Pursuit to survive: a phenomenological inquiry on online business sustainability

Abstract

Online business is about venturing the business online, or all business operations will be conducted online (Beynon-Davies, 2021). Many earlier studies on online business have focused on its benefits to the economy and how it affects different enterprises. Still, none have focused on how online business owners survive in a competitive market. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore strategies of online businesses owners in Tagum City, Davao Del Norte, used to sustain their businesses in the long run, especially during the pandemic. Data were collected from 14 online business owners who have operated for more than three years in Tagum City. Seven individuals were interviewed, and another seven participated in a focused group discussion. The data was examined using thematic analysis, which entailed organizing, coding, grouping data into common themes relevant to the study issue, and interpreting the results. The results show that online business owners struggled to handle customers, capital, fraud, and online visibility. The online business owners' experiences led to develop coping methods such as customer satisfaction, goal-setting, strong customer relationships, efficient use of online platforms, proper money management, perseverance, and adaptability. It also explores the participants' issues, abilities, and limitations, providing new insights and perspectives. The results of this study could contribute to positive social change by providing information to the online business owners about successful strategies for business sustainability, which can help existing and future online business owners. It could give an idea of the online business system and how to sustain it.