BUSINESS STRATEGIES TO UPGRADE AND SUSTAIN SMALL BUSINESSES THAT EMERGED DURING COVID-19 IN KANO STATE

Abstract

The study is on the strategies needed to upgrade and sustain the small businesses that emerged during COVID-19 lockdown in Kano State. The first index case of COVID-19 was reported in Nigeria in February 2020, and later in Kano in April 2020. Two objectives were developed which revolved around the products and entrepreneurial services that emerged during the pandemic and the strategies for upgrade and sustainability of such products. Survey was used as the methodology and questionnaire as instrument for data collection. The population of the study consists of the 44 local government areas of Kano state. The three senatorial zone were used as clusters where four local government were purposely sampled from each of the zone (two rural and two urban). Mean statistics measuring central tendencies and dispersion was used in the analysis of the data collected. A decision point of 2.5 was used; all items with a weighted mean of 2.5 and above are considered to be positive while those below were considered to be negative. The findings of the study revealed emergence of products and entrepreneurial services that are necessary for compliance to the new normal and the need for strategies to upgrade and sustain the emerged products through seminars and workshops. The research recommend among others creation and expansion of market base, reward and encouragement of innovations to small businesses owners, entrepreneurial training to small and emerge business owners in both rural and urban areas.