With over 600,000 active e-commerce stores in Brazil by 2025, according to Abcomm data, the country remains one of the largest digital markets in the world. However, the dream of owning a business still faces major obstacles. According to a recent survey conducted by Forbes, Huffington Post, and Marketing Signals, 90% of online stores close within four months after their launch. Meanwhile, IBGE points out that 80% of micro and small businesses do not complete their first year of operation.
The data reinforces a scenario where entrepreneurship is both popular and challenging. According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, about 20% of national GDP and 60% of formal jobs are linked to entrepreneurship. But, as the data shows, the early mortality of businesses is often tied to lack of planning, inefficient management, and low adoption of technology.
“Today, having an idea is not enough to keep a business alive. It’s necessary to turn data into strategic decisions, retain customers, and automate processes to scale. Democratizing access to technology ensures that small businesses can compete with large ones,” says Michal Black, CEO of edrone, a CRM and marketing automation platform created exclusively for e-commerce.
The need for technological efficiency becomes even more evident when observing the challenges reported by small and medium-sized retailers: 40% cite lack of capital for reinvestment, 36% complain about lack of time, and 33% struggle to master essential tools for growth (data from the NuvemCommerce study). Among those earning over R$ 100,000 per month, the high cost of marketing is the main obstacle.
Aiming to reduce these barriers, edrone launched in Brazil the Freemium plan, which provides free access to professional CRM, marketing automation, and email marketing tools for online stores with up to 200 active contacts and 200 messages per month, including 100 free SMS sends. The solution offers one-click integration with major e-commerce platforms like Nuvemshop, Tray, Loja Integrada, and Shopify and does not require specialists for implementation, featuring over 20 pre-configured automations, smart recommendations, pop-ups, banners, and live chat—all managed from a single dashboard that is easy to access and understand for all audiences.
Beyond accessibility, the key differentiator lies in integration with artificial intelligence, allowing even beginner businesses to segment their audiences, send personalized messages, and track results in real time. According to a Qive study with Endeavor, only 21% of Brazilian companies use AI, despite clear gains in analytical precision and time savings.
For Michal Black, “AI is the bridge between the entrepreneur and the right customer, at the right time. But this is only possible if technology is accessible to everyone—not just large corporations.” Edrone positions itself as a partner to retailers, also offering free chat and email support, along with a help center featuring accessible tutorials for all user profiles.
Digitization and automation are now the main factors for survival and growth in e-commerce. Initiatives like edrone’s Freemium plan show that it is indeed possible to democratize access to the best digital marketing practices, reducing inequalities and driving a more competitive, intelligent, and sustainable market for small and medium-sized Brazilian businesses.
