Os microempreendedores individuais e a bricolagem no período pandêmico

Abstract

With the arrival of the SARS-COV-2 pandemic, entrepreneurs had enormous difficulties in maintaining their businesses, as economic activities practically stopped so that there could be an attempt to contain the spread of the virus. The closure of commerce harmed the income of Individual Microentrepreneurs (MEIs) and, because of this, many had to resort to unplanned means, improvisation and inclusion of activities not related to the original scope of their enterprise. Several entrepreneurs refused the current limitations imposed and sought in DIY solutions for crisis situations. Therefore, entrepreneurial bricolage contributed to creating sources of income, generating alternative income or even diversifying the business, even if resources were scarce. This work aims to understand how MEIs used entrepreneurial bricolage to face the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Research of an applied nature, qualitative approach, exploratory objectives, as technical procedures is characterized as a multiple case study. To operationalize its purpose, a semi-structured interview script was used to collect data from 5 (five) MEIs, whose companies are based in the municipality of Aracaju. Data content analysis revealed that all MEIs had reasons to give up their businesses during the pandemic period. However, respondents were bold and tested improvised, creative and disruptive ways to withstand the disastrous period. The study demonstrated that the MEIs had to make adjustments in the business to fit them in with health protocols. The crisis made these entrepreneurs reinvent their businesses and the way they were dealing with scarce resources, so the bricolage processes were very evident. Alfa started to produce cheap, homemade and efficient wax. Beta reduced packaging costs, expanded its target audience and improved delivery logistics. Gama created an alternative business, using resources from her beauty salon. Delta started to adopt better and less expensive raw materials and gave more importance to the sustainability issue. Épsilon adapted his apartment to his business and started to value his network. In different ways, all MEIs applied parallel bricolage by introducing alternative businesses with the primary intention of obtaining or increasing income in the pandemic. Finally, all MEIs under analysis developed skills that made them bricoleurs.