Case study of small and very small businesses in Germany during Covid-19 in 2021

Abstract

2020 was a dramatic year for businesses. We have been witnessing not only an unprecedented interruption in the world economy, but also a mass closure of local businesses. Small businesses have been struggling since the beginning of the pandemic, and many small brick and mortar stores were closed permanently. The effect on business activities will be felt in 2021 and beyond. Small business will stop to exist if they are not built on online business but event-driven stationary retail. The worst thing - especially during the pandemic - for everyone is the lack of planning security - the presence of uncertainty. No one knows when the next lockdown will occur, how long it will last, what its effects will be, and who exactly will be affected. The research was based on a small case study and captures the impression of six different companies. It confirms the findings of other studies but also contributes to different findings.