THE CPA AUSTRALIA
ASIA-PACIFIC
SMALL BUSINESS
SURVEY 2015
BEIJING REPORT
2 | THE CPA AUSTRALIA ASIA-PACIFIC SMALL BUSINESS SURVEY 2015 – BEIJING REPORT
LEGAL NOTICE
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ISBN: 978-1-921742-77-4
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First published 2016
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3 | THE CPA AUSTRALIA ASIA-PACIFIC SMALL BUSINESS SURVEY 2015 – BEIJING REPORT
OVERVIEW
CPA Australia Asia-Pacific Small Business Survey 2015 is the sixth in a series of annual reports measuring small
business confidence, the drivers of confidence, technology uptake and access to finance by small businesses. The
data is compared across the eight economies included in this survey and over time.
In total, 2932 participants completed the survey, including 510 from Australia, 610 from the mainland of China, 265
from Hong Kong, 306 from Indonesia, 310 from Malaysia, 311 from New Zealand, 310 from Singapore and 310
from Vietnam.
Of the 610 participants from the mainland of China, 155 were from Beijing, 152 were from Chongqing, 147 were
from Guangzhou and 156 were from Shanghai.
The online survey was conducted with a random sample of small business owners/managers between 24
September and 14 October 2015. The sample was obtained through panel providers. To qualify for the survey,
participants were required to be an owner, a senior manager (defined as being a director, a principal, a CEO, a
CFO, a senior manager or a managing director) or a qualified accountant of a business with fewer than 20
employees.
4 | THE CPA AUSTRALIA ASIA-PACIFIC SMALL BUSINESS SURVEY 2015 – BEIJING REPORT
SUMMARY OF BEIJING RESULTS
Small businesses in Beijing are positive, innovating, growing their e-commerce presence
and outcompeting businesses from other major cities from the Asia-Pacific.
CPA Australia’s Asia-Pacific Small Business Survey reveals that Beijing’s small businesses are positive about their
business and China’s economy and they have a strong focus on innovation, e-commerce and business
management.
The focus on innovation, e-commerce and improving business management is flowing through to business growth,
with the number of small businesses from Beijing that grew in the past 12 months rising 13.6 percentage points to
76.1 per cent in this survey from the last. This strong sentiment is expected to continue in 2016 with 78.1 per cent
expecting to grow in the next 12 months, which is above the survey average of 70.7 per cent.
1
Beijing is slightly ahead of the other cities from the mainland of China included in this survey when it comes to the
number of small businesses that expect to grow in the next 12 months. Beijing small businesses were also much
more likely to report growing than small businesses from Hong Kong (63.8 per cent) and Singapore (58.7 per cent).
This strong growth is translating through to the sector being a large creator of jobs in Beijing, with 47.7 per cent of
Beijing’s small business respondents increasing employee numbers in the past 12 months, the highest reading of
the cities from the mainland of China included in this survey and significantly higher than Hong Kong (32.5 per
cent) and Singapore (19.7 per cent).
With China’s economy being impacted by a variety of factors, including slowing domestic growth (which, however,
remains very strong) and weak recoveries in the economies of the US, Japan and the euro area, the increase in
the number of small businesses that reported growing in the past 12 months shows the resilience of Beijing’s and
China’s small business sector.
Such resilience and their strong focus on innovation, e-commerce, social media and improving business
management should mean that Beijing’s small businesses are well placed to take advantage of opportunities
emerging from government policies, including the Belt and Road initiative.
The survey results clearly demonstrate that there are very good reasons to be confident in Beijing’s small business
sector with Beijing’s small businesses being the second most likely of all the markets surveyed to expect to
undertake innovation through the definite introduction of a new product, service or process that is unique to their
local market or the world in the next 12 months. When it comes to innovation, Beijing’s small businesses (with 41.3
per cent definitely expecting to undertake innovation) are well ahead of their competitors from Shanghai (25.0 per
cent), Hong Kong (17.7 per cent) and Singapore (15.2 per cent).
