Changing business practices and coping mechanisms of entrepreneurs (SMEs) during COVID 19- a study on Kathmandu based SMEs

Abstract

The continuous rage of the COVID 19 pandemic has severely impacted the lives of people globally. The strict lockdown measures not only presented an unprecedented challenge, but also caused economic and social disruption. The most vulnerable to the economic effects of COVID-19 were small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), especially the booming entrepreneurs. Without the means, well-equipped strategies, and resources they have been hit hard during the lockdown. Moreover, absence of robust plans and schemes to support the private sector has added to their misery. So, the purpose of this research is to understand the impact of COVID 19 on business, how business has changed and how entrepreneurs have coped to the situation in Nepal, studying the case of Kathmandu based SMEs. The study was studied in two phases, in first a survey was run with 104 participants and in second, an in-depth interview was conducted with 17 participants.