The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc for many businesses but SMBs have been the most affected. According to Yelp’s Local Economic Impact Report, nearly 100,000 small to medium-sized businesses that had temporarily closed during the initial lockdowns are permanently out of business today. Campaigns like the American Express Small Business Saturday do encourage consumers to buy locally, but with the growth of eCommerce, it is becoming hard for SMBs to win their customers back. Low price points, cheap delivery options, intuitive eCommerce design and usability from retail giants have eaten into the SMB market share. This has also hit the SMB merchants harder during the pandemic. Small businesses have been the backbone of our economy for decades, but they are also the most vulnerable.