1
Beijing, Chongqing, Guangzhou and Shanghai
5 | THE CPA AUSTRALIA ASIA-PACIFIC SMALL BUSINESS SURVEY 2015 – BEIJING REPORT
It is not only innovation that Beijing’s small businesses are outcompeting businesses from Shanghai, Hong Kong,
Singapore and elsewhere. Beijing’s small businesses also are more likely to focus on:
 growing their e-commerce presence to a large extent over the next 12 months (43.9 per cent of Beijing’s small
businesses expect to strongly grow their e-commerce presence in the next 12 months, compared with 42.6 per
cent of Hong Kong small businesses, 29.5 per cent of Shanghai small businesses and 19.4 per cent of
Singapore’s small businesses)
 improved business management (36.1 per cent of Beijing’s small businesses stated that improved business
management had a major positive impact on their business in the past 12 months compared with 32.1 per cent
of Shanghai’s small businesses, 20.4 per cent of Hong Kong’s small businesses and 20.3 per cent of
Singapore’s small businesses).
This strong focus on innovation, e-commerce and improving business management means that Beijing’s small
businesses are in a good position to outcompete their less nimble and tech-savvy competitors and remain
competitive against small businesses from Singapore, Hong Kong and other parts of China.
Beijing’s small businesses are also facing challenges. Like their counterparts in Hong Kong, many Beijing small
businesses stated that increasing costs had a major detrimental impact on their business in the past 12 months. In
fact, small businesses from Beijing were the most likely of the cities from the mainland of China to nominate
increasing costs as a barrier to growth.
It seems, however, that Beijing’s small businesses are responding well to this challenge. The focus on e-commerce
can reduce business costs such as rent while maintaining their ability to reach out to customers. The strong focus
on improving business management should also provide many of Beijing’s small businesses with the know-how to
better manage cost pressures.
The range of initiatives China’s government has implemented or is implementing to encourage innovation, such as
the guidelines to promote mass entrepreneurship and innovation and the Made in China 2025 plan, should further
inculcate a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship amongst Beijing’s small businesses. Such a culture should
help Beijing’s small businesses compete and help drive the next phase of China’s astonishing economic growth
story.
Beijing’s small businesses are not only growing strongly, creating jobs and preparing for the future, but they are
well placed to compete with small businesses from other major cities such as Shanghai, Hong Kong and
Singapore.
Other results from the survey:
Demographics
 Respondents from Beijing are typically below 40 (60.7 per cent) and the business was established less than 10
years ago (72.3 per cent).
 There is a strong correlation between younger business owners and those businesses that expect to grow, sell
online, use social media for business purposes and innovate through the introduction of new products,
processes or services.
6 | THE CPA AUSTRALIA ASIA-PACIFIC SMALL BUSINESS SURVEY 2015 – BEIJING REPORT
Access to finance
 For those Beijing small businesses that sought finance in the past 12 months, they were significantly more likely
to find the experience easier than in 2014 (59.7 per cent found access to finance easy or very easy in this
survey compared with 32.7 per cent from the last survey)
 While government policies to encourage more lending by the nation’s banks to the sector would have influenced
this easing of finance conditions, small businesses in Beijing remain almost as likely to seek finance outside of
the banking sector.
 Funding business growth remains the most important reason for accessing external finance.
7 | THE CPA AUSTRALIA ASIA-PACIFIC SMALL BUSINESS SURVEY 2015 – BEIJING REPORT
MAJOR FINDINGS FOR BEIJING
Beijing’s small businesses, with their very strong focus on innovation, are well
placed to grow, create jobs and export in 2016 and beyond.
With small businesses with an e-commerce presence being more likely
to be growing and creating jobs, Beijing’s very strong focus on ecommerce is a distinct competitive advantage for its business and the
economy.
With small businesses that expect to grow revenue from exporting
being more likely to be growing and creating jobs, more small
businesses from Beijing should consider having a stronger focus
on exporting.
With the survey results showing a strong connection between
social media use and business growth, the very strong uptake of
social media by Beijing’s small businesses is a competitive
advantage.
Reflecting strong business conditions, nearly three in five of
Beijing’s small businesses plan to increase their headcount in 2016.
Beijing’s small businesses are more likely to expect their business and
China’s economy to grow in 2016.
Access to finance became easier for a significant number of small businesses
from Beijing in 2015.
