Small Business Activity Research Articles

DEVELOPMENT OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AS A DIRECTION FOR IMPROVING SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED BUSINESSES

Background. The relevance of this work is due to the active development of domestic business in the context of the actualization of the sustainable development agenda, as well as the development of the concept of social responsibility in Russia. The purpose of the article is to identify the role of corporate social responsibility as a direction for improving small and medium-sized businesses. Materials and methods. Within the framework of the conducted research, approaches to the study of social responsibility of business were studied both by foreign - E. Sharm, M. Porter, A. Carroll, T. Lee, - and domestic scientists - M.V. Kivarin, E. Grigoryan, I. Yurasov, V. Gorfinkel, N. Rodionova, N. Filimonova, etc., as well as the results of a sociological study using the questionnaire survey method (n = 391), the distribution of respondents was carried out by federal districts in accordance with the proportion of the number of small and medium-sized enterprises of the district in the overall structure small and medium-sized businesses in Russia. Results. The key advantages and possible risks of integrating the principles of corporate social responsibility into the activities of small and medium-sized businesses are identified. The key trends and opportunities that can become a driver in the development of small and medium-sized enterprises operating in conditions of economic tension are analyzed. Conclusions. In the conditions of a narrow radius of trust characteristic of modern Russian society, the integration of corporate social responsibility is a driver of improvement of small and medium-sized businesses.

Implementasi digital marketing dalam meningkatkan bisnis UKM (usaha kecil dan mikro) di Kelurahan Makroman Kalimantan Timur

Business demands for the use of technology in the marketing activities of small and medium enterprises have become mandatory to be met. Business competition and increasingly high business creativity require every small and micro business actor to carry out marketing strategies that are adapted to the times. The need for the internet is mandatory in all activities including business activities. Therefore, small and micro business actors must master digital marketing as one of the most effective tools in marketing products and services. This community service activity aims to increase the insight into knowledge, as well as the skills of small and micro business actors in terms of utilizing digital marketing, in this case the mastery of social meda. This activity was attended by 25 small and micro business participants using the seminar method, explanation of power point slides and LCD projectors, sharing experiences and discussions, as well as direct practice of creating social media accounts (business whatsapp, facebook, Instagram, tik-tok). This community service was carried out in Makroman Village, Welcome District, Samarinda City. The results show that several micro-small business groups have been active in implementing social media as a medium for promoting their business, although there are still many people who have not mapped online business accounts with accounts for personal gain. All participants showed great interest and attention in this activity and they have used marketing media through social media as a promotional medium on an ongoing basis.

Analysis of Household Food Security of Beef Cattle Livestock in Jambenenggang Village

This community service was carried out at the Dasa Jambenenggang beef cattle farming MSME, Kebonpedes District, Sukabumi Regency. The activity was carried out to analyze the food security of beef cattle farming for micro and small business actors in Jambenenggang Village. Mastery of digital marketing media is still very minimal for micro-small business actors in this case, we can see from the many existing products but it is difficult to compete with other products in online buying and selling media. To realize food security for the people of Jabenenggang village, namely by analyzing the adequacy of food availability , quality of food security, Stability of food availability without fluctuation from season to season or from year to year, Constraints in carrying out food security for the community. This beef cattle farming business continues to use traditional methods, although marketing is not with digital media but Pak Idang's beef cattle farm this can cut 5 cows per day according to the order target and the selling price can go up because of the soaring number of orders

Implementation of Green Accounting to Concern For The Working Environment of Garment Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in Gerbang Kertasusila

The purpose of this study was to determine the level of understanding and concern of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in the gate Garment ethical paper relating to the application of green accounting in its business. Green Accounting is the development of accounting information, which has its own role through voluntary reporting in the company's financial statements related to environmental costs. Observation,interview and documentation techniques were used to collect research data. Data analysis in this qualitative descriptive research using Miles and Huberman data analysis model in (Sugiyono, Metode Penelitian Kuantitatif, Kualitatif, dan R&D., 2017) specifically reduces data, presents data, then makes conclusions. The results of this study indicate that two out of three Micro, small and medium Garment business actors in Gerbang Kertasusila understand and understand about good care in maintaining the work environment as a form of green accounting. Although for details about the expenditure of business costs garment and the environment they have not telesuri in detail but they realize that the environmental cost is a responsibility that is loaded on the financial statements of their businesses that do not include details, but they recognize that the environmental cost is the responsibility of reporting on their business finance research.

