As is the case with every new year, in January 2020 I was full of hope, optimism, and resolutions that would predictably evaporate by January 14th. By the time March rolled around, the comfort and familiarity of my day-to-day life were well and truly established and talk of the virus overseas was nothing more than a murmur. And then the world came to an abrupt and jarring stop.

Vaccine hesitancy in the U.S., coupled with the Delta variant and ever-growing complacency about the virus, has led to a troublesome rise in COVID-19 cases of late. As of writing (mid-July 2021), The New York Times is reporting that cases in the last 14 days are up nearly 200%, while deaths have increased almost 44%. America’s once torrid vaccination pace has slowed to a trickle, and the consequences have been deadly.

   As we are all aware, last year affected every business across the board, but the Travel and Tourism industry suffered some particularly significant losses.

Supply chains are the lifeblood of the world economy. And today, they are more intricate than ever— the result of relentless globalization and just-in-time shipping. But this complexity comes with a cost: susceptibility to disruption. According to McKinsey, “companies can now expect supply chain disruptions lasting a month or longer to occur every 3.7 years.” As a business owner, you can’t overlook supply-chain resilience. And by reinforcing and adapting how you get your goods, you can protect your business operations and the environment.

Over the past while, I have had the distinct privilege of speaking with several small business owners who participated in Sekure’s Mom and Pop Business Owners Appreciation Week celebration.