Business Strategies Of MSMEs During COVID-19,Deli Serdang, Indonesia

The Indonesian economy has been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The impact of the pandemic on the performance of MSMEs (Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises) is important to study as they contribute up to 35% to the National Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Indonesia. Therefore, this study was conducted to map the performance of MSMEs in the Deli Serdang Regency of Indonesia and recommend strategies for increasing their competitiveness during and after the pandemic. The study included MSMEs from three sub-districts of Deli Serdang Regency (Pantai Labu, Percut Sei, and Tuan and Hamparan Perak) that had managed to survive the pandemic. The sample in this research were MSME centers that carried out raw material processing into finished goods and the marketing activities thereafter (purposive sampling). The sample size was determined using the Krejcie–Morgan formula with a 90% confidence level, which amounted to 90 MSME businesses. Data were analyzed using the SWOT analysis technique. The implications of this study are as follows: MSMEs must build strategies to maintain their performance such as minimizing promotions by fostering relationships with customers, reducing production capacity, promoting products online, purchasing raw materials online, and cash assistance for working capital. Keywords: strategy, MSME, COVID-19, SWO