Pelatihan Manajemen Keuangan Usaha Bagi Kelompok Mama-Mama Penjual Pinang di Expo Waena Kota Jayapura

The Indonesian people's financial literacy level until now has not shown good condition, based on the results of a survey conducted by the Financial Services Authority (OJK) in 2019, which shows that financial management has not been implementing by the community. Mapping the level of financial literacy by employment rate, the results showed an increase in the percentage of financial literacy for all classifications of job types from 2016 to 2019, where employers were 43.60%. MSMEs are one of the sectors that have been greatly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. The survey results showed that 77% of respondents experienced a decrease in income, 35% of whom experience a decreased in income in the range of 40%-60% (OJK, 2021). The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has been confirmed from various existing surveys, confirms that financial literacy is a life skill that must be possessed by every individual today. The Business Financial Management training activity for the Betel Nut and Noken Seller Mama Group at Expo Waena aims to be able to foster scientific understanding and understanding of small business actors regarding financial literacy, especially regarding business financial management as a business actor, supporting business actors in making decisions related to business finances and their preferences and is expected to be able to manage and analyze their income and expenses so that more smart and wise in managing business finances and his personal finance. The participants in this activity were the participants who registered, namely 15 participants, and those who participated in the training activity were about 6 people from the group of betel nut and noken sellers at the waena expo in Jayapura City.Keywords: Business, Financial Management, Training

HALAL AWARE LITERACY AND HALAL CERTIFICATION ASSISTANCE WITH BUSINESS DECLARATION SCHEME (SELF DECLARE) FOR SMALL AND MICRO BUSINESSES IN TANGERANG DISTRICT, BANTEN

Government policies related to the acceleration of halal certification for 10 million SMEs in 2024 will work well only if business actors, especially small and micro enterprises (SMEs), understand the importance of halal certification for their products, understand the procedures for applying for halal certificates, and business actors comply requirements in registering its products for halal certification. In fact, the importance of halal certification has not become knowledge that can be accepted by business actors. In addition, the halal certification procedure has not been well socialized among micro and small business actors. For this reason, community service related to halal awareness literacy and the dissemination of halal certification by the self-declare scheme of business actors among small and micro business actors is very important to do. The service team from the School of Strategic and Global UI Studies and the UI Halal Center have carried out community service with halal-aware literacy activities, socialization of submitting halal certificates through the siHalal application and assistance in the process of halal products as a procedure for submitting halal certificates for small and micro business actors in Tangerang Banten district

Strengthening Entrepreneurship Characteristics in the Effort of Increasing MSMe Performance Through Management Ability and Entrepreneurship Competence

MSME is a form of business carried out by micro, small and medium scale business actors. The development and growth of MSMEs contribute to the economy of a region so that efforts are needed that lead to improving the performance of MSMEs. Likewise, traditional food MSMEs in Bendungan Village, Gajahmungkur District, Semarang, which have contributed to absorbing labor in the field of entrepreneurship. Related to the above, this study aims to analyze (1) the effect of entrepreneurial characteristics on management ability, (2) the effect of entrepreneurial characteristics on entrepreneurial competence, (3)the influence of entrepreneurial characteristics on the performance of SMEs,(4)influence management ability ton the performance of SMEsAnd(5)influence of entrepreneurial competence ton the performance of SMEs. The research population is MSME actors who do business in the field of traditional food in the Bendungan Village, Gajahmungkur District, Semarang City. This study used 88 data from MSME respondents who came from the answers to the questionnaire. The analysis tool uses Partial Least Square (PLS). The results of the study show that entrepreneurial characteristics influence management ability, entrepreneurial competence and MSME performance. Furthermore, management capabilities and entrepreneurial competencies are proven to be able to improve MSME performance.

Evaluating the environmental impact and economic practicability of solar home lighting systems: a roadmap towards clean energy for ecological sustainability.

