Electronic commerce in micro, small and medium-sized companies in the city of Bogotá: a search for strategies in the context of covid-19

Abstract

This work proposes an understanding of why the implementation of electronic commerce in MSMEs in Bogotá is not a priority, a situation that was evidenced in the framework of the COVID-19 pandemic. To achieve this, two structured surveys were implemented, carried out on different dates within the framework of the pandemic, seeking to inquire about the use of the Internet in relation to electronic commerce in times of confinement of Bogota citizens. Interviews were also conducted with relevant actors on the subject who presented a context of the situation: an MSME entrepreneur, the deputy director of the Colombian Association of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, and the regional specialist in web merchandising from Sony Latin America. As a complement, a review of consolidated reports was made, from different Colombian entities that periodically offer data in which the behavior of consumption in Colombia is recognized as the use of electronic commerce in this country. In the end, it became clear that the situation that small merchants had to face as a result of the health emergency was very complex, as they were not prepared and were not clear that electronic commerce could be a contingency plan in the face of the mandatory closure of their businesses.