ENSURING THE ECONOMIC RESILIENCE OF SMALL BUSINESSES IN CONDITIONS OF CONTEMPORARY INSTABILITY

Abstract

The relevance of this research is driven by the unprecedented challenges that small business currently faces in Ukraine, where prolonged armed conflict, energy disruptions, supply chain breakdowns, and macroeconomic volatility have transformed the operating environment. Small enterprises, despite their limited resource base, remain a backbone of national employment and an essential driver of post-war economic recovery, which makes the question of their sustainability not only an academic but also a strategic national concern. The purpose of the article is to deepen the theoretical and methodological foundations for studying the economic sustainability of small business by identifying its formative factors and grounding a system of instruments capable of preserving and strengthening such sustainability under conditions of persistent instability. The methodological basis of the study combines general scientific approaches with specialised analytical techniques. A comparative analysis of scholarly approaches was applied to refine the conceptual content of economic sustainability; the method of systematisation and a functional-level classification served to differentiate internal and external determinants; logical generalisation and structural analysis underpinned the grouping of supporting instruments; and elements of empirical analysis were used to assess the practical relevance of identified mechanisms. The findings demonstrate that economic sustainability should be treated as a dynamic, multidimensional capacity that integrates reactive, proactive, and strategic dimensions. It was established that security-related and institutional determinants have acquired a system-shaping role, while internal financial, managerial, personnel, and digital capacities define the actual adaptive potential of an enterprise. The proposed toolkit covers financial, operational, managerial, digital, cooperative, and institutional mechanisms whose combined application produces a synergistic effect. The practical value of the article consists in offering a structured framework that may be used by small business owners, public authorities, and support institutions to design targeted measures aimed at preserving operational continuity, retaining employment, and creating preconditions for recovery and renewed competitiveness.