Thread by @latimes

Business leaders, policymakers and regular folks have sounded increasing alarm about how mom-and-pop businesses will weather the COVID-19 pandemic.

But a surprising number seem to be hanging on. latimes.com/business/story…

A study conducted last spring suggested that around 7.5 million American small businesses would close by the fall of 2020.

That didn’t happen. Data later showed that less than 10% of the businesses expected to shut down reported having done so. latimes.com/business/story…

Figuring out what might be going on is vital, economists say.

And beyond dollars and cents, small businesses cement communities. A local shop is likely to patronize neighborhood service providers. Local businesses have a stake in community welfare. latimes.com/business/story…

For some small businesses, the pandemic presented new opportunities.

Dora Herrera used to teach a tamale-making class at her family’s restaurant, Yuca's Tacos. She moved the lesson online and is planning another, while relying mostly on takeout orders. latimes.com/business/story…

It’s possible that rather than a “V-shaped recovery,” in which the economy bounces back as quickly as it fell, the U.S. will see a “K-shaped recovery,” in which some people and institutions rebound while others suffer ongoing decline. latimes.com/business/story…

Herrera, for her part, expects to stay in business.

Some of the changes COVID has wrought, such as Zoom networking events, have brought her closer to her neighbors and other restaurateurs in L.A.

“We’re all in this, and we’re doing it together." latimes.com/business/story…