Bad, bad, bad: How the pandemic damaged small businesses in Istog

The period during which the tailor's profession, Judge Shoshi, provided more revenue, was stolen this year by the pandemic. The summer season for her as a tailor had completely failed, this as a result of limiting her movements and also lack of exiles providing her with more work in her small business.

“I'm working with a small business, with the pandemic we've been fine not only me, but nobody. Three months we haven't worked off, the summer we've had very little work to do, but we're just saying we're working on”, Shoshi said

Despite old age and old age issues, he is also concerned about courses that are developing online and that sometimes are difficult for him to approach. As for her recovery after this period of relief, she received an employment entity that just needs me to get through this situation.

“ Now that everything's going on over the phone and the Internet, we're keeping it online, but I'm having a network problem sometimes even if it's stopping, even if it's half gone. Thankfully, we have begun to revive even with the aid of the employment entity now we're better”, She added.

The last few months specifically for small businesses were not easy. Many were forced to close their doors because of the pandemic. Since some may never open up again, others are struggling for their business, hoping that they will not have to close again.

Miranda Zekij, who owns a small stand on the corner of the street in Istog City, describes the impact of the pandemic on her three-word minibisnes.

“ Bad, bad, bad, the pandemic affected us, there was no sale, there were people, there were people, we just got a little back up now, but very little, but you were hoping it wouldn't come that time in”Zachariah added

Unlike others Mehmet Idrizaj, who has two small brands in Istog, says the pandemic had little influence on his business, which was due to the possession of products needed for residents.

“ The slightly more difficult period was when limiting the movement was larger, but after that everything was normal, for the better, some subsidies the government has distributed for business here at Istog”, Idrizaj added

As for the impact of pandemic on Istogas businesses, Directorate for Economics and Development Director Lulzim Blakaj said they still do not have a result of the damage caused by the period of pandemic to businesses in the Istog Community and are awaiting the report.

“We still don't have results as far as there are damage caused by the pandemic, the consulting company from Pristina, has contracted by the end of November to bring us a report on the situation and damage done in Istog Community businesses.”, Blakaj said

According to one Survey Driven by five organisations representing business interests in Kosovo, whose data has been analysed by Recura Financials, and which was conducted with 462 businesses early in April, results in about 95% of the surveyed companies weighing the COVID-19 crisis as negative, out of which more than half of them estimate it as very negative.

Albina Selmanaj