8 | THE CPA AUSTRALIA ASIA-PACIFIC SMALL BUSINESS SURVEY 2015 – BEIJING REPORT
KEY SURVEY FINDINGS FOR BEIJING
INNOVATION
Beijing’s small businesses, with their very strong focus on innovation2, are well placed
to grow, create jobs and export in 2016 and beyond.
Small businesses that will definitely introduce a new product, service or process in the next 12
months that is new to their market or the world
Beijing
41.3%
Guangzhou
32.0%
Chongqing
28.3%
Shanghai
25.0%
Survey average
Hong Kong
Singapore
2
22.0%
17.7%
15.2%
Innovation for the purpose of the survey is taken to be the introduction of a new product, service or process that is unique to a market or the
world.
9 | THE CPA AUSTRALIA ASIA-PACIFIC SMALL BUSINESS SURVEY 2015 – BEIJING REPORT
The relationship between innovation and jobs creation, business growth and exporting
Percentage that expect to
definitely introduce a
product, service or
process that is new to
their market or the world
EMPLOYEE NUMBERS
Expecting to increase employee numbers in the next 12 months
NOT expecting to increase employee numbers in the next 12 months
BUSINESS GROWTH
Expecting to grow their business in the next 12 months
NOT expecting to grow their business in the next 12 months
EXPORTING
Expecting revenue from overseas sales to grow strongly in the next 12 months
NOT expecting to grow their revenue from overseas sales in the next 12 months
10 | THE CPA AUSTRALIA ASIA-PACIFIC SMALL BUSINESS SURVEY 2015 – BEIJING REPORT
With Beijing’s small business sector being a leader on innovation in the region, small businesses from the city are
well placed to grow and outcompete their rivals from elsewhere in China, Singapore, New Zealand and Australia.
This very strong focus on innovation is a distinct competitive advantage.
With the survey results showing innovative businesses are significantly more likely to be growing, exporting and
creating jobs, it is easy to see why China’s government is focused on encouraging mass entrepreneurship and
innovation, and improving manufacturing innovation through the ‘Made in China 2025’ national plan. As a recent
OECD paper on innovation stated, ‘in the long run, it is difficult to imagine growth without innovation’.
Businesses are also more likely to definitely expect to undertake innovation through the introduction of a new
product, service or process that is unique to their market or the world in the next 12 months if they:
 have a business owner/manager aged under 40
 have between 5 and 19 staff
 are in the banking, finance and insurance sector or the manufacturing sector.
KEY FINDING
Beijing’s small businesses, with their very strong focus on innovation, are well placed to grow, create jobs and
export in 2016 and beyond. We suggest that those small businesses that are not innovating should consider
making innovation a part of their business strategy.
11 | THE CPA AUSTRALIA ASIA-PACIFIC SMALL BUSINESS SURVEY 2015 – BEIJING REPORT
E-COMMERCE
With small businesses with an e-commerce presence being more likely to be growing
and creating jobs, Beijing’s very strong focus on e-commerce is a distinct competitive
advantage for its business and the economy.
Small business that generated revenue from online sales
Shanghai
92.3%
Guangzhou
91.8%
Beijing
91.0%
Chongqing
85.5%
Hong Kong
80.4%
Survey average
68.9%
Singapore
63.6%
Small business that intend to grow their e-commerce presence to a large extent in next
12 months
Beijing
43.9%
Hong Kong
42.6%
Chongqing
38.2%
Guangzhou
34.0%
Survey average
32.2%
Shanghai
Singapore
29.5%
19.4%
12 | THE CPA AUSTRALIA ASIA-PACIFIC SMALL BUSINESS SURVEY 2015 – BEIJING REPORT
The relationship between e-commerce and business growth, jobs creation and exporting
Percentage that expect to
grow their e-commerce
presence to a large
extent
BUSINESS GROWTH
Expecting to grow their business in the next 12 months
NOT expecting to grow their business in the next 12 months
EMPLOYEE NUMBERS
Expecting to increase employee numbers in the next 12 months
NOT expecting to increase employee numbers in the next 12 months
EXPORTING
Expecting revenue from overseas sales to grow strongly over the next 12 months
NOT expecting to sell into overseas markets in the next 12 months
Small businesses from Beijing are among the leaders in generating revenue from online sales in the region. This
advantage is likely to grow with over four in ten (43.9 per cent) small businesses from Beijing expecting to grow
their e-commerce presence strongly in the next 12 months.
