PROBLEMS OF SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED ENTERPRISES IN A PANDEMIC
The article examines the problems of small and medium-sized businesses, both during the period of self-isolation associated with the coronavirus pandemic, and after the restrictions were lifted, as well as outlined ways out of the crisis situation in which the leaders of these enterprises find themselves. The relevance of this topic is due to the situation in which small and medium entrepreneurs find themselves in the context the pandemic of coronavirus. The restrictive measures introduced to prevent the spread of infection have caused significant damage to small and medium-sized enterprises. Their owners suffered losses, many could not stand the long period of isolation and closed. The state actively supports entrepreneurship by providing benefits, subsidies and various kinds of support. Despite all this, small and medium-sized businesses have accumulated enough problems that need to be addressed. Entrepreneurs conditionally divide their problems into organizational, material and financial. All of these problems are quite intertwined. The purpose of this article is to identify the factors, the activation of which will help overcome the negative trends in the decrease in the competitiveness of small and medium-sized businesses. The article traces the idea, shared by Russian economic experts, that Russian small and medium-sized businesses can successfully adapt to existing realities through the successful design of new business models and cost optimization.