Beyond Revenue Growth: Digital Payment, Financial Control, and Working-Capital Management in a Micro Craft Enterprise

Abstract

Digital payment has increasingly been promoted as an instrument for strengthening the competitiveness and economic performance of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), yet its immediate contribution to revenue growth remains context-dependent. This study examines how digital payment adoption contributes to the operational and financial management of a micro-enterprise and explores the factors that facilitate and constrain its use. A qualitative case study was conducted at Rumah Kreatif Alisa, a craft-based micro-enterprise in North Banjarmasin, Indonesia, which adopted digital payment in 2024. Primary data were obtained through a structured interview with the business owner and supported by documentation and secondary sources. The data were analyzed through data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion drawing. The findings indicate that digital payment provides four major immediate benefits: greater transaction convenience, improved security of business funds, enhanced financial traceability, and easier working-capital management. However, the adoption of digital payment did not result in an immediate substantial increase in business revenue. Several constraints were also identified, including network instability during crowded events, limited access to immediate transaction notifications, digital-finance capability gaps, and the risk of fraudulent or manipulated payment receipts. These findings suggest that digital payment should not be viewed as an independent driver of revenue growth but as an enabling financial and operational capability that can strengthen the management of existing business resources. The study contributes to the MSME digitalization literature by highlighting an indirect pathway from payment digitalization to potential business development through transaction efficiency, financial control, and working-capital management. The findings further imply that policies promoting digital payment adoption should be accompanied by digital financial literacy, reliable connectivity, transaction-verification mechanisms, and integrated MSME financial-management support.