13 | THE CPA AUSTRALIA ASIA-PACIFIC SMALL BUSINESS SURVEY 2015 – BEIJING REPORT
With the survey results showing that small businesses that are selling online and seeking to grow their e-commerce
presence are significantly more likely to be growing and creating jobs, it is easy to see why so many small
businesses in Beijing have an e-commerce presence.
The focus on e-commerce should also assist small businesses from Beijing reduce the impact that rent has on their
business. E-commerce allows some businesses to take up less floor space, particularly in high rental locations,
while still giving them access to customers, many of whom are becoming increasingly familiar with purchasing
goods and services online.
Small businesses are also more likely to earn income from online sales where:




the business has between 5 and 19 staff
the business has been established for less than 21 years
the respondent is aged under 40
the business is from the manufacturing sector.
KEY FINDING
The high level of focus on e-commerce by Beijing’s small businesses is a key competitive advantage for those
businesses and the economy. It should allow small businesses from Beijing to better control rent costs and
improve their connection with customers.
14 | THE CPA AUSTRALIA ASIA-PACIFIC SMALL BUSINESS SURVEY 2015 – BEIJING REPORT
SMALL BUSINESS AND EXPORTING
With small businesses that expect to grow revenue from exporting being more likely to
be growing and creating jobs, more small businesses from Beijing should consider
having a stronger focus on exporting.
Small businesses expecting revenue from overseas sales will grow in the next 12 months
Guangzhou
Shanghai
Beijing
Hong Kong
Chongqing
Singapore
Survey average
19.7%
50.3%
10.9%
55.1%
18.7%
41.3%
22.3%
13.8%
17.7%
19.1%
32.8%
37.5%
31.3%
29.7%
Grow strongly
Grow a little
15 | THE CPA AUSTRALIA ASIA-PACIFIC SMALL BUSINESS SURVEY 2015 – BEIJING REPORT
The relationship between exporting, and jobs creation and business growth
Percentage that expect
their revenue from
exporting to grow
strongly
EMPLOYEE NUMBERS
Expecting to increase employee numbers in the next 12 months
NOT expecting to increase employee numbers in the next 12 months
BUSINESS GROWTH
Expecting to grow their business in the next 12 months
NOT expecting to grow their business in the next 12 months
While three in five of Beijing’s small businesses expect to grow their revenue from overseas sales in the next 12
months, they are somewhat behind other markets, including Hong Kong and Guangzhou, in expecting that revenue
to grow strongly. Given the weak environment in a number of key export markets including the US, the euro area
and Japan, such a result is not surprising.
With the survey results showing that small businesses that are exporting are more likely to be growing and creating
jobs, this overall focus on exporting is a competitive advantage for Beijing’s small businesses and the economy
more broadly. However, the advantage could be greater if more Beijing small businesses have a stronger focus on
exporting.
While such an export focus does come with risks, including foreign exchange risks and the potential for downturns
in key markets, the advantages of exporting over focusing on the domestic market are significant. A focus on the
domestic market limits growth potential and increases the business’s risk exposure should the local economy slow.
It also means that the business may be less exposed to competitive pressures, which the survey results show may
have a negative impact on innovation and growth. Further, the business may be less exposed to new ideas from
other markets, which may also negatively impact innovation.
16 | THE CPA AUSTRALIA ASIA-PACIFIC SMALL BUSINESS SURVEY 2015 – BEIJING REPORT
With the survey results showing a strong link between increasing revenue from exporting and business growth and
jobs creation, it is easy to see why governments across the region are taking action to support and encourage
international trade with initiatives such as the Belt and Road initiative and the China-Australia Free Trade
Agreement.
Small businesses are also more likely to expect strong growth in their earnings from overseas in the next 12
markets if:




the business is from the manufacturing sector
the business has between 5 and 19 employees
the respondent is aged under 50
the business has been established for less than 21 years.
KEY FINDING
The focus of many of Beijing’s small businesses on exporting is a competitive advantage for them and the
economy. With a strong connection between exporting and growth and jobs, more small businesses from Beijing
should consider a greater focus on exporting as part of their business strategy.