The vitality contribution is a vital cause for defensible monetary improvement and collective success by eradicating poverty. Adopting the solar home lighting system (SHLS) is advantageous not only in social lifestyles but also improves the health of family members and increases home-based small businesses activities due to the inexpensive and continuous supply of energy. The main aims of the study are to scrutinize the most substantial barriers to adopting SHLS in Pakistan. A comprehensive, structured questionnaire appraisal was conducted for sample size with the help of non-probability sampling (purposive sampling), and primary data was collected. The designated hypotheses were evaluated using partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). In the present study, we validate the model using a sample of 271 adopters of SHLS contributed as respondents. The results disclose that entire autonomous variables expressively and positively correlated with adopting SHLS dipping energy disasters and improving home-based small business activities. Correspondingly, social media-based awareness of SHLS significantly moderates and positively affects the selected factors in this study. Empirical results indicate that prudently eradicating maintenance barriers with experienced professionals, subsidy in prices from the government, quality base satisfaction of owners, and social media-based awareness are the primary tools to adopt SHLS. Additionally, the outcomes offer valuable suggestions to the competent authorities that introduce encouragement and maintenance policy for adopting SHLS.

Pandemi Covid-19 dan Keberlanjutan Bisnis Mikro-Kecil di Kota Sejarah Gastronomi: Pendekatan Penghidupan Berkelanjutan

The Covid-19 pandemic causes challenges and threats to micro and small businesses' unsustainability. This study aims to describe the dynamics of micro and small business actors in maintaining business continuity based on a sustainable livelihood framework. This research is located in Salatiga City, Central Java Province, Indonesia. The research method used is qualitative, with a case study approach to traditional culinary businesses and coffee shops. These findings indicate that the Covid-19 pandemic urges the government to take a Large-Scale Social Restrictions (PSBB) policy to the Enforcement of Community Activity Restrictions (PPKM) policy. Also, the obligation to implement health protocols to Clean, Health, Safety, and Environment (CHSE) certification for food and beverage businesses. The policy has limited the mobility and access capabilities of traditional culinary business entrepreneurs and coffee shops to social capital and financial capital, as observed by several culinary businesses and coffee shops that showed a quiet condition of visitors during the PPKM in force. To maintain business continuity during the pandemic, coffee shop entrepreneurs innovate products and business processes by utilizing digital platforms for online marketing; some culinary businesses and coffee shops use service on-demand applications to market food and beverages so that they can be accessed by buyers and still earn income during the PPKM applies. Thus, it shows that diversification and intensification are needed to support sustainable businesses and livelihoods during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Pendampingan Sertifikasi Halal Gratis bagi Pelaku Usaha Mikro dan Kecil di Kabupaten Tanjung Jabung Timur

The process of digitizing halal certification turns out to be quite difficult for business actors who are not familiar with using computers. Moreover, it takes a long time to fill out the entire form, micro and small business actors who do not have employees prefer to open a business or operate as usual rather than spending time studying a series of certification processes. Therefore, the writing team as halal assistants feel the need to carry out community service in the form of assistance in filling out forms (SJPH). Based on the results of the dedication that has been carried out, it can be said that the service activities have been successful, business actors understand the importance of halal certificates, consciously and willingly attend the mentoring event to gain technical knowledge of processing halal certificates. Business actors are also willing to make improvements when during the filing period a discrepancy is found by the fatwa commission which must be corrected by the business actor.

ANALYSIS OF INVESTMENTS INTO THE ACTIVITY OF SMALL BUSINESS SUBJECTS IN THE REPUBLIC OF KARAKALPAKSTAN

The article examines the activities of small businesses on the basis of regional policy, in accordance with which describes ways to attract investment in small businesses in the Republic of Karakalpakstan and measures for their effective use. The article also carried out a statistical analysis of the distribution of investments in small businesses and private entrepreneurship by region. In particular, a mechanism has been developed to attract domestic and foreign investments to the Republic of Karakalpakstan, as well as to familiarize investors with information about the potential and opportunities of the Republic of Karakalpakstan and create greater interest and inclination for them.

Ключевые особенности HR-менеджмента в сфере малого предпринимательства и их учет в практике управления

The subject area of the article is the personnel direction of the activity of small businesses and the peculiarities of their management in modern domestic conditions. The scientific position is argued, according to which the above-mentioned direction has a pronounced specificity that excludes the possibility of using a significant part of both strategic approaches and applied HR technologies that are successfully used in the organization of personnel work at large and even medium-sized businesses. Ignoring this specificity is fraught with both market and purely financial losses for the category of economic entities under consideration due to a fundamental decrease in the effectiveness of the internal HR management system, therefore, an increase in the likelihood of negative realization of various personnel risks of a quantitative and qualitative nature. The purpose of the study is to develop proposals for the choice of strategy and tactics of personnel management of small businesses, fully taking into account the specifics of the personnel direction of their activities. The objectives of the study are to determine the specifics of the functioning of small businesses in the external and internal labor markets, the resulting additional requirements for the organization of personnel work, as well as the development of practice-oriented recommendations for the introduction of applied HR technologies that provide a high degree of social orientation of the personnel management strategy. Research results: the features of the organization of personnel work of small business entities that distinguish them from representatives of other business entities on the scale of business are revealed. Taking into account these features, recommendations on: the choice of strategic approaches to solving the main tasks in the personnel direction of the small business; distribution of powers in the field of personnel management between the director (owner) of a small enterprise, its personnel department and heads of structural divisions; introduction of innovative HR technologies that improve the quality of the human capital of a small business as one of the important factors that ensure its competitive position in the serviced market.

