The current pandemic is having a serious impact on these businesses, many are struggling to get through the crisis and need support now.

One such business is run by Chaima Doya, a young entrepreneur in France whose  sewing business stopped overnight when the country went into lockdown, leaving her unable to make loan repayments. Now, she has pivoted to making free face masks for nursing staff, supported by YBI’s member in France, Adie. From signposting government support to advising her on how to run a business in isolation and how to resume it once the crisis is over, Adie has been there every step of the way. As Chaima said, “Adie has fully supported me. From the first week of isolation, when my adviser Cécile called to offer to extend the terms of my loan. It touched me that she offered help.”

Google.org, Google’s philanthropic arm, is providing funding to enable YBI to deliver a rapid response and recovery programme that backs underserved micro, small and medium-sized businesses, sustains livelihoods and supports communities across Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific. The programme will be implemented in 32 countries and will focus on the most affected business owners, including young people (aged 18-35 years), women, and refugees and other migrants.  

A holistic package of emergency support will be provided to business owners through YBI’s global network of members and delivery partners. This includes crisis helplines, targeted advice and signposting, online training through webinars and mentoring. Google employees plan to volunteer their time to share their knowledge and expertise, helping business owners to upskill and adapt to the challenges they are facing.

As an experienced, global network of enterprise support organisations, YBI is uniquely placed to support business owners during these challenging times.

Anita Tiessen, CEO of Youth Business International, said: “The world is changing dramatically from day to day and I feel deeply for business owners everywhere, especially those running smaller businesses and are from underserved communities, who are often least able to bear the economic shocks of this crisis. In the face of these challenges, I have been incredibly inspired by the quick response of our network to support business owners around the world. YBI and Google.org’s new commitment will help us sustain and extend this support throughout 2020, ensuring more than 200,000 businesses can get the advice they need right now to navigate this crisis.”

Rowan Barnett, Head of Google.org, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific (EMEA & APAC) added: “The coronavirus outbreak is taking a devastating toll on lives and communities, and small businesses are facing unprecedented challenges as they struggle to stay afloat. With this grant to Youth Business International, alongside a series of Google initiatives and products, we hope to help some of the most vulnerable small businesses find a way through the crisis.”