Companies benefit from EasyGov and SME Portal

In an office, four employees discuss the business situation in front of a PC.

(20.11.2018) SME Portal and EasyGov.swiss together generate annual benefits of around CHF 47 million for Swiss companies. According to a SECO study published on 20 November 2018, both of these platforms are highly appreciated by users in the economy. SME Portal alone has over 37,000 users per month

Each month SME Portal, launched in 2001, draws over 37,000 users. According to the survey, more than 80% of these users are “very/fairly” satisfied with the platform's range of subjects and general presentation. They particularly value the reliability and integrity of the information provided, as well as the monthly SME Newsletter on current topics and challenges. The survey also shows that the portal saves time and money for some 60% of users. Based on a rough calculation per user and year, SME Portal generates an annual monetary benefit of at least CHF 38.4 million.

The EasyGov platform helps reduce administrative costs

In addition to SME Portal, since November 2017 Swiss companies have been able to perform administrative tasks online via the EasyGov platform. The services that can be handled via EasyGov range from incorporating a company to registering it in the Commercial Register and with the social security, accident insurance and VAT authorities. Moreover, existing companies can use the platform to amend their Commercial Register data. The time and cost saving made possible by this service represent an overall benefit of about CHF 6.3 million a year. The answers to the survey questionnaires also indicate scope for enhancements. In particular, users would like to see the range of EasyGov services extended to include other dealings with authorities and further development towards a central government services platform.

Conclusions regarding SME Portal

SME Portal is able to cover the needs of its users well and the satisfaction rate is high. For the users, the information provided is much more important than the possibility of time and cost savings.
Users regard the reliability and integrity of the legal content as particularly important. They also appreciate the proactive information contained in the Newsletter.
It can generally be noted that at comparatively little cost to SECO, SME Portal creates added value for numerous companies and can therefore ultimately generate a considerable benefit.

Conclusions regarding EasyGov.swiss

For the companies that registered on EasyGov during its first eight months of operation, the monetary benefit is already quite remarkable.
However, it is evident that the use of this platform still has great potential. The range of users and types of services they have requested so far has been quite modest: the EasyGov offering has mainly been solicited by company founders.
As a consequence, EasyGov’s extension, on the one hand, and proactive communication for target groups, on the other, will increase the service's use.

Address for enquiries

Fabian Maienfisch, Media Spokesman DBKO - Communication, SECO, fabian.maienfisch@seco.admin.ch, Tel. +41 58 462 40 20