The sudden onset of the pandemic called COVID 19 took the entire world by shock and surprise.  The reaction time was very less as most of the countries went into a lockdown to contain the spread of the virus.  People were least prepared for the pandemic and its waterfall effects.  The businesses were mostly reactive and internally started creating panic among employees and other stakeholders.  This article is an attempt to explore the after effects of COVID 19 and how the Corporate Leadership got completely exposed during the pandemic.

Purpose: Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) engaged in the business of Trading and Distribution in the United Arab Emirates are characterized by fluctuations in the business performance and growth.  Even though 95% of the businesses in the UAE are SME sector, the variations in the growth pattern lead to various challenges which the owner/manager sometimes fails to handle well.  The aim of this concept paper is to identify the factors contributing to the sustained growth of SME business in the UAE. Approach/Methodology/Design: The research problem for this study is “how to ensure sustained growth in business for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises in the United Arab Emirates”. The other studies on SME business have focused on SME performance but have not specifically focused on sustaining the performance and growing over a long period of time. This research will specifically focus on the factors contributing to sustained growth and this will be ascertained through quantitative survey of various SMEs in the UAE. Findings: This research aims to find the success factors which can be useful to the SME sector of the UAE in order to achieve sustained growth in business. As a result of this study, a possible matrix will emerge showing a framework to be applied for sustained growth of business for SMEs. Practical Implications: Sustained growth and longevity of the business remains the most important dream of every SME owner/manager, and the final recommendations of this research will result in a framework which would help SMEs in the UAE to have a sustained growth in business. Originality/value: The specific objective of this research is to find “factors that contribute to the sustained growth in business”. This would ensure that, despite the vagaries in the business environment, the SME owner will continue to have a stable business with sustained growth over a long period of time.

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Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) are the backbone of any economy and play a vital role in the creation of employment and in providing the much-needed support to the large industries. All the ancillary and support services needed by large industries are provided by the SMEs. The business support for spare parts or components or logistics or services is mostly provided by the SMEs in most of the economies. However, when there is economic crisis the SMEs are the first to be affected as they are the most vulnerable. The SMEs suffer the most during any crisis situation and they also quickly swing back into action when the economy revives. This immediate and severe impact on the SME sector eventually leads to a roller coaster ride for the SME owners and managers which becomes very challenging to handle. The research scholar is looking at creating a set of strategies which could help the SMEs during economic crisis to survive and stay in business.