Russian Small and Medium Business Structures in Period of Uncertainty

Business structures employ different strategies to adapt to changes. This research focused on the development of Russian small and medium businesses in 2019–2023 to develop the optimal methods for increasing their flexibility in conditions of economic and social turbulence. A set of comparative, economic, dynamic series, and graphical methods made it possible to reveal the indicators that affected the development of small and medium business structures in 2019–2023. Small business proved to be more sensitive to external changes, which resulted in poor investments, low innovation activity, heavy debt load, and inability to overcome the crisis on their own. Medium-size enterprises were more stable, their changes depending on the priorities of the state policy. As the uncertainty peaked in 2020 and 2022, most anti-crisis measures of loan support proved ineffective. Apparently, for a small enterprise to live through a period of uncertainty, it has to gain flexibility and adaptability on its own. The article summarizes some optimal strategies for small business to increase adaptability to economic and social changes.