Service expanded to other central and local government programs from March; local government applications surged up to 20-fold
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups said Saturday that applications for small-business support programs have increased since it launched a KakaoTalk-based policy notification service for small business owners.
The ministry had long provided policy information through online platforms such as Sochang-in 24 and Gieop Madang, but small business owners consistently said they were unaware support programs existed. Solo operators and micro-businesses in particular were identified as falling into a policy blind spot, as the demands of running a business left them little time to monitor public notices. In response, the government strengthened a tailored policy guidance system that proactively delivers relevant information to eligible recipients using data it already holds.
Drawing on data covering 1.52 million small business owners, the ministry developed the Small Business Policy Notification Service, which screens eligible recipients from among the 810,000 owners who have consented to KakaoTalk or text message alerts and sends them targeted notifications in advance.
Previously, the alert service covered only ministry programs. From March through last month, the ministry ran a pilot expanding coverage to programs operated by other central government agencies and local governments.
In March, the ministry sent notifications about the Ministry of Employment and Labor's childbirth benefit support program to 213,000 female small business owners in their 20s through 40s. Applications rose 1.3 times compared with the period before the alerts went out — and among solo operators, who have the least time to search for information, applications rose 1.7 times.
The ministry also ran targeted outreach for five local government programs — including childbirth support and fire insurance premium subsidies — where local authorities lacked their own small-business databases and struggled to reach eligible recipients. Screening by criteria such as business location, residence, industry, age and gender, the ministry sent 67,000 tailored notifications for those five programs.
An analysis of results across the five local government programs found that applications rose four to more than 20 times compared with the period before alerts were sent, a promotional effect markedly larger than that seen for central government programs. Recipients of the notifications also accounted for about 31.1 percent of all applications received across the programs, indicating that the service made a tangible contribution to boosting participation.
Building on these results, the ministry said it plans to continue the policy notification service in the second half of this year so that small business owners can more easily access information about available support. It also intends to deepen cooperation with other ministries and local governments.
"The policy notification service has proven to be an effective promotional tool for small-business support programs," Minister Han Seong-suk said. "We will expand the delivery of tailored information that precisely reflects the characteristics of each recipient group and situation, drawing on the small-business data the ministry has accumulated."
As the service expands, the ministry expects small business owners to gain better access to policy information and participation rates in support programs to improve further. The government said it plans to enhance demand-driven, personalized policy guidance by leveraging accumulated data, with the aim of raising both the efficiency of policy delivery and the degree to which recipients feel its impact on the ground.
boo@heraldcorp.com