Hybrid Process ; Defense Strategies For Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises In The Pandemic

Covid Pandemic -19 has destroyed all sectors, including the economic sector, especially micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). In the midst of economic uncertainty, digitalization plays a very important role for MSMEs players to survive and grow significantly. This research is intended to see the extent to which business actors design and run online and offline business processes (Hybrid Processes) to survive in the midst of a pandemic. The research approach uses a quantitative approach with an explanatory survey of 100 small business actors in Ciamis district, West Java province. The data analysis technique used is regression analysis with the help of SPSS data processing software. The results show that business actors who combine online and offline strategies (Hybrid Strategy) are proven to be able to survive and achieve significant business growth, besides that this strategy is able to create a new ecosystem that supports MSMEs growth and economic growth.

Social finance, institutional quality and stability of Islamic banks: evidence from four countries

PurposeIslamic banks, despite being Shariah-compliant, have long been criticized for mimicking conventional banks in terms of their products and processes (Khan, 2010; Kuran, 1996). However, several Islamic banks do engage in philanthropy (zakat and charity) and risk-sharing financing (mudarabah and musharakah) instruments that better meet their raison d'etre, the fulfillment of Maqasid al-Shariah (Jatmiko et al., 2023). These contracts, however, are more susceptible to moral hazard and adverse selection problems than traditional debt-based finance (Azmat et al., 2015) and may impair Islamic bank stability. This paper explores the relationship between social finance and the stability of Islamic banks, and whether institutional quality moderates this relationship.Design/methodology/approachUsing hand-collected annual data on social finance from 12 Islamic banks in four countries: Bangladesh, Bahrain, Indonesia and Malaysia, between 2006 and 2019, the authors employ the feasible generalized least squares and the panel-corrected standard errors methods for the analysis. The Stata version 16 software was used to analyze the data for the study.FindingsThe results indicate that mudarabah and musharakah financing raises the stability of Islamic banks. The authors also found that mudarabah and musharakah expose Islamic banks to more risk-taking behavior amidst the conditioning effect of institutional quality. On the other hand, charity induces the stability of Islamic banks, while zakat increases the risk-taking behavior of the banks. Further, when the quality of institutions was used as a moderator, both zakat and charity induced the stability of Islamic banks. The results were robust when liquidity risk was used and partially robust when portfolio risks were employed as measures of stability.Research limitations/implicationsOne concern regarding the application of Islamic social finance is that it might be a risky strategy for Islamic banks. In terms of research implications, the available evidence suggests that the use of Islamic social finance instruments is not detrimental to the stability of Islamic banks. Hence, regulators and policymakers should not penalize Islamic banks for using Islamic social finance instruments that help provide financial solutions to the underserved and unserved. In terms of research limitations, the study could not include other relevant Islamic social finance instruments such as waqf and qard al-hassan. Furthermore, data availability restricts the analysis to only 12 Islamic banks in fourcountries. As more Islamic banks in different countries venture into Islamic social finance, and the quantity and quality of information improve, future studies could explore the issue further.Social implicationsThe available evidence suggests that the use of Islamic social finance instruments does not worsen the stability of Islamic banks. Given the dominance of sale- and lease-based contracts in Islamic financing (Aggarwal and Yousef, 2000; Šeho et al., 2020), these findings should encourage other Islamic banks to provide financial solutions using other Shariah-compliant contracts including those based on risk-sharing and philanthropy. This would be a better reflection of the Islamic banks’ value proposition as it helps boost social activities that have a high impact on the activities of small businesses, contributing to the real economy and promoting well-being in society.Originality/valuePrevious studies mainly relied on mudarabah, mushakarah and zakat separately as they relate to the performance of Islamic banks. This study explores the impact of social finance which includes charity and zakat to examine their impact on Islamic banks’ stability. Further, the authors use institutional quality as a moderating variable in the relationship between Islamic social finance instruments and the stability of Islamic banks.Peer reviewThe peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-06-2022-0441

