5 Jordanian companies that were resilient during COVID-19
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) make up the majority of private companies in Jordan and employ more than half of Jordan’s workforce. Yet, they face many challenges, like difficulty accessing finance and new markets.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, these challenges only worsened. With government-enforced lockdowns and movement restrictions, many SMEs saw their revenues drop, experiencing lower demand for their products and services and problems accessing capital.
As a result, many enterprises were forced to reduce employee salaries, lay off employees, or close their businesses altogether.
However, some enterprises thrived.
These are the ones that responded and adapted quickly to the changes brought about by COVID-19. They introduced proactive measures that would strengthen their chances of survival, not only in the short term but also in the long term, well after the peak of the pandemic. In other words, these are businesses that have demonstrated resilience.
This year, our 7th Annual SME Awards highlighted these businesses. Each business that applied for the SME Awards was evaluated based on its resilience, business strength, and social and environmental impact. Of more than 160 applications, 5 companies made it to the final round. These companies are WashyWash, Sowt, Jo Academy, Digitales, and Konn Homes.
In this article, we’ll take you through each company and how it overcame the difficulties caused by the pandemic.
WashyWash
WashyWash was born out of the need for an alternative to PERC, a solvent that many dry cleaning companies use but that is harmful to both people and the environment.
Enter EcoClean. EcoClean describes the cleaning technologies that WashyWash uses. It is water- and energy-efficient, uses 100% biodegradable detergents, is non-polluting and safe for the skin.
WashyWash started strong in 2018 but had to pause its operations at the start of the pandemic. Co-founder Mazen Darwish explains: “With the lockdown, customers and our partners like gyms and hotels couldn’t use our services.”
So, WashyWash shifted to a new strategy. It launched new services such as on-site disinfection and car and furniture cleaning to create new revenue streams and ensure the continuity of the business.
Sowt
Sowt is a podcasting platform that produces and distributes high-quality audio programs in Arabic. Through its programs, Sowt aims to foster dialogue on topics that are considered sensitive in the Arab world.
4 years after it was established, COVID-19 struck. Like many companies, Sowt experienced loss of revenue and difficulty conducting business as usual.
Despite all this, this is when the platform truly shined as its audience grew by 350%.
“During the pandemic, people turned to podcasts for facts and information, news and entertainment,” said CEO Ramsey Tesdell.
And to meet this increase in demand, Sowt ensured that all employees had the equipment — i.e., laptops and digital workspaces — required to complete their tasks at home.
Today, Sowt’s programs have been streamed more than 18 million times.
Jo Academy
Jo Academy is an interactive e-learning platform that delivers live and pre-recorded lessons to students in grades 1 to 12 and in university.
Jo Academy provides students with high-quality learning materials and access to top-notch Tawjihi teachers to enable students to study remotely, thereby saving them time and money.
When the EdTech company launched in 2014, there was skepticism from both students and parents as neither fully grasped the concept of remote learning.
However, when schools closed because of COVID, the platform proved its worth.
“Because we had the technological infrastructure, a website, and academic content at our disposal, we were able to quickly adapt,” said CEO Ala Jarrar.
Not only did Jo Academy’s experience with an online education platform help them counter the effects of the pandemic, it also led to a partnership with the Ministry of Education, producing more than 5000 videos within 100 days for grade 1 to grade 12 students.
Digitales
After a child abuse story went viral in 2017, digital creator Cynthia Madanat and her team uploaded a YouTube video addressing the incident. The video garnered around 20 million views and made Cynthia and her team realise the need for meaningful Arabic content.
And so Digitales was born.
Digitales is an animation and digital content creation company that brings together creative writers, artists, animators, filmmakers, and social media experts to produce world-class entertainment with social impact.
As the company’s leadership was monitoring COVID-19 trends, teams performed trial runs for how to work remotely in case of a lockdown. They were guided on how to produce high-quality recordings from home and mimic studio soundproofing, and Digitales set up stronger home internet connections for employees.
Aided by these proactive measures, Digitales was not only able to retain its employees throughout the pandemic but maintain their salaries and hire new talent.
Konn Homes
In 2009, Basma Uraiqat and her partner founded their first company, Uraiqat Architects. Although they started out working in a basement, they grew into one of Jordan’s leading architectural firms.
However, with the Jordanian construction industry in decline since 2018 and the pandemic in 2020, Uraiqat Architects was forced to suspend all projects.
And with no money to cover costs during the pandemic, Basma and her partner were motivated to develop an idea they had since 2019.
This idea was sparked by Basma’s realisation that “there’s something wrong with the way we build homes.”
To fix this, and resolve the conflicts between time, cost, and quality, Basma and her partner founded Konn Homes.
Konn Homes is a one-stop-shop solution where homes are built to the highest standards off-site in a quality-controlled setting through modularity and precast concrete technology.
This solution has taken the construction world by storm, as these homes consume less energy than traditional homes, prevent dampness, reduce waste and pollution for lower carbon emissions and a better environment.
That’s not all. Homes by Konn Homes are locally manufactured, and the company contributes to Jordan’s recovery from the pandemic as it employs local architects and has provided more than 100 employment opportunities.
Konn Homes’ drive and adoption of innovative strategies led to its win at our 7th SME Awards after a panel of independent judges picked it. As the winner, it was awarded 50,000 JOD, and with the cash prize, Basma and her partner plan to do more research to ensure that the homes they design will be more sustainable moving forward.
That said, all these companies are winners in our eyes, and we’re proud to have been a part of their stories as we know that they, along with other small businesses, are the backbone of our economy and are helping us get back on track after the pandemic.