17 | THE CPA AUSTRALIA ASIA-PACIFIC SMALL BUSINESS SURVEY 2015 – BEIJING REPORT
SOCIAL MEDIA
With the survey results showing a strong connection between social media use and
business growth, the very strong uptake of social media by Beijing’s small businesses is
a competitive advantage.
Small businesses that used social media in their business
100%
Beijing
Hong Kong
Shanghai
90%
80%
Singapore
70%
60%
With the survey results showing a connection between social media use for business purposes and business
growth, the very strong uptake of social media amongst Beijing’s small businesses gives them a competitive
advantage, particularly over businesses from Australia and New Zealand where the number of small businesses
using social media is significantly lower.
With customers being increasingly likely to seek to communicate and transact with businesses via social media, a
robust social media presence should enhance a small business’s ability to attract, retain and transact with
customers. It may also enhance their brand reputation and assist them to grow their business.
Those that use social media use it for a variety of purposes including communicating with existing customers,
promoting their business to potential customers, and selling their products or services.
Small businesses are significantly less likely to be using social media for business purposes where:



the respondent is aged 50 or over
the business has been established for over 20 years
the business has four or fewer staff.
KEY FINDING
With small businesses using social media being more likely to grow, the large-scale adoption of social media by
Beijing’s small businesses is a competitive advantage that should help generate future growth.
18 | THE CPA AUSTRALIA ASIA-PACIFIC SMALL BUSINESS SURVEY 2015 – BEIJING REPORT
JOBS AND SMALL BUSINESSES
Reflecting strong business conditions, nearly three in five of Beijing’s small businesses
plan to increase their headcount in 2016.
Small businesses that expect to increase employee numbers in the NEXT 12 months
Chongqing
60.8%
Beijing
58.1%
Guangzhou
57.1%
Shanghai
45.5%
Survey average
Hong Kong
Singapore
41.8%
32.8%
27.7%
19 | THE CPA AUSTRALIA ASIA-PACIFIC SMALL BUSINESS SURVEY 2015 – BEIJING REPORT
Relationship between jobs creation and business growth, innovation, exporting and e-commerce
Percentage that expect to
increase employee
numbers in the next 12
months
BUSINESS GROWTH
Expecting to grow in the coming 12 months
NOT expecting to grow in the coming 12 months
INNOVATION
Definitely expecting to introduce a new product, service or process unique to their
country or the world
NOT expecting to introduce a new product, service or process unique to their country
or the world
EXPORTING
Expect to grow export revenue strongly
NOT expecting to sell into overseas markets
20 | THE CPA AUSTRALIA ASIA-PACIFIC SMALL BUSINESS SURVEY 2015 – BEIJING REPORT
E-COMMERCE
Expect to grow their e-commerce presence to a large extent
NOT expecting to grow their e-commerce presence
The increase in the number of small businesses from Beijing that are expecting their business to grow in 2016 from
2015 is flowing through to job creation, with 58.1 per cent of Beijing’s small businesses planning to increase
employee numbers in the next 12 months. This reading is above the forecasts for Shanghai, Hong Kong and
Singapore, and it is one of the largest readings of all markets included in the survey.
Other factors contributing to this very healthy jobs growth projection include the strong focus on innovation, ecommerce and social media by many of Beijing’s small businesses.
Over the next 12 months, businesses that expect to increase employee numbers are also significantly more likely
to:
 intend to significantly increase their e-commerce presence
 strongly grow their revenue from overseas sales
 innovate through definitely introducing a new product, service or process.
Small businesses are also more likely to expect to increase employee numbers over the next 12 months if:
 the business is in the manufacturing, accommodation or food services industry
 the business has between 5 and 19 staff
 the respondent is aged under 40.
KEY FINDING
A stronger focus on exporting by more small businesses in Beijing could lead to further jobs creation by the
sector.
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BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC CONDITIONS
Beijing’s small businesses are more likely to expect their business and China’s economy
to grow in 2016.