INCREASING THE PRODUCTIVITY OF THE FURNITURE INDUSTRY WITH KAIZEN CASE STUDY IN SBRC FURNITURE JEPARA

In the era of economic digitalization, global business and industry competition is very tight and moves fast. Fashion, trends, and innovations are growing vigorously so that all business and industry players continue to increase their productivity in all fields. The increase in productivity is in line with the company's efforts to increase profits along with optimal product and service quality to consumers. However, efforts to increase it will be hampered by several aspects of waste, this is what is felt by small and medium business actors such as SBRC Furniture which is engaged in the production of carving frames. This research aims to identify various wastes that occur by changing them through the Kaizen method to provide constructive notes to increase business productivity.

Strengthening The Village Economy In Digital Era Through The Proud Made In Indonesia National Movement

The purpose of this research is to get the results of strengthening the village economy through the proud national movement made in Indonesia in the digital era. This research uses a qualitative approach with a qualitative descriptive method. The data were taken from the results of observations, documents and forum group discussions at the Proud National Movement meetings held in Indonesia with government stakeholders. Data were analyzed through three stages, including 1) data reduction, namely data sorting according to the needs of research problem analysis, 2) data presentation, namely the process of categorizing data to be analyzed, and 3) conclusion. The results of the study concluded that there was a positive impact on the implementation of the proud national movement program made in Indonesia on strengthening small and medium business actors in villages, especially in the digital era because business actors can carry out production and marketing innovations digitally or penetrate village boundaries so that their products can be known more widely. In addition, business actors have also increased from May 2020 by 8 million to 19.2 million in May 2022 and the target is 30 million by the end of 2023. So, the results of this study provide an understanding that an economic improvement program must be adjusted to technological developments and needs. consumers to get wider market opportunities.

КЛАСТЕРНЫЙ ПОДХОД В РАЗВИТИИ СУБЪЕКТОВ МАЛОГО АГРОБИЗНЕСА

The number of small agricultural business entities includes agricultural enterprises of various organizational and legal forms (with the exception of state and municipal enterprises, dependent and subsidiaries and partnerships), as well as agricultural consumer cooperatives, peasant (farmer) households, and household households. At present, the small agricultural business of the Republic of Tatarstan is represented by over 470 thousand personal, about 3 thousand farms and more than 300 agricultural consumer cooperatives. Personal subsidiary farms use 
 1 499.3 thousand hectares of agricultural land, and private farms own more than 312 thousand hectares of arable land, or 9% of the area of the entire arable land of the republic. If we consider the share of small agribusiness entities in the structure of the region's economy, then almost half of the gross agricultural output falls on them. To improve the efficiency of small agribusiness, the further development of small enterprises is associated with their clustering. This article examines the advantages of the cluster approach in the activities of small agricultural businesses. The clustering of small agribusiness entities opens up more opportunities for expanded production. Small enterprises that are members of the agro-industrial cluster increase their competitiveness and position in the commodity market. Functioning within clusters can contribute to the production of goods, endowing them with other properties and, accordingly, conquering new market niches. The stable development of regions, economic growth in production in many areas of the agro-industrial complex in recent years create real prerequisites for the creation of local clusters. Compared to Russia, in developed countries, clusters have been created for decades and, importantly, they show real profitability, as well as the inclusion of organizations in such clusters contribute to the exchange of experience in doing business. For the further development of small businesses, it is necessary to use a cluster approach, the advantages of which are the expansion of sales markets for products, the full cycle of production of finished products, savings with large volumes of purchases.

