The Key to MSMEs Ability to Survive the Covid-19 Pandemic (Case studies in Indonesia)

Abstract

Micro, Small, and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs) have unique business characteristics. Likewise, with managers or in this case business owners and/or managers, personal characteristics are needed so that they are able to manage a business in good economic conditions or when it is not good, such as during the crisis and during the current Covid-19 pandemic. In the previous economic crises, in 1998 and 2008, it was proven that MSMEs were able to save the economy of a society and the country. Was this the case when the Covid-19 pandemic hit the entire community and in more than 200 countries in the world? Because business is very dynamic and unique, the key to the ability of MSMEs to be able to survive during the Covid-19 pandemic is also not much different from the economic crisis, namely Human Resources (HR) who manage the business itself. Through strong and reliable personal characteristics, any difficult condition can make imagination find solutions to problems faced critically, but remain productive, giving birth to new creativity and innovation in business. The key for MSMEs being able to survive during the Covid-19 pandemic also lies in the personal characteristics of human resources who run businesses.