Facebook Rolls Out 'SMB Guide' For Small Businesses To Move Online Facebook is proactively reaching out to help 9 million small businesses across the country

Social media giant Facebook on Wednesday announced that it has rolled out a dedicated offline to online small medium business (SMB) guide and other new resources to help small businesses go online swiftly in the backdrop of pandemic.

In a statement, Facebook said the "SMB Guide' is free and publicly available, however it is taking an extra effort to reach 9 million small businesses across the country to ensure it reaches the businesses which require the help most.

The Guide has been designed to provide a step-by-step direction on how the smallest of businesses can build a digital presence quickly, and reach potential customers online. It covers Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, and key themes such as building an online presence, mobile storytelling, social media advertising, and creative and performance strategies. For better understanding and reaching to the masses the Guide is available in Hindi apart from English.

Commenting on the development, Said Archana Vohra, director Small and Medium Businesses, Facebook India, said, "Facebook is committed to the economic recovery of small businesses. We understand the impact the pandemic has had on their operations, and how critical it is for them to move online and leverage digital for reaching new customers and growing in these times. Our new resources are geared to helping the smallest of businesses across geographies to move from offline to online with minimum effort. While the offline to online SMB Guide is publicly available, we are proactively reaching out to 9 million small businesses across India to ensure timely support."

The California-headquartered company has also been providing skill support to small businesses through the pandemic. The company is also rolling out the next leg of "Boost with Facebook' - Facebook's flagship skilling and learning program for scaling young businesses. The program went virtual earlier this year, and is now going vernacular, and will be delivered primarily in Hindi through Facebook Live sessions. Keeping the festive season in mind, Facebook has also launched "Season of Support' - a dedicated resource to boost business and build sales for small businesses.

Recently Facebook had announced a grant of $4.3 million in order to support Indian SMBs with funding during the tough times. This was part of the $100 million global grant for small businesses across 30 countries.