Mark Horner
The SME Market in Cao Bằng
What is a Small to Medium Enterprise?
Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are businesses that maintain revenues, assets or a number of employees between certain thresholds. Each country has its own definition of what constitutes a small and medium-sized enterprise (SME). Small and medium-sized enterprises in Asia are businesses with no more than 500 employees.
Cao Bằng is a province of the Northeast region of Vietnam. The province has borders with Hà Giang, Tuyên Quang, Bắc Kạn, and Lạng Sơn provinces within Vietnam. It also has a common international border with Guangxi province in China. The province covers 6,724.6 square kilometres.
The area has a rich history tracing to the Bronze Age Tây Âu (西甌) Kingdom of the ethnic Tày. Cao Bằng has several points of historical interest as well as many natural features such as the Pác Bó (at the mouth of the confluence of two rivers, the Bằng Giang and Hien rivers) where Hồ Chí Minh in January 1941 established a revolutionary force at Cốc Bó cave, the Mạc emperor's Temple, the Kỳ Sầm Temple, Coi Bin Church, the Bản Giốc waterfall area at the international border between Vietnam and China, and the Thang Hen Mountain Lake.
Economy Cao Bằng is relatively poor compared to other Vietnamese provinces. Most of the province's economy is centered on agriculture and forestry, although other industries exist. Facilities such as schools and hospitals tend to be in poor condition, but are gradually improving. Transportation, once a major problem, has been improved considerably by new road construction. As against the national figure of 7,592 of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery cooperatives there are only 4 co-operatives in the province; all are agricultural co-operatives. There are only 57 farms compared to the national total of 120,699.
The output value of agriculture produce at constant 1994 prices in the province was 676.6 billion đồngs against the national value of 156,681.9 billion đồngs. In 1994 the province produced 151,800 tonnes of cereals compared to the national production of 229.1 million tonnes The per capita production of cereals in the district was 448.6 kg as against the national figure of 501.8 kg in 2007. In 2007, the industrial output of the province was a meagre 571.8 billion đồngs against the national output of 1.47 million billion đồngs.
How big is the SME Market in Cao Bằng?
Small and medium-size enterprises play an important role in the economy of Cao Bằng Province. They outnumber large firms considerably, employ large numbers of people and are entrepreneurial in nature, helping to shape innovation and support local communities.
Cao Bằng Province has a population of over 530,341 people.
What help is available for SMEs?
Help for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) includes virtual peer-to-peer advisory boards. With our blended model utilising Zoom and supplemented by in person meetings we are able to support and grow businesses anywhere in the world. Our growing network of Regional Directors ensure that we have suitable people to help you whatever your language or time zone.