Propagating Hope – Stories from African SMEs Amidst Covid19 || ACE-Tech Auto Services Pivots Through Digitization & Knowledge Sharing

By Parminder OBE

May 4, 2020

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ACE-Tech Auto Services is an automobile company located in Lagos, Nigeria. They focus on the restoration and sales of new and fairly cars. The company is dedicated to providing the high quality workmanship as well as keeping up with the international standards obtainable in their given sector.  ACE-Tech Auto Services. keeps up on all the latest tools and techniques of the trade to perform the highest quality work possible today.

As an African SME whose business model is dependent on being physically available for work, the COVID-19 epidemic has placed a demand on them to make key changes in the way they run their business. Here’s what they had to say:

Q: Is your business a SME or an ESO?

A: We are a SME

Q: What are the three key features of your business?

A: The three key features of our business are offering complete restoration to vehicles, taking youths off the streets and a life of crime through skill acquisition programs and buying/selling spare parts and vehicles.

Q: In what ways has the COVID-19 crisis negatively or positively impacted your business?

A: On the negative side; due to restriction on movement, we are unable to carry out our operations regularly as we do not have direct physical access to our clients. Also, there is a hike in prices of goods and services due to reduced circulation. This has also resulted in a fall in demand as we have not been able to buy the parts required to carry out some operations. On the positive side, it has given us the time and impressed on us the importance of online trainings and courses to increase our knowledge on the job and also ways to best serve our clients in this time.

Q: What measures have you taken to mitigate the negative effects of this crisis on your business?

A: Firstly, we are obeying the stay at home order because health is ultimately the first priority. Secondly we have increased our efforts to keep in touch with our clients and to monitor their general welfare during this period. These relationships are important and we are learning to manage them using the digital communication tools available to us. Finally, we are offering assistance and carrying out operations via video calls to provide guidelines on how they can keep their vehicles fit and ready for the road in case of any emergency trips.

Q: Can you name three Covid19 related policies/regulations that your government has put in place to combat this pandemic and what effects have these policies/regulations had on your business?

A: The policies are: The stay at home rule; this has deprived us of having physical contact with our clients and therefore we can’t carry out our operations as effectively as we should. Closure of borders; there’s hike in prices of goods and services due to the fact that sellers can’t find goods to buy in the market, so the few that are available are offered at a higher price rate. Movement restriction on vehicles; given the sector that we operate, less vehicles on the road means less work for us and that results in a fall in revenue.

Q: What are the three measures that the policymakers need to implement to support the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

A: The measures we believe are needed urgently are; grass root financial support for SMEs, regulation of tax policies for SMEs and seminars to build capacity and boost creativity. 

Q: How has the COVID-19 crisis affected or influenced business collaboration and networking in your immediate environment and sector?

A: Business collaboration has been great over as we are all reliant on each other for support. Also SMEs are partnering with NGOs in providing Relief Packages to the less privileged. 

Q: What are the three pieces of advice you would like to offer your fellow African SMEs/ESOs?

A: My Advice would be: Acquire the necessary skills to keep you in business; do not limit your dreams because of funding worries, if the idea is financially viable the investors will come and never lose the courage to ‘start’.

You can follow and contact ACE-Tech Auto Services here:

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From the conversation above, it is evident that in spite of the COVID-19 epidemic, there are entrepreneurs who are facing these unprecedented challenges head on and are finding new ways to run their businesses and to stay relevant in their respective sectors and communities. These entrepreneurs stand as beacons of hope and their stories deserve to be heard.

If you belong to this unique group of dynamic African entrepreneurs, I implore you to get in touch via the email addresses written below. I also encourage you to use the hashtag, #Support4AfricaSMEs and to share our articles and posts to be a part of this campaign. You can also find an aggregation of important resources here: http://www.support4africasmes.com/

Remember, you are a beacon of hope and your voice needs to be heard.

parmindervir450@gmail.com