Enabling Small and Medium-Sized Businesses (SMBs) With Access to Funding and Financial Education
Enabling Small and Medium-Sized Businesses (SMBs) With Access to Funding and Financial Education
29 PagesSMBs power Asia Pacific economies, employing 70% of the workforce and contributing 60% of GDP, yet face a $5.2T funding gap and low financial literacy—only 1 in 3 adults are financially literate. Traditional bank lending remains limited, pushing SMBs toward fintechs, crowdfunding, and alternative finance. Visa supports with a $100M APEC initiative, Practical Business Skills education, and partnerships like Earned Wage Access and embedded finance. Programs such as She’s Next and Accelerate My Business target women-led SMBs, while predictive analytics, AI, and open banking promise smarter, more inclusive finance.
