Customer Behaviour Research | TOR

Position: Market Research Expert

Engagement Type: Short-term Consultancy

1. About Finan

Finan Pte Ltd, is a fintech technology startup founded in 2021 by experienced executives from leading e-commerce and tech companies such as Lazada, Topica, OneMount Group, Datamart, and others. The company is on a mission to empower small and micro businesses, especially underserved ones, by leveraging AI-powered digital solutions to simplify business operations and promote financial inclusion.

SoBanHang is Finan’s flagship product, recognized as Vietnam’s #1 business app for small and micro businesses. It is a one-stop business management app that helps shop owners manage sales, inventory, receivables, and access digital financial services. All through a simple smartphone interface. SoBanHang enables entrepreneurs to seamlessly handle their entire business operations, increase revenue across digital channels, and better control cash flow. The app has rapidly grown to support over 650,000 businesses and has processed more than $3 billion in annual transactions

2. Objective

To deeply explore and validate the financial pain points of nano businesses (very small merchants), especially around cash flow, bookkeeping, expenses, and tax, in order to inform the design of suitable technology or financial solutions under the SoBanHang ecosystem. This work will directly contribute to improving financial stability and inclusion for thousands of nano entrepreneurs across Vietnam.

3. Problem statement

Most nano-businesses in Vietnam operate without any formal cash-flow forecasting system. Owners juggle daily working capital while relying on scattered notes—or memory alone—so stock-outs, late supplier payments, and expensive short-term borrowing are common. Many shops close within 6–18 months as a result. At the same time, the country will abolish the “lump-sum” tax regime in 2026 and make e-invoices mandatory, but few owners understand the new filing requirements or the penalties for non-compliance. This combination of weak cash-flow management and looming tax-compliance risk creates a double jeopardy that threatens the sustainability of hundreds of thousands of nano-enterprises—and highlights the critical gap this research must address to design an effective technological solutions.

4. Deliverables

5. Candidate Requirements

• Minimum 5 years of experience in market research, user research, or consulting
• Strong background in SME research or bottom-of-pyramid user segments
• Ability to communicate insights clearly for product/strategy teams
• Able to work independently, manage fieldwork logistics, and collaborate with remote product teams.
• Experience with both qualitative and quantitative tools (e.g., in-depth interviews, survey design, SPSS/Excel/Tableau/Looker)
• Knowledge of fintech, MSMEs, or digital transformation for micro-merchants is a plus
• Vietnamese language proficiency (native or fluent); English for reporting