Providing Systemic Support to “Lighten the Burden, Inject Capital, and Provide Backing” for 11 Million “Small Business Owners”! Guangdong Offers Comprehensive Assistance

Difficulties in securing financing, finding premises, and slow transformation… In response to these long-standing problems plaguing individual businesses, a systematic solution has been introduced. The “Several Measures to Support the Development of Individual Businesses” has been officially released. The “Measures” propose 15 specific support initiatives focusing on four aspects: strengthening factor guarantees, reducing operating costs, enhancing service provision, and expanding development space, aiming to create a better development ecosystem for the vast number of individual businesses.

▶ Strengthening Guarantees for Various Factors

Capital, labor, and premises are the three main factors in the operation of individual businesses. The “Measures” propose to strengthen factor guarantees.

Capital Issues: Encourage banking institutions to leverage platforms and use government data to build intelligent risk control models, developing exclusive credit products for individual businesses. Vigorously promote flexible models such as “borrow and repay at will” and “loan renewal without repayment of principal,” allowing credit terms to better match the seasonal and temporary capital needs of industries like catering and retail. At the same time, subsidies will be provided for eligible financing guarantee businesses to lower the financing threshold.

Labor Issues: Through employment service stations, casual labor markets, and online platforms, collect and release flexible employment information such as hourly and daily-paid work for individual businesses, and organize special job fairs. Support vocational colleges in conducting “order-based” training and include the employment needs of individual businesses within the scope of training subsidies to enhance the skills of practitioners.

Premises Issues: Regarding the supply of business premises, explore setting up temporary vending疏导 points in residential areas and other locations to guide mobile vendors in standardized operations. It is also proposed to allow eligible street-front shops to moderately expand outdoor operations and extend business hours, and encourage tourist attractions to designate areas to help small stalls and shops set up.

▶ Reducing Operating Costs Wherever Possible

Effectively reducing the burden on individual businesses is one of the core concerns of the “Measures.”

Taxation: Will continue to implement national-level preferential policies such as halving the individual income tax for individual businesses and the “six taxes and two fees” policy. For individual businesses that are general taxpayers, the value-added tax credit refund policy will be implemented.

Water, Electricity, Gas: Improve supervision of charges in the water, electricity, and gas sectors, conduct special governance, and strictly investigate违规收费行为. At the same time, encourage有条件 regions to increase the upper limit for “zero-investment” access capacity for low-voltage electricity applications, reducing initial investment.

Service Fees: Encourage commercial banks and payment institutions to continue offering discounts or waivers on account service fees, transfer fees, and other payment-related costs for individual businesses. Encourage the reduction of fees for services like QR code收款, further lowering transaction costs in daily operations.

▶ More Considerate Government Services

Making procedures more convenient and operations more secure is key to optimizing the business environment.

Government services will become more efficient and convenient. All policies related to individual businesses will be fully available on the government services website, and policies will be directly delivered through various platforms. Focus will be on promoting the “One Thing for Personal Entrepreneurship” reform, integrating matters such as registration, social security缴费, and创业补贴 applications to be handled “in one go.” In the future, artificial intelligence technology will be used to provide intelligent services like name assistance and business scope recommendations in a “chat-and-handle” style.

At the regulatory level, inclusive and prudent supervision will be vigorously implemented. Relying on credit platforms, differentiated and precise spot checks will be conducted to prevent excessive inspections from disturbing businesses. At the same time, a list for柔性执法 will be established,慎用 and少用强制措施 for minor violations, preventing “one-size-fits-all” enforcement.

▶ Clearer Growth Path

The “Measures” not only focus on the current生存境况 of individual businesses but also look towards long-term development. Support will be provided for individual businesses to transform into enterprises,<div class="my-4 p-4 rounded-lg shadow-md bg-blue-50 border

government services website

A government services website is a digital platform created by a public authority to provide citizens and businesses with centralized online access to official information, forms, and transactions, such as applying for permits or paying taxes. These sites have evolved since the late 1990s and early 2000s with the rise of e-government initiatives, aiming to increase efficiency, transparency, and accessibility of public services. They represent a key part of modern administrative infrastructure, transforming how citizens interact with their government.

credit platforms

“Credit platforms” refer to digital financial services, like peer-to-peer lenders or online banks, that use technology to directly connect borrowers with lenders or facilitate loans. They emerged in the early 21st century, largely after the 2008 financial crisis, leveraging the internet and algorithms to offer alternatives to traditional banking. Their history is tied to the broader fintech revolution, aiming to increase access to credit and streamline the lending process.

employment service stations

“Employment service stations,” commonly known as public employment offices or job centers, are government-run agencies that assist job seekers with finding work and employers with filling vacancies. They originated in the early 20th century in many industrialized nations, often formalized after periods of economic crisis (like the Great Depression) to address unemployment systematically. Today, they provide services like career counseling, job matching, and unemployment benefit administration as key parts of national labor market policies.

casual labor markets

“Casual labor markets” are informal, often street-corner gathering points where day laborers congregate to be hired for short-term, unskilled work. Historically, they have emerged organically in urban areas as a low-barrier way to connect workers—often migrants or those in precarious economic situations—with employers needing immediate manual labor. These sites highlight informal economic practices and issues of worker vulnerability, existing in various forms globally for centuries.

online platforms

Online platforms are digital spaces that emerged in the late 20th century, evolving from basic bulletin board systems into today’s complex social media, e-commerce, and service hubs. They have fundamentally reshaped global communication, commerce, and culture by connecting users worldwide. Their history is marked by rapid technological advancement and ongoing debates about their societal impact, regulation, and role in the information age.

vocational colleges

Vocational colleges are educational institutions focused on providing practical skills and training for specific trades, crafts, or technical careers. Their history is often tied to the Industrial Revolution, when the need for skilled workers in manufacturing and engineering grew, leading to the formalization of apprenticeship models into structured programs. Today, they play a crucial role in workforce development by offering certifications and diplomas in fields like healthcare, information technology, and the skilled trades.

tourist attractions

“Tourist attractions” is a broad term for places of interest that draw visitors, ranging from natural wonders and historic monuments to modern entertainment venues. Their history is often tied to their specific location; for instance, ancient sites like the Roman Colosseum reflect historical events, while others, like theme parks, are modern creations for leisure. Collectively, they form a vital part of global travel, culture, and local economies.

street-front shops

Street-front shops are small, ground-level retail spaces that line urban streets, historically serving as the primary commercial hubs in towns and cities worldwide. Their history dates back centuries, evolving from medieval market stalls and artisan workshops into the diverse array of family-run businesses, boutiques, and eateries seen today. They remain vital for local economies and community interaction, offering direct access to goods and services in a walkable setting.