ЗАСТОСУВАННЯ ПЛАТФОРМ ЦИФРОВОГО ПІДПРИЄМНИЦТВА У МАЛОМУ ТА СЕРЕДНЬОМУ БІЗНЕСІ

In modern conditions of development, digital platforms in small and medium-sized businesses began to be widely used during the development of Industry-4.0 globalization. Modern studies define digital platforms as an electronic environment that includes a general set (list) of goods and services with a corresponding digital configuration. Examples of digital platforms are: digital music platform "Spotify" or "iTunes", digital movie platform "Netflix", etc. The article established that from the point of view of the economy, digital platforms are auxiliary electronic environments (markets) on which sellers and buyers buy and sell goods. And digital entrepreneurship is also considered as the process of creating a new Internet business. In the process of research, it was established that thanks to the spread of digital platforms, entrepreneurs have opportunities to stimulate innovation to create new products or services. In the framework of Industry 4.0, globalization and digitalization have created some benefits for participants based on digital platforms. First of all, through digital platforms, manufacturers can assess buyers and end consumers without going through intermediaries. Also, digital platforms allow sellers to display their products in virtual shopping centers through a website, and consumers can view product information at a time and place convenient for them. It has been proven that small and medium-sized enterprises are one of the main engines of the modern economy, which contribute to the development of the country's economy, the creation of income, employment and innovation in various fields. Small and medium-sized enterprises are the key to economic growth and market competition in most developed economies due to their flexibility and ability to innovate. According to the results of the conducted research, it is confirmed that the use of digital tools and platforms helps small and medium-sized businesses to determine the right direction for improving the efficiency of small and medium-sized enterprises within the framework of Industry 4.0 and digitalization trends. After all, the activity of small and medium-sized business enterprises directly affects the total GDP of the country. Thus, the subject of further research is the study of factors that can increase the productivity of small and medium-sized business enterprises, which is important in determining the directions of the future development of small and medium-sized business enterprises. In addition, within the framework of Industry-4.0. SMEs must take advantage of globalization and digitalization to perform better and achieve greater competitive advantages.

ЗАСТОСУВАННЯ ПЛАТФОРМ ЦИФРОВОГО ПІДПРИЄМНИЦТВА У МАЛОМУ ТА СЕРЕДНЬОМУ БІЗНЕСІ

In modern conditions of development, digital platforms in small and medium-sized businesses began to be widely used during the development of Industry-4.0 globalization. Modern studies define digital platforms as an electronic environment that includes a general set (list) of goods and services with a corresponding digital configuration. Examples of digital platforms are: digital music platform "Spotify" or "iTunes", digital movie platform "Netflix", etc. The article established that from the point of view of the economy, digital platforms are auxiliary electronic environments (markets) on which sellers and buyers buy and sell goods. And digital entrepreneurship is also considered as the process of creating a new Internet business. In the process of research, it was established that thanks to the spread of digital platforms, entrepreneurs have opportunities to stimulate innovation to create new products or services. In the framework of Industry 4.0, globalization and digitalization have created some benefits for participants based on digital platforms. First of all, through digital platforms, manufacturers can assess buyers and end consumers without going through intermediaries. Also, digital platforms allow sellers to display their products in virtual shopping centers through a website, and consumers can view product information at a time and place convenient for them. It has been proven that small and medium-sized enterprises are one of the main engines of the modern economy, which contribute to the development of the country's economy, the creation of income, employment and innovation in various fields. Small and medium-sized enterprises are the key to economic growth and market competition in most developed economies due to their flexibility and ability to innovate. According to the results of the conducted research, it is confirmed that the use of digital tools and platforms helps small and medium-sized businesses to determine the right direction for improving the efficiency of small and medium-sized enterprises within the framework of Industry 4.0 and digitalization trends. After all, the activity of small and medium-sized business enterprises directly affects the total GDP of the country. Thus, the subject of further research is the study of factors that can increase the productivity of small and medium-sized business enterprises, which is important in determining the directions of the future development of small and medium-sized business enterprises. In addition, within the framework of Industry-4.0. SMEs must take advantage of globalization and digitalization to perform better and achieve greater competitive advantages.

Unpacking the Implication of the COVID-19 Pandemic for Small Businesses in Lebak Regency, Banten Province

In recent times, small businesses have been recognized as a significant component of national economies, as evidenced by their resilience during the monetary crisis faced by Indonesia in 1999. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has presented a unique challenge due to the invisible nature of the virus, its social transmission, and the resultant threats to human safety. Small businesses have undergone several changes, including altered consumer behavior, production patterns, and product marketing, primarily due to their reliance on crowds and direct interactions between sellers and buyers. Consequently, many small businesses have either shut down or faced difficulties in maintaining their sustainability. To gain insights into the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for small business actors, we conducted a qualitative phenomenological study in Lebak Regency, Banten Province. Our findings suggest that the informants viewed the pandemic as a crisis that tested their adaptive capacity. This capacity encompassed not only the ability to adjust to changing economic conditions but also a sense of gratitude for the outcomes of their business activities. The quality of these attributes together determined the sustainability of their business.