The government with the support parties Center Party and Liberals has this year decided on several crisis packages for Swedish companies to alleviate the economic crisis caused by the corona pandemic.

But it took until November - eight months into the corona crisis - before the government decided on special support for people who run a sole proprietorship.

The companies have been able to apply for the support for the individual companies, which is called the sales support, since 10 November.

A total of 3672 companies applied for the support in the first two weeks.

There are still many sole traders who cannot apply for the subsidy because the companies must have lost between 30 and 50 percent of their turnover compared to the same month last year.

- It is very problematic that the support has been designed with such high thresholds for applying, says Patrick Krassén, at Företagarna.

"Economy in a nutshell"

In addition, trading companies and limited partnerships were excluded from the first round of sales support.

Instead, they were referred to the adjustment aid, which concerns fixed costs, and it is an aid that all companies can apply for.

To date, just over 9,000 individual companies and almost 1,500 trading companies have been granted the adjustment support, compared with 26,000 limited companies, according to the Swedish Tax Agency.

- If you make a support that is based on fixed costs, it is more common for larger companies to apply.

Individual traders often only have their salary and if you lose it, well then you are standing there with a personal economy in tatters.

It can be terrible lives, says Patrick Krassén.

Dozens of support packages

Minister of Trade and Industry Ibrahim Baylan (S) does not think that the government has forgotten about small businesses.

He points out instead that the government has launched a dozen crisis packages that are historically large.

- Then I understand that these are very difficult times.

But we must remember that what we are doing now, with taxpayers' money, to mitigate the crisis has an effect.

We must also be honest and say that despite the huge support packages we have, there will be negative consequences of a pandemic and crisis we have never experienced before, he says to SVT News.