ABN AMRO Bank N : launches platform to support SMEs

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are facing challenging times. The crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic is forcing many of them to reconsider how they do business.

Besides providing financial assistance, ABN AMRO is helping them in other ways too: together with other companies, the bank has set up a special website (in Dutch only) containing relevant information and easy-to-use solutions.

Information and solutions

For example, the Tikkie app for businesses offers an easy tool for handling digital payments from customers, and companies needing legal documents can have them customised to their requirements by VraagHugo(*). The website also includes a tool for calculating how well the company can cope with the increased risk of cybercrime, and tools for drafting a reliable liquidity plan and swiftly finding out what support schemes are available. Business owners can share their recent experiences on the website, and SMEs can use the Opportunity Network(*) to get in touch with each other. To help companies through the crisis, some of ABN AMRO's solutions are temporarily available to clients free of charge.

A little extra help

Commercial Banking CEO Daphne de Kluis explains: 'It's unclear what the impact of the coronavirus restrictions will be on households and companies during the quarters ahead. Many companies will need to work hard to survive the crisis. The idea behind this website is to give them a little extra help.'

Matching the needs of SMEs

Following a preliminary pilot, an initial version of the website came online earlier this week. This 'minimum viable product version' of the website will be used as the basis for further development, drawing on user feedback to match it to the needs of SMEs as closely as possible.

(*) VraagHugo and Opportunity Network are external partners of ABN AMRO.