The nature of small business digital responses during crises

Abstract

Small business revenues worldwide were drastically affected by lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, many small businesses introduced new functionality through the adoption of digital technologies. However, little is known about the nature of these digital technology innovations, including whether they differed across industry sectors. Through a modified case study approach, we examine digital technology responses to the pandemic by small businesses that were identified in Google News. We introduce a new framework designed to describe the nature of the responses. Most small businesses that were examined introduced digital responses by offering new e-commerce facilities and/or converting their existing services to ‘e-services’, with some important cross sector exceptions. Practical suggestions for small businesses are provided.