Abstract:

Although the impact of COVID-19 on small businesses has been addressed in previous studies, there has been a significant gap in terms of sectoral and geographical focus. The purpose of this study is to understand the necessity of public health policies and the sectoral and geographical impact of COVID-19 on small business performance. To this end, the study applied a comparative case study method and collected secondary longitudinal data to get insights into the disparity between the sectoral and geographical impact of COVID-19 on small business performance. The results show that the severity and timing of impacts varied, in part due to different approaches to reopening and reclosing. While improvements were seen, businesses were still operating well below the pre-pandemic levels. The long-term recovery of these sectors will depend on the ongoing management of the pandemic and further policy measures, customizing on their sensitivity and adaptivity.