Small businesses that grew over the past 12 months
90%
80%
Shanghai
Beijing
70%
Hong Kong
60%
Singapore
50%
Small businesses that expect their business to grow in the coming 12 months
80%
Beijing
Shanghai
70%
60%
Hong Kong
50%
40%
Singapore
22 | THE CPA AUSTRALIA ASIA-PACIFIC SMALL BUSINESS SURVEY 2015 – BEIJING REPORT
Small businesses that expect their local economy to grow over the next 12 months
90%
80%
Shanghai
70%
Beijing
60%
50%
Hong Kong
Singapore
40%
Nearly eight in ten small businesses from Beijing expect their business to grow in 2016, an 18.6 percentage point
increase from their forecast for 2015. This is significantly higher than the percentage of Australian, New Zealand,
Hong Kong and Singaporean small businesses that expect to grow in 2016. The reading is, however, largely in line
with the percentage of small businesses that expect to grow in the other cities from the mainland of China included
in this survey.
Just under seven in ten small businesses from Beijing expect China’s economy to grow in 2016, up over five
percentage points from their 2015 forecast. This strong level of small business confidence in China’s economy
comes at a time when China is under a range of pressures including slowing domestic growth (although it remains
very robust), uncertainty over US interest rates and weaker than expected recoveries in the economies of the US,
Japan and the euro area.
Small businesses that expect to innovate, grow their e-commerce presence to a large extent and strongly grow
revenue from exports are significantly more likely to expect their business to grow in the next 12 months. In
addition, small businesses are also more likely to expect to grow if:
 they have between 5 and 19 employees
 the respondent is aged under 50
 the business reported growing in the past 12 months.
Further, small businesses are more likely to expect their local economy to grow if:
 they have between 5 and 19 employees
 they are in the manufacturing, property or construction sector
 the respondent is aged under 40.
KEY FINDING
A stronger focus on exporting could lead to more small businesses from Beijing experiencing growth.
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ACCESSING FINANCE
Access to finance became easier for a significant number of small businesses from
Beijing in 2015.
Access to finance – the percentage that experienced easy to very easy financing conditions in
previous 12 months
70%
60%
Beijing
Shanghai
50%
Hong Kong
40%
30%
Singapore
20%
Access to finance became easy to very easy for a significantly larger number of small businesses from Beijing in
the past 12 months. These significantly easier financing conditions are being experienced throughout China, with
small businesses in Guangzhou having the easiest access to finance.
These easier financing conditions do not appear to have had much impact on the demand for finance in the past 12
months, with the number of small businesses from Beijing seeking external finance dropping 7.2 percentage points
to 80.0 per cent. The Australian and New Zealand results further demonstrate that relatively easy access to finance
does not necessarily translate through to increased demand for finance.
While government policies to encourage more lending by the nation’s banks to the sector would have contributed
towards an easing of finance conditions, small businesses in Beijing, like the other cities from the mainland of
China included in this survey, remain highly likely to seek finance outside of the banking sector. In fact, Beijing
small businesses were equally likely to have sought external finance from a venture capitalist as from a bank, the
only market surveyed to show this.
Beijing’s small businesses were highly likely to have sought external finance to assist with business growth
followed by borrowing to fund the purchase of a capital asset. The number of small businesses from Beijing that
sought external finance for growth jumped from 25.7 per cent in 2014 to 68.5 per cent in 2015.
KEY FINDING
Accessing finance became significantly easier for many of Beijing’s small businesses in 2015.
