The role of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and its contribution to real economy is well recognized, and great evidence is reported in the international literature. Based on prior experience and empirical evidence, entrepreneurship, and SMEs in particular, can quickly identify and commercialize new market trends. Especially, in turbulent times when opportunities are increasing, and where convex policies and strategies may work better for regulators and entrepreneurs. Nowadays, as covid-19 moves from a public health pandemic to an economic crisis, it would be of great interest for entrepreneurs, employees, managers, and policy decision-makers to identify major trends under and after covid-19, forecast how SMEs in the globe will react, and where to spend our energies.

Under these settings, most enterprises have difficulty in operating. Especially, for small and medium-sized enterprises these problems are more serious than for other enterprises as a result of the considerable decline in the demand for goods and services. In fact, SMEs with their limited ability to counterattack the involved risks and afford the costs due to the slowed down business activities, are facing the difficult problems of the lack of funds and liquidity, employees, customers, and technology. As SMEs are severely hurt last 4-month period, they are unable to service their clientele, to pay salary to their employees and be compliant to their commitment with their suppliers. Consequently, many small and medium sized enterprises are expected to go out of business under and after covid-19. Overall, both supply and demand side will plummet serious downsizing with important consequences on public finance caused by the reduction of tax revenues.

As the spread of covid-19 pandemic continuous and the gradually interdependence of the global economy increases the business uncertainty, predicting the future seems an impossible task. The Journal of the International Academy for Case Studies (JIACS) takes the opportunity during this challenging period and asks researchers for their point of view. JIACS believes that a volume dedicated to covid-19 and its impact in entrepreneurship and SMEs in particular, would be beneficial to researchers, policy decision-makers, politicians, and students as well. The purpose of this special issues is to present and critically discuss cases related to the above, and potentially additional, issues.

This is a call for papers on “The impact of COVID-19 on entrepreneurship and SMEs”. The Journal of the International Academy for Case Studies (JIACS) welcomes papers focused on the above theme and falls within the aims and scope of JIACS, that is to provide a comprehensive overview of the business and management by including all the key areas within the field of business administration including human resource management, business economics, laws & ethics, corporate social responsibility, finance, accounting, marketing etc.
The journal thus encourages authors to submit manuscripts on subject areas including but not limited to:

Government support and policies; Law enforcement and public health; Policy uncertainty and disrupted supply chains; Sales reduction and cash flow management; Supply chains, Transportation limits under and after covid-19 and its effects on SMEs; Accessing inputs and managing inventory; Marketing arrangements; SWOT analysis; Assessing Labor market conditions, and unemployment menace under and after covid-19; Managing the work environment; Assessing sectors that will suffer more/less; New trends and opportunities, and technology; Effects of covid-19 pandemic crisis and its Impact on tourism industry and travel agencies; Evaluating the impact of the social and psychological factors involved in the teleworking; managing SMEs in pandemic times; The role of media and information (infodemic); Access to credit market and riskiness of SMEs; Start-up principles under and after covid-19; Reactivating business linkages; etc.