External publication 16.01.2026 | 2026 In the eye of the storm: What makes entrepreneurs resilient?

Crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic confront companies with major challenges. If companies and especially entrepreneurs are not sufficiently resilient, this may have to give up. Entrepreneurs are more resistant the more they can fall back on supporting structures such as individual social capital, networks, and psychological/emotional well-being. However, individual resilience does not guarantee that crises will not have negative consequences for a company. The circumstances of a company itself and the business environment also influence resilience. Resilience-promoting factors in one crisis may be less helpful in another. This underlines the complexity and contextuality of resilience.