An estimated 26.16 million people in Indonesia, or 9.54% of the total population lived below the poverty line with limited access to basic needs and economic opportunities.
Workers at the base of the pyramid are often engaged in informal work or in low-skill jobs with limited earning potential, social protection or opportunities for career and economic advancement.
On the other hand, E-commerce is an enormous growth opportunity in Indonesia, with an estimated 50 million Indonesians becoming internet users between 2015 and 2020, with the potential to open up opportunities for economic advancement.
However, most consumers and sellers remain excluded from e-commerce channels due to barriers such as a lack of digital literacy, a bank account and a lack of trust in the authenticity of products available online.
Evermos saw this as an opportunity to overcome these barriers and give access and opportunity to Indonesians to build a network of self-employed micro-entrepreneurs to earn incomes.
IFC, A Member of World Bank Group, released its report of “Inclusive Employment: Advancing Economic Opportunities at the Base of the Pyramid”, in partnership with Evermos as one of the business case for expanding employment at the base of the pyramid and highlights emerging good practices that companies and investors can adopt.
Within the case study, high costs and logistical challenges in Indonesia are the barriers that hamper small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and microentrepreneurs from fully participating in the growing e-commerce sector.
However, Evermos used inclusive employment practices to successfully address these challenges, grow its network of resellers at the base of the pyramid, provide them with incomes, and swiftly expand its market access.
Alexis Geaneotes, Operations Officer, Gender and Economic Inclusion, from IFC said, “The private sector as a key source of jobs clearly has a critical role to play.”
Cited from the report, Evermos started by establishing a platform that targets lower-income cities. The reseller platform of Evermos offers Indonesians an opportunity to earn additional income, and for one-third, it is their sole source of income, particularly for stay-at-home mothers.
Resellers usually spend three hours per day on Evermos activities and earn $43 per month on average. Top performers can make $191 per month, which is equivalent to the national minimum wage.
Along with the platform, Evermos used the following inclusive employment practices, starting with participation, the incorporation of flexible work hours and no equipment or capital requirements beyond a cellphone.
Advancement, Extensive training and professional development; upskilling programmes for high-performing resellers to become ‘community leaders’, and then Empowerment, establishing community meetings and online groups as direct channels between resellers and Evermos for dialogue and feedback.
Iqbal Muslimin, Co-founder and Chief of Sustainability of Evermos states, “The role of our community leaders and the role of our trainers is a very integral part to promote inclusive employment.”
Established in 2018, Evermos continues to connect with more than 1,200 Indonesian MSMEs via the digitised platform to more than 700,000 resellers, with a focus on the bottom of the pyramid, to earn commission and ultimately advance their household economics.
