MEA believes that one aspect of entrepreneurship is how one thinks outside the box, and tries to be as innovative as possible, to create something which can make a positive difference in people’s lives. The role of the SME Helpdesk within MEA is actually this, and with MEAINDEX, we think that we managed to create a useful platform that inspires others, bridging a knowledge gap by facilitating access to our local ecosystem, whilst offering entrepreneurs a single always-on point of reference.
Unfortunately, some potential entrepreneurs may never get off the ground simply because they are initially shocked with too much bureaucracy, red-tape, and misinformation about how they can set-up their own business. They would practically have to face the business world without proper handholding, so MEAINDEX is the ideal tool for them. It definitely supports entrepreneurship by guiding entrepreneurs through the required tasks, facilitating access to information related to business, identifying who’s who, and which entities are there ready to assist. MEAINDEX groups together all Licencing Authorities, and explains the differences between one trade licence and another. It also keeps users updated with all legislative developments and new policies and gives one a clear picture of SME statistics, locally and at a European Level, Last but not least it is a Directory full of contact telephone numbers, email addresses, and details of regulatory bodies and other entities one might encounter during enforcement procedures.
By keeping businesses on track regarding current issues and particular circumstances, and providing them with the right information at the right moment, helping them to access information without excessive red tape, we believe that we will be contributing towards a more entrepreneurial society give entrepreneurs more space and time to think about innovation and creativity.
In a few words, one can define MEAINDEX as:
- The WORKING DIRECTORY for business owners
- An ONLINE PORTAL with a difference
- A USEFUL TOOLBOX for potential entrepreneurs
- A GUIDE to facilitate communication
- A SINGLE POINT OF REFERENCE with hundreds of entries worth experiencing
- The PLATFORM that helps one understand the local business ecosystem better
MEA believes that this is a good example of best practice which will not only prove beneficial to Malta but could also easily be replicated elsewhere in Europe.