IN the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, 41% of small businesses surveyed by the Small Business Development Center say plans for investments, loans and expansions have been delayed. Another 19% have canceled their plans altogether; 40% report no change. Of the 810 small businesses surveyed in late March, 69% reported a large decrease and 18% reported a small decrease in demand for their products and services. Just 9% report no change while 4% actually have seen increased demand for their products and services.

THE toll of the pandemic is widereaching as 37% of small businesses report both their business and their suppliers have been directly impacted by supply chain issues. Twenty-six percent say they have in no way been impacted by supply chain issues while 23% said only their business has been directly impacted and 14% said only their suppliers have been affected.

EIGHTY-TWO percent of businesses said they are extremely concerned about Covid-19’s impact on their business. Despite pressing concerns, 46% of small businesses surveyed do not plan to apply for a special SBA loan. Thirty-three percent of small businesses are likely to apply for one and 3% already have.

WHILE things may change after Americans spend more than a month in their homes, 72% of manufacturers and retailers of interior goods said new business development was their foremost concern, up from 56% just two weeks prior. The survey by the American Society of Interior Designers also found 67% of interior designers are concerned about finding new work, up from 59%.

AT the moment, 63% of retailers are canceling orders on products that have yet to arrive, according to a survey by e-commerce platform NuORDER of more than 2,000 retailers. If the negative economic impact persists for another six months, retailers expect a 50% drop in revenue, with stores projecting at least a 25% decrease in annual sales over the next three months.