Strengthening the Sustainability of Urban MSMEs through Financial Literacy and Social Media Strategies in Gombak, Malaysia
Keywords:
MSMEs, Financial Literacy, Social Media, MalaysiaAbstract
Purposes: This community service initiative is designed to strengthen the capabilities and empowerment of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Gombak area in Malaysia in the aspects of business financial management, digital transformation and sustainability-based business literacy especially around Al-Syakirin Mosque. Some of the partner challenges include low financial management skills, lack of digital platform usage, low Social and Governance (ESG) understanding, and suboptimal business mentoring.
Design/Methodology/Approach: The implementation of the community service program was carried out in accordance with the implementation of Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR) which consisted of Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), training, training simulation games, and mentoring business actors, mosque members, business associations, and academics in budgeting.
Findings: The findings of the programme show that participants have improved their understanding of the importance of structured business financial management, separation of personal and business finances and the use of digital platforms to expand their business markets. In addition, participants started to gain an awareness of the relevance of a business's digital identity, the ESG principles to increase business competitiveness and sustainability and social media marketing strategies. The results of this activity are guidelines for MSMEs financial allocation, and strengthening capacity in digital business which will be expected to help the sustainability of community businesses in the long term.
Originality/Value: This programme proves that a community based participatory approach can contribute to developing a more adaptive, competitive and sustainable MSMEs empowerment ecosystem in the context of urban business dynamics.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Indah Yani, Hafiez Sofyani, Muhammad Bahrul Ilmi, Tiyas Puji Utami, Rizka Amalia (Author)
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