EVIDENCE FROM THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON SMALL BUSINESS

2021 ◽  
Vol 14(63) (1) ◽  
pp. 103-110
Author(s):  
Nicoleta Gianina BOSTAN MOTOAŞCĂ
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Small Business ◽  
Small Businesses ◽  
Emotional State ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Business Owners ◽  
Small Business Owners ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
The Impact

The Covid-19 pandemic has affected both individuals and the business environment in a profound and unexpected way. The restrictions imposed and the economic crises caused by them have led to the closure of some businesses, especially small businesses. The present research aims to study the opinions, perceptions, behaviour, and attitude of administrators, of small-business owners towards the impact of the pandemic in order to outline their emotional state and the sample of future needs. The qualitative study illustrates the combined analysis of the results of the answers of sixteen structured interviews, in-depth phone interviews. This research could represent the starting point of a more extensive research in this field

Introduction

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Courtney Lewis
Keyword(s):  
Small Business ◽  
Small Businesses ◽  
Structural Adjustment ◽  
Business Owners ◽  
Small Business Owners ◽  
Economic Stability ◽  
The Great Recession ◽  
Justice Movements ◽  
The Impact

This introduction describes how encouraging a diversity of small businesses can help support a Native Nation’s long-term economic stability, but goes further to demonstrate this uniquely through the eyes of the small-business owners themselves along with an in-depth examination of their local, national, and international contexts. In doing so, it describes how this book also addresses the ways in which Native Nations, by supporting small business resilience, are responding in politically and socioeconomically meaningful ways to settler-colonial economic subjugations. This introduction further describes how the book unpacks the layers of small-business complications specific to Native Nations and American Indian business owners while speaking to larger theoretical questions regarding the impact of small businesses in a global indigenous context. Debates regarding economic sovereignty versus economic power, measures of autonomy, land status, economic identity, fluctuating relationships with settler-colonial society, and the growth of neoliberalism (along with its accompanying “structural adjustment” policies) meet with specific practices, such as the implementation of guaranteed annual incomes, cultural revitalization actions, environmental justice movements, and the potentially precarious choices of economic development—issues that are exacerbated during times of economic precarity, such as the Great Recession.

scholarly journals Are international small business owners really that different?

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 92-117
Author(s):  
Sarah Gundlach ◽  
Andre Sammartino
Keyword(s):  
Small Business ◽  
Small Businesses ◽  
Business Owners ◽  
Small Business Owners ◽  
Female Entrepreneurs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Individual Traits ◽  
Tolerance For Ambiguity ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Do So

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of individual traits and attributes on the entrepreneurial and internationalization actions of Australian businesswomen, many of whom run small businesses. Design/methodology/approach This study is exploratory and quantitative, based on a questionnaire survey of 323 Australian businesswomen. Drawing upon the extant literature on internationalization, gender and entrepreneurship, the study explores two micro-foundational relationships of interest – personality and capability assessment differences between female business owners and their employed counterparts, and the impact of such traits and assessments on their internationalization. A further question is explored in terms of any differentials in perceptions of barriers in internationalization. Findings The findings show key personality dimensions do not differ dramatically between Australian businesswomen working in their own businesses (i.e. entrepreneurs) or as employees in organizations, while there are surprisingly few differences between women who are engaged internationally and those yet to do so. When comparing the female entrepreneurs and employees, in particular, the findings around tolerance for ambiguity and management efficacy are notably counterintuitive. This leads to the development of testable propositions to refine the causal claims in this domain. Practical implications The study calls into question the distinctiveness of entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial endeavors, at least for female businesswomen. Originality/value By including entrepreneurs and employees, women who have engaged internationally and those that are yet to do so, the study avoids some of the potential self-selection and confirmation biases inherent in studies of only entrepreneurs or small business owners. The investigation of individual traits, attributes and experiences as micro-foundations for internationalization motivations challenges existing theories of small business expansion.

scholarly journals Impact of Social Media Applications on Small Business Entrepreneurs

2016 ◽  
Vol 02 ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Malik Shahzad Shabbir ◽  
Muhammad Saarim Ghazi ◽  
Atta Rasool Mehmood ◽  
◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Small Business ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Small Businesses ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Business Owners ◽  
Small Business Owners ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Media Applications ◽  
The Impact

The main objective of this paper is to investigate the impact of social media applications on small business entrepreneurs. It also examines how small business owners are motivated to use social media applications. Social media has completely transformed the way businesses are done. Social media applications in the present time have become the most efficient and effective tool for small business entrepreneurs, and normally all small businesses use social media platforms for the advertising and publicity of their products and services. They make fan pages for their followers, and they warmly welcome their suggestions and opinions, which help in improving their businesses. However, based on literature review, we conclude that there is a positive impact of social media applications on small business entrepreneurs as well as they are highly motivated to use these platforms.

