Understanding the Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Small Businesses and Workers Using Quantitative and Qualitative Methods

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has simultaneously exacerbated and elucidated inequities in resource distribution for small businesses across the United States in terms of worker health and the financial stability of both owners and employees. This disparity was further intensified by the constantly changing and sometimes opposing health and safety guidelines and recommendations to businesses from the local, state, and federal government agencies. To better understand how the pandemic has impacted small businesses, a cross-sectional survey was administered to owners, managers, and workers (n = 45) in the beauty and auto shop sectors from Southern Arizona. The survey identified barriers to safe operation that these businesses faced during the pandemic, illuminated worker concerns about COVID-19, and elicited perceptions of how workplaces have changed since the novel coronavirus outbreak of 2019. A combination of open-ended and close-ended questions explored how businesses adapted to the moving target of pandemic safety recommendations, as well as how the pandemic affected businesses and workers more generally. Almost all the beauty salons surveyed had to close their doors (22/25), either temporarily or permanently, due to COVID-19, while most of the auto repair shops were able to stay open (13/20). Beauty salons were more likely to implement exposure controls meant to limit transmission with customers and coworkers, such as wearing face masks and disallowing walk-ins, and were also more likely to be affected by pandemic-related issues, such as reduced client load and sourcing difficulties. Auto shops, designated by the state of Arizona to be ‘essential’ businesses, were less likely to have experienced financial precarity due to the pandemic. Content analysis of open-ended questions using the social-ecological model documented current and future worker concerns, namely financial hardships from lockdowns and the long-term viability of their business, unwillingness of employees to return to work, uncertainty regarding the progression of the pandemic, conflict over suitable health and safety protocols, and personal or family health and well-being (including anxiety and/or stress). Findings from the survey indicate that small businesses did not have clear guidance from policymakers during the pandemic and that the enacted regulations and guidelines focused on either health and safety or finances, but rarely both. Businesses often improvised and made potentially life-changing decisions with little to no support. This analysis can be used to inform future pandemic preparedness plans for small businesses that are cost-efficient, effective at reducing environmental exposures, and ultimately more likely to be implemented by the workers.

Stakeholders’ perspectives on the feasibility of adopting a Healthy Nail Salon Recognition Program in Philadelphia: A qualitative study

“…Perceived challenges related to cost to buy more expensive alternative products, implement engineering controls, or time commitment for staff training are not unique to nail salon industry but well-documented challenges for small businesses in general (Black et al,1993, Honan et al, 2022; Moutray, 2009). Like many other businesses, nail salon small business owners and their employees were highly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic with little limited support (Honan et al, 2022; Sharma, P. et al, 2022).…”

Thinking on your feet: Beauty and auto small businesses maneuver the risks of the COVID-19 pandemic

“…Contact information for the businesses was compiled based on internet searches, social media presence, and driving through targeted neighborhoods. Honan et al provide detailed recruitment methods ( 23 ).…”

“…Recruitment of participants was via social media, phone calls, mailed flyers, and poster advertisements. Contact information for the businesses was compiled based on internet searches, social media presence, and driving through targeted (23).…”

“…The development of the COVID-19 small business survey has been described previously (23). An interdisciplinary team from the University of Arizona and SERI designed the survey instrument.…”

“…The latter was particularly difficult for industries that did not have viable options for transitioning away from in-person services within 1.83 meters, like beauty salons. Clear and consistent guidance from local, state, and federal authorities, including governments and health organizations, are needed to direct these industries better (23). The COVID-19 vaccine was an added competing interest for individuals working in these businesses.…”