Table 10 Development process and content of the survey

 Total assets in the last fiscal year

Standard Provisions on the Classification of Financial Enterprises from the People’s Bank of China

Adopt

What are the total assets of the company in the last fiscal year? (in RMB)

A. < 0.1 billion; B. 0.1–1 billion;

C. 1–2 billion; D. 2–5 billion;

E. 5–20 billion; F. 20–40 billion;

G. 40–100 billion; H. 100–500 billion;

I. 500–4000 billion; J. > 4000 billion

Single choice

 Financing volume to SMEs in the last fiscal year

Gomm 2010; Lu et al. 2020

To design the specific scale based on professional experience

What are the financing volume to SMEs in the last fiscal year? (in RMB)

A. < 0.1 billion; B. 0.1–1 billion;

C. 1–5 billion; D. 5–10 billion;

E. 10–20 billion; F. 20–50 billion;

G. 50–100 billion; H. > 100 billion

 The number of SMEs served in the last fiscal year

Considering that the number of SMEs may influence FSPs’ decisions to provide financing, it is necessary to investigate this characteristic

How many SMEs has your company served in the last fiscal year?

A. < 100; B. 100–1000;

C. 1000–10,000; D. 10,000–50,000;

E. 50,000–100,000; F. 100,000–500,000;

G. > 500,000

 The ownership of main clients (SMEs served)

Zhu et al. 2020

The pandemic impacts differently for different ownership of clients, which will be similarly taken into FSPs’ consideration

What is the ownership of the main client SMEs you have served?

A. State-owned; B. Private;

C. Foreign or Sino-foreign joint

 Business types

Martin and Hofmann 2017; Song et al. 2018; Xu et al. 2018

In combination with classification in practice, experts have added more business types

What is the business type of your company?

A. Commercial bank; B. Guarantee company;

C. Factoring company; D. Small-loan company; E. Fund company; F. Financial holding company; G. Trust company; H. Supply chain service provider; I. Fintech service provider; J. Industrial internet platform; K. Logistics service provider; L. Foreign trade service provider; M. Internet finance company; N. Others

 Lack of internal resources and capabilities

Abbasi et al. 2018; Beck 2013

In combination with practical experience, experts have independently listed the relevant example at first. Then, we select the most representative statements to develop the specific item in each indicator. The item will be adopted only if all the experts agree

Which of the following item is in line with the company’s current situation?

A1. Lack of enough technical talents and business professionals

A2. Lack of enough financial resources (like money, etc.)

A3. Lack of enough informatization capacity

Multiple choice

 Lack of focal firms’ incoordination

Lekkakos and Serrano 2016; Wu et al. 2019

B1. Focal firms are unwilling to cooperate

B2. Focal firms have big problems on their own

 Supports from peer FSPs

Ntwiga 2020; Zhu et al. 2015

C1. Cooperate with insurance companies

C2. Cooperate with other banks and trusts

 Supports from public administrations

Zhang et al. 2020; Zhu et al. 2020

D1. Open public data

D2. Encourage focal firms to cooperate

D3. Limit the delay in payments among firms

D4. Assistance in dealing with debts caused by the pandemic

D5. Exemption of default by the affected debtor

D6. Reduce some taxes on financial institutions

 Supports from regulators

Zhu et al. 2020

E1. Allow online due diligence

E2. Increase the liquidity of financial institutions

E3. Allow the increase of risk tolerance

E4. Allow online account opening

 Changes of financing volume

Gomm 2010; Lu et al. 2020; Ongore and Kusa 2013

Adopt

How will the financing volume to SMEs change in your company during/after the pandemic?

A. Comprehensively decrease

B. Most decrease, some increase

C. Remain unchanged

D. Most increase, some decrease

E. Comprehensively increase

Single choice/ 5-point Likert Scale

 Changes of financing rate

Gomm 2010; Lu et al. 2020

How will the financing rate change during/after the pandemic?

A. Comprehensively decrease

B. Most decrease, some increase

C. Remain unchanged

D. Most increase, some decrease

E. Comprehensively increase

 Changes of default rate

Ongore and Kusa 2013

How will the default rate change during/after the pandemic?

A. Comprehensively decrease

B. Most decrease, some increase

C. Remain unchanged

D. Most increase, some decrease

E. Comprehensively increase

 Served industries before the pandemic

Bartik et al. 2020; Zhu et al. 2020; Guidelines on Industry Classification of Listed Companies from China Securities Regulatory Commission

Adopt

Before the pandemic, to which industry groups are the SMEs that you provided financing services belong?

(Arrange them in order from primary to secondary. Industries not covered need not be included)

A. IT; B. Business service; C. Education;

D. Manufacturing; E. Trade; F. Medical industry; G. Hospitality and Tourism; H. Transportation; I. Culture; J. Energy; K. Public service; L. Agriculture; M. Construction

Ranking

 Served industries after the pandemic

After the pandemic, to the SMEs of which industry groups will your company mainly provide financing services?

(Arrange them in order from main to secondary. Industries not covered need not be included)

A. IT; B. Business service; C. Education;

D. Manufacturing; E. Trade; F. Medical industry; G. Hospitality and Tourism; H. Transportation; I. Culture; J. Energy; K. Public service L. Agriculture; M. Construction

 Financing products before the pandemic

Lekkakos and Serrano 2016; Silvestro and Lustrato 2014; Song et al. 2018; Xu et al. 2018

In combination with practical experience, experts have independently listed the relevant financing products at first. Then, we remove duplicate ones. The item will be adopted only if all the experts accept

Before the pandemic, which financing products or services are mainly provided by your company?

(Arrange them in order from main to secondary. Business not provided need not be included)

A. Fixed asset mortgage; B. Third-party guarantee;

C. Goods/inventory pledged; D. Trade agency;

E. Factoring; F. Financing based on taxation analysis;

G. Financing with insurance; H. Financing based on data mining; I. Financing with LC

 Financing products after the pandemic

After the pandemic, which financing products or services will be mainly provided by your company?

(Arrange them in order from main to secondary. Business not provided need not be included)

A. Fixed asset mortgage; B. Third-party guarantee;

C. Goods/inventory pledged; D. Trade agency;

E. Factoring; F. Financing based on taxation data analysis;

G. Financing with insurance; H. Financing based on operational data mining; I. Financing with LC