scholarly journals Economic Policy Uncertainty and Small Business Expansion

2011 ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
Mark E. Schweitzer ◽  
Scott Shane
Keyword(s):  
Small Business ◽  
Small Businesses ◽  
Housing Prices ◽  
Business Owners ◽  
Small Business Owners ◽  
Policy Uncertainty ◽  
Home Equity ◽  
Economic Policy Uncertainty ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Real Constraint

Small businesses continue to report problems obtaining the financing they need. Because small business owners may rely heavily on the value of their homes to finance their businesses (through mortgages or home equity lines), the fall in housing prices might be one of the causes of their difficulty. We analyze information from a variety of sources and find that homes do constitute a significant source of capital for small business owners and that the impact of the recent decline in housing prices is significant enough to be a real constraint on small business finances.

scholarly journals The Perceptions of Small Businesses in the Implementation of Cash Management Techniques

2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-83
Author(s):  
Avika Mungal
Keyword(s):  
Small Business ◽  
Small Businesses ◽  
Business Owners ◽  
Small Business Owners ◽  
Cash Management ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Management Techniques ◽  
Quantitative Descriptive ◽  
Cash Inflow ◽  
The Impact

The purpose of this paper is to ascertain the perceptions of small business owners on the implementation of cash management techniques in their businesses. This paper also highlights the importance of managing cash inflow and outflow in the business and examines the impact on business profitability and sustainability. The study focused on small businesses in the Tongaat area, South Africa. This research was quantitative, descriptive and cross-sectional in nature. The instrument used to extract the relevant data from respondents was a Likert type questionnaire. The findings of this research identified the perceptions of small business cash management techniques. A short course on cash management could be offered by the Durban University of Technology to small business owners and managers to enhance their basic cash management knowledge in the implementation of cash management techniques.

EXPLORING THE SURVIVAL STRATEGIES FOR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERSHIP IN NIGERIA

2016 ◽  
Vol 05 (07) ◽  
pp. 35-48
Author(s):  
Nana Shaibu Akaeze ◽  
Christian Akaeze
Keyword(s):  
Data Analysis ◽  
Small Business ◽  
Survival Data ◽  
Small Businesses ◽  
Business Owners ◽  
Survival Strategies ◽  
Theory Of Constraints ◽  
Small Business Owners ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Business Programs

Notwithstanding the unstable nature of Nigeria economy small business owners created approximately 32 million jobs and contribute almost 45% to the nations GDP. However, startup small businesses fail at rate over 80% the first five years. Guide by theory of constraints, the purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore survival strategies required by some small business owners to sustain business in Nigeria beyond 5 years. Data collection was through semi-structured interviews with 3 owners with up to 5 years of experience in small business management from 3 different regions of Nigeria. The 3 major themes from final data analysis were cost efficiency, informal crediting and aggressive marketing which participants said were crucial for business survival. Data analysis also revealed two critical constraints confronted by small business owners as Government Policy and capital constraints. Findings of this study contribute to social change by indicating some strategies which prospective and existing small business practitioners may use to sustain for survival beyond first five years. The findings may prove useful for small business programs and training schedules to practitioners, managers and owners.

scholarly journals A roadmap for smart city services to address challenges faced by small businesses in South Africa

2017 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Haydn Du Plessis ◽  
Annlize L. Marnewick
Keyword(s):  
Small Business ◽  
Smart City ◽  
Small Businesses ◽  
Smart Cities ◽  
Business Owners ◽  
Government Support ◽  
Small Business Owners ◽  
Business Support ◽  
Skills Shortages ◽  
The Impact

Background: Small businesses are an important part of the South African economy, yet they have high rates of failure. Several contributing factors have previously been identified through literature, including regulatory compliance, skills shortages and lack of government support. Globally, there has been an increased interest in smart cities and the variety of services they offer. These technologies were investigated to establish what role, if any, they could play in alleviating the challenges that small businesses face.Aim: Identify the relative impact of each of these challenges on the small-business and the relative value of each of the smart city services in order to determine which services would have the largest impact in addressing the challenges.Method: This research used these factors and identified which challenges had the largest time and financial impact on small businesses and investigated ways in which a variety of smart city services could be leveraged to address these challenges. Using a multi-criteria decision analysis technique, 44 small-business owners participated in the research. Weighted results for the impact of each of the challenges and the value of each of the services were obtained.Results: Through the subsequent analysis of the results, it was found that small businesses face many challenges because of lack of government and entrepreneurial support, as well as widespread corruption. Similarly, the small-business owners identified that educational material, small-business support portals and eGovernment systems would be the most valuable services that a smart city could offer them. Various sources of literature were used to identify these smart city services and link them to the business challenges that they may be able to mitigate. The infrastructural prerequisites for each of the services were also investigated to identify dependencies and potential problems in their deployment.Conclusion: The various aspects of this study were integrated, and a smart city roadmap for small-business support was subsequently developed. This roadmap will assist cities in planning their smart city deployment, so that they may better support small businesses in the role that they play in the country’s economy.

