and platform. How will you improve your business competency? ...
Upcoming Events
SECURITY CONCERNS IN CRITICAL VALUE CHAINS
The threat matrix has evolved to include information warfare, cyberspace incursions, big data and behavioural communications. Business leaders need to be aware of these threats to survive. What are you doing as a key stakeholder?
CHARTING THE FUTURE OF DATA RESILIENCE
Companies can now live or die based on their ability to generate and manage data. Effectively managing existential challenges is the opportunity that business leaders need to grasp for a sustainable future. Calling for speakers!
ADDRESSING WEAPONISED INFORMATION IN THE MEDIA
Corporations and their leadership often face weaponised information attacks in the media. Understanding these advanced business threats is crucial. Recently completed. View proceedings online.
DIGITAL RESILIENCE IN THE CORPORATE SECTOR
Special session: Cyberwarfare Waged on the Corporate Sector - Lessons from the Russia-Ukraine Crisis. Corporations are in a digital arms race that many don't realise. How does this relate to your organisation?
MGBF In The News
The Malaysia Global Business Forum (MGBF) has released a report following the roundtable on ‘Digital Resilience in the Corporate Sector’, which was recently held in Kuala Lumpur. In attendance as guest of honour was Deputy Minister of Communications and Multimedia, Datuk Zahidi Zainul Abidin. The report recommended several critical development […]
Trade and investment delegations will trickle back over the next few months, but the second half of the year should see considerable return of business travellers. It was learnt that over 50 per cent of international business chambers and industry associations surveyed will consider sending exploratory teams to Malaysia during […]
KUALA LUMPUR, 30 March 2022 – The Malaysia Global Business Forum (MGBF)’s exclusive roundtable on ‘Digital Resilience in the Corporate Sector’ was held in a hybrid setting yesterday at the Element by Westin Kuala Lumpur. The discussion focused on what business leaders need to understand, to ensure business resilience and […]
The Malaysia Global Business Forum (MGBF)’s exclusive roundtable on ‘Addressing Weaponised Information in the Media’ was held in a hybrid setting today at the Hilton Kuala Lumpur. The discussion focused on addressing one of the most relevant threats to businesses in the digital economy – cyber threats causing physical and […]
The current floods that have impacted various parts of the country have given rise to an extensive commentary on the response cycles of various stakeholders. It has in turn led to continued crisis communications and statements in the media by agencies and ministries alike. This binary approach to the discussion […]
The formation of a special Cabinet committee to develop strategic measures to safeguard the economy amid the Covid-19 outbreak shows the Malaysian government is serious about creating a balance between the continued safety of the general population and the survival of the economy. In the global context, as many countries […]
Innovation, coupled with a radical departure from contemporary thinking, is required with a possible reality of a prolonged crisis becoming the new reality that people and companies must function through. Malaysia Global Business Forum founding chairman Nordin Abdullah said innovation and resilience from all stakeholders will be required to shape […]
The recent announcement that a committee jointly chaired by senior ministers in charge of security and economy clusters respectively demonstrates that the Malaysian government is serious about creating a balance between continued safety of the general population and the survival of the economy. In the global context, as many countries […]
Innovation, coupled with a radical departure from contemporary thinking, is required with a possible reality of a prolonged crisis becoming the new reality that people and companies must function through. Malaysia Global Business Forum founding chairman Nordin Abdullah said innovation and resilience from all stakeholders will be required to […]
Innovation, coupled with a radical departure from contemporary thinking, is required with a possible reality of a prolonged crisis becoming the new reality that people and companies must function through. Malaysia Global Business Forum founding chairman Nordin Abdullah said innovation and resilience from all stakeholders will be required to […]
The announcement that a committee jointly chaired by senior ministers in charge of security and economy clusters demonstrates that the government is serious about creating a balance between the safety of the population and the survival of the economy. In the global context, as many countries struggle to deal […]
THE Covid-19 outbreak has exposed the citizens of most countries to a dangerous virus. But perhaps more importantly, it has exposed the weaknesses in supply chains of nations.The government should be commended for setting up a task force to maintain critical supply chains as it’s an excellent step to ensure […]
In the last few days, the Movement Control Order (MCO) has awoken many to the fact that supply chains that we assume work without question have now become highly critical.The establishment of a special task force to maintain critical supply chains by the current government is an excellent step to […]
by Gunaprasath Bupalan (YouTube – Emjay Communications, The Malaysia Global Business Forum, News Hub Asia, Property360Digest) The CEO Series 2019 by REHDA Institute is more than a developer’s driven event; it is about the strategy made real, where property and its ancillary businesses will provide balance in social, economic and […]
I am the Managing Director of Lynas Malaysia and I’m writing to you on behalf of our employees and contractors and their families. In recent weeks you may have seen a campaign of false information by anti-Lynas activists. We have always welcomed informed debate, however, the spreading of false allegations […]
I am the Managing Director of Lynas Malaysia and I’m writing to you on behalf of our employees and contractors and their families. In recent weeks you may have seen a campaign of false information by anti-Lynas activists. We have always welcomed informed debate, however, the spreading of false allegations […]
I am the Managing Director of Lynas Malaysia and I’m writing to you on behalf of our employees and contractors and their families. In recent weeks you may have seen a campaign of false information by anti-Lynas activists. We have always welcomed informed debate, however, the spreading of false allegations […]
SALAM sejahtera, I am the managing director of Lynas Malaysia and I’m writing to you on behalf of our employees, contractors and their families. In recent weeks, you may have seen a campaign of false information by anti-Lynas activists. We have always welcomed informed debates; however, the spreading of false allegations and […]
KUALA LUMPUR • Malaysia could attract investments of up to RM100 billion (S$33 billion) in the rare earth sector over the next 10 years, once the government makes clear how it intends to regulate the industry. Speaking at the Malaysia Global Business Forum yesterday, Entrepreneurial Development Minister Mohd Redzuan Md […]
