Reporting

on the Lockdown Economy initiative

In 2020 Think Tank AlterContacts launched the Lockdown Economy, an international non-profit grassroots social-economic and educational initiative to help small businesses and self-employed professionals overcome the challenges of the pandemic and reactivate the economy. It is registered by the United Nations as an Acceleration Action for SDG.

From May 2020 until September 2021, we have collected insights from 350 small business owners and self-employed professionals from 42 countries in 17 languages, representing 78 business activities, to see how the COVID-19 pandemic affected their business, their life, and future.

To make the insights gathered useful for policy-making and recommendations on entrepreneurship in the post-pandemic world, we have prepared the country reports below. This think tank report brings to light specific challenges small businesses faced due to COVID-19 and proposes ways to help them.

We are deeply grateful to entrepreneurs who shared their stories and to our 180 volunteers that made this initiative possible.

Discover how and why the Lockdown Economy came to be. Watch the TED talk by Julia Skupchenko, the co-founder of Think Tank AlterContacts.

Country Reports of Lockdown Economy

When referencing our articles, please always mention the source:

Think Tank AlterContacts (2021). Lockdown Economy Country Report for [location]. [web-address of the article]

Individual Case Studies

Small Business Surviving the COVID-19 Pandemic

A Look at the Tourism Sector in France.

Case-Study of a Female Entrepreneur in Canada

Overcoming Challenges Faced by Small Businesses During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The Plight of Small Businesses in the wake of COVID-19

A case study of a Woman Entrepreneur in Cyprus.

The Future of Small Businesses is Hybrid

A small consultancy firm in Malta shares from its privileged observatory the opportunities and difficulties of being a small company during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Downside of Running a Remote Service-based Small Business

Exploring challenges faced by an online sleep consultancy run by a ‘mumpreneur” in Lebanon.

The Repercussions of the COVID-19 on a Romania-based Web-Design Business

While the gig economy is quickly gaining ground among students and employees, its effects entail a double burden that inflicts both psychological and organizational repercussions on a Romania-based Web Design company.

Small Business in Romania Started During the Pandemic

Amid the COVID-19 crisis, when most of the businesses were shutting down, some HORECA entrepreneurs defied the market trends and took the leap of faith.

How an IT startup turned challenges of the COVID-19 into advantages

The pandemic impacted companies working in close cooperation with the information and technology sector and became the driving force for digital transformation.

Rethinking the Agricultural Sector after the Pandemic

Here are the key challenges that small agricultural businesses in the United Arab Emirates are facing due to the COVID-19 pandemic and how the government can help.

The Power of Doing Nothing: What I Learned in a Pandemic

In this story, the small business owner from Paris reflects on her experience of sustaining her cooking school through the pandemic.

The Food and Beverage Industry in the Lockdown Economy

Herein, thirty interviews including three follow-ups of small business owners from thirteen countries, conducted by Lockdown Economy from June 2020 to April 2021, are analyzed.

The Agriculture Industry in the Lockdown Economy

Here are four Lockdown Economy interviews from the Philippines, United Arab Emirates, India, and Nepal that revealed effective strategies to grow a business during this pandemic.

The Travel and Tourism Industry in the Lockdown Economy

Five travel business owners from France, Mexico, Nepal, Indonesia, and the US shared how their businesses were affected, what measures they are taking to adapt to the new situation, and what help they still need for the near future.