scholarly journals Micro & Small Enterprises in Ireland: A Brand Management Perspective

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 381
Author(s):  
Bobby Kennedy ◽  
Angela Wright
Keyword(s):  
Small Business ◽  
Small Businesses ◽  
Brand Management ◽  
Business Owners ◽  
Product Line ◽  
Small Business Owners ◽  
Small Enterprises ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Brand Development ◽  
Management Perspective

<p class="ber"><span lang="EN-GB">Branding aids companies in the acquisition of new customers, allows them to build a favourable reputation, leads to increased customer loyalty and, ultimately, is a driver of profitability. Although there is an impressive quantity of academic literature related to both large corporate and product line branding, there has been less focus regarding the research on branding of small businesses, despite their economic importance. </span></p><p class="ber"><span lang="EN-GB">In the specific case of SMEs in Ireland, branding studies are scant. There is little understanding of the branding practices of SME founder-owners in Ireland, and, moreover, a lack of clarity as to their knowledge levels apropos the strategic brand management process. Essentially, many small business owners may not even realise that their business is a brand, partly due to a lack of understanding of what the concepts of a brand and branding actually mean. This paper presents findings from research associated with the brand development practices of Irish micro and small enterprises. A <span>qualitative data collection tool, leveraging semi-structured interviews is employed to collect substantive and relevant data from </span>10 Irish micro and small business owners. The study extends the knowledge of the brand development process being undertaken by these companies. </span></p><p class="ber"><span lang="EN-GB">The findings in this study reveal an unfavourable picture in terms of branding practices in Irish SME’s and demonstrates a lack of understanding and devotion on behalf of founder-owners towards the process. These conclusions have direct implications for branding literature, specifically in relation to Irish and international SMEs and also for managerial practice within those organisations. </span></p>

Resilience in the context of two traditional Spanish rural sectors: an exploratory study

2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 182-203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abel Duarte Alonso
Keyword(s):  
Small Business ◽  
Olive Oil ◽  
Small Businesses ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Business Owners ◽  
Business Strategies ◽  
Small Business Owners ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Economic Implications ◽  
Content Type

Purpose – The present study examines ways in which micro and small business owners and managers in the olive oil industry seek to adapt to emerging challenges and build resilience. In an increasingly demanding business environment, the ability to become resilient and be able to adapt to new or existing challenges is crucial. However, in what ways do micro and small business owners and managers seek to adapt to emerging challenges and build resilience? The present study examines these issues among micro and small wine and olive oil producers. Design/methodology/approach – An online questionnaire was designed to gather the views of respondents on challenges, impacts of these challenges and strategies they consider to adapt to current challenges. A total of 93 winery owners/managers and 52 olive growers participated. Findings – The findings identify increasing costs, decreasing consumption and the effects of the economic crisis as the most significant barriers, with impacts in the form of loss of trust in government institutions and loss of confidence in a soon economic recovery. To adapt and become resilient, enhancing promotional, educational and diversification activities, such as starting or growing exports, or becoming more involved in technology and social media are perceived as fundamental business strategies. Originality/value – In considering elements related to the theory of resilience, the study provides empirical evidence of adaptive strategies among micro and small businesses, as well as ways to achieve resilience. Overall, the findings have important socio-economic implications for various stakeholders, including the sectors involved, government agencies, and ultimately for consumers, and local communities where businesses operate.

Changing the Environmental Behaviour of Small Business Owners: The Business Case

2014 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 254-268 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beth Walker ◽  
Janice Redmond
Keyword(s):  
Small Business ◽  
Small Businesses ◽  
Intervention Program ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Environmental Issues ◽  
Business Case ◽  
Business Owners ◽  
Small Business Owners ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
The Impact

AbstractThe importance of the environment is something of a cracked record to many small business owners, as historically any calls to business to change or improve their practices or behaviours were from the ‘environmental’ or ‘green’ perspective, rather than from a business perspective. As a consequence, many small businesses have simply tuned out. This research sought to identify the impact of an education intervention program that encouraged better environmental management practices and provided practical assistance to the businesses. The research was designed to test the effectiveness of the program and record any changes that occurred in the businesses over the duration of the project. To measure changes, it included a pre- and post-intervention survey. Overall, there was an increased awareness in most of the businesses in regard to environmental issues. Participants from many of the businesses also expressed positive changes to both behaviours and attitudes to environmental issues. This demonstrated the value of the program, and also highlighted the challenge to engage small business, even when a business case is apparent, given the cost of implementing this type of intensive and personalised assistance.

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