We are living in a new normal. The COVID-19 crisis has created unprecedented disruptions to the global economy, with small businesses bearing the brunt of the negative impacts. A survey conducted by UPS in March 2020 polled 1,200 small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and found that nearly 70% of respondents expect a revenue decline in the first quarter of 2020.

It has become imperative for small businesses to take their businesses online to mitigate the negative effects of the COVID-19 crisis. It is no longer a competitive advantage, but a necessity. It's the chance to stay in business despite physical storefronts shutting down. However, many Business-to-Business (B2B) SMBs are new to ecommerce. Less than half of the 5,000 US B2B SMBS polled in the Alibaba.com U.S. Small and Medium Business (SMB) Confidence Survey conducted in December 2019 have been doing business online for more than five years.

Since 1999, It has been the mission of Alibaba.com to make it easy for businesses to do business anywhere. The Alibaba.com platform has transformed from a listing-only service, an "online Yellow Pages," to an end-to-end B2B trading platform, managing the entire transaction chain between buyers and sellers. All points in the B2B customer journey are digitized, from inventory management to product displays. Alibaba.com is where buyers and sellers from around the world meet, communicate, transact, and — most importantly — build connections with one another.

We are not only making it easy to do business anywhere, but also at any time. We are here to help SMBs pivot and thrive in the new economic reality.

The Alibaba.com Online Trade Shows are here to help SMBs connect with each other, build community, and reach customers from home — to help them thrive in the new normal. With stay-at-home orders in place, there is increasing interest in health and wellness and household products. That's why the theme of the inaugural Alibaba.com Online Trade Show is "Home and Health."

What you can expect at the Alibaba.com Online Trade Show:

• Industry thought leaders sharing insights on global supply chain and how companies can adjust to the new normal
• Access to educational reports and tips on ways to procure and organize your inventory, based on trends observed in the Home and Health categories
• Quality suppliers showcasing their latest and greatest products for people around the world to continue thriving at home, at work, and in health

This is only the beginning. We will continue to innovate and evolve the Online Trade Show experience to make it valuable to businesses from around the world.

With live networking events being canceled and postponed, virtual experiences are an alternative way to connect with the B2B community and educate customers. Watch our fireside chat with Angel Mills of Angel Mills Brand Strategy to hear how businesses can get started hosting and promoting their own virtual events to connect with customers. You can view some of our other virtual fireside chats here.

Go through virtual event agendas thoroughly. Many provide a variety of content opportunities — you don’t want to miss anything!