24 | THE CPA AUSTRALIA ASIA-PACIFIC SMALL BUSINESS SURVEY 2015 – BEIJING REPORT
APPENDICES
BEIJING DATA SNAPSHOT – COMPARISON WITH HONG
KONG, SHANGHAI AND SINGAPORE
Business and economic growth
Small businesses that expect their business to
grow – Beijing against survey average
Beijing small businesses that expect their
business to grow against small business growth
expectations for China's economy
90%
90%
80%
80%
70%
70%
60%
60%
50%
50%
40%
40%
2014
Beijing
2015
Survey average
Businesses grew in last 12 months
Businesses that expect to grow in next 12 months
Businesses that expect the local economy to grow in next 12
months
2014
2015
Expect their business to grow
Expect local economy to grow
Beijing
76.1%
78.1%
Shanghai
79.5%
76.9%
Hong Kong
63.8%
55.1%
Singapore
58.7%
56.5%
68.4%
71.1%
52.1%
48.1%
Jobs creation
Increased employee numbers over the PAST 12 months
Plan to increase employee numbers over the NEXT 12
months
Beijing
47.7%
Shanghai
39.7%
Hong Kong
32.5%
Singapore
19.7%
58.1%
45.5%
32.8%
27.7%
Beijing
Shanghai
Hong Kong
Singapore
41.3%
25.0%
17.7%
15.2%
Innovation
Definitely expect to introduce a new product, service or
process unique to their country or the world
25 | THE CPA AUSTRALIA ASIA-PACIFIC SMALL BUSINESS SURVEY 2015 – BEIJING REPORT
Online sales and social media
Earned revenue from online sales
Expect to grow their e-commerce presence to a large extent
in the next 12 months
Used social media for business purposes
Beijing
91.0%
Shanghai
92.3%
Hong Kong
80.4%
Singapore
63.6%
43.9%
29.5%
42.6%
19.4%
96.8%
96.2%
93.2%
79.6%
Beijing
Shanghai
Hong Kong
Singapore
18.7%
10.9%
22.3%
17.7%
Beijing
Shanghai
Hong Kong
Singapore
36.1%
32.1%
20.4%
20.3%
Beijing
Shanghai
Hong Kong
Singapore
44.5%
39.1%
41.9%
36.1%
40.0%
41.7%
41.9%
32.6%
Beijing
60.0%
59.7%
Shanghai
36.5%
57.1%
Hong Kong
31.3%
43.5%
Singapore
15.8%
34.1%
Beijing
72.3%
60.7%
Shanghai
66.7%
64.8%
Hong Kong
58.9%
63.4%
Singapore
65.5%
47.7%
Exporting
Expect revenue from overseas markets to grow strongly over
next 12 months
Improved business management
Improved business management had a major positive impact
on their business
Costs
Increasing costs had a major negative impact on their
business
Rent was the cost increase most detrimental to their business
Access to finance
Definitely will seek external funds over next 12 months
Found it easy or very easy to access finance
Demographics
Business is 10 years old or younger
Respondent is aged 39 or younger
26 | THE CPA AUSTRALIA ASIA-PACIFIC SMALL BUSINESS SURVEY 2015 – BEIJING REPORT
ABOUT THE SURVEY
The CPA Australia Asia-Pacific Small Business Survey 2015 is part of a longitudinal annual study of small business
conducted by CPA Australia since 2009. This report presents a cross-market comparison between the eight
markets surveyed and, where applicable, a comparison of results from 2009 onwards. The survey was conducted
between 24 September and 14 October 2015.
The mainland of China and Vietnam were included in the survey for the first time in 2014. Indonesia and New
Zealand were included in 2011.
The survey in the mainland of China was conducted in Beijing, Chongqing, Guangzhou and Shanghai. All data for
China excludes Hong Kong, which is shown separately.
Interview method
In each market, the online survey was conducted amongst a random sample of small business owners/managers.
The sample was obtained through online panel provider Research Now and their Asian panel partner iPanelonline.
To qualify for the survey, participants were required to be an owner, a senior manager (defined as being a director,
a principal, a CEO, a CFO, a senior manager or a managing director) or a qualified accountant of a business with
fewer than 20 employees.
Sample
In total, 2932 participants completed the survey, including 510 from Australia, 610 from the mainland of China, 265
from Hong Kong, 306 from Indonesia, 310 from Malaysia, 311 from New Zealand, 310 from Singapore and 310
from Vietnam.
Of the 610 participants from the mainland of China, 155 were from Beijing, 152 were from Chongqing, 147 were
from Guangzhou and 156 were from Shanghai.
Questioning
Questions on small business confidence, employment, social media, costs and access to finance were drawn from
previous surveys. Some slight modifications to question wording were made to a number of those repeated
questions. Questions on innovation, major influences on the business environment, e-commerce, spending on
marketing and assets and exporting are new in this survey.
Questionnaires in Australia, Singapore and New Zealand were administered in English. The Hong Kong
questionnaire was administered in traditional Chinese, the questionnaire for Malaysia was administered in both
English and Bahasa Malaysia, Indonesia’s questionnaire was administered in Bahasa Indonesia, China’s
questionnaire was administered in simplified Chinese, and Vietnam’s questionnaire was administered in
Vietnamese.
Rounding
All percentage results shown in this report have been rounded.
29
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