The New York Times this morning that "while the widespread availability of vaccines is translating into a busier shopping season than last year, businesses of all sizes are grappling with the impact from factory shutdowns overseas, backups at ports, and trucking and other labor shortages.
"The unpredictability this year has forced many small businesses to make buying decisions months or weeks earlier than they normally would and to tie up more of their cash in inventory, which can be risky."
The story goes on: "While many small businesses are affected by manufacturing issues overseas, some have used this moment to their advantage. Etsy, which powers online stores for millions of sellers, said more than half of its U.S. vendors sourced materials from within their own states, allowing them to bypass many of the supply chain problems that are affecting the global economy."
- KC's View:
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It is not without risk, of course, but it is heartening to read about small businesses that, rather than whine, instead work to make a tough moment work to their advantage.
And I love that one of the retailers cited in the Times story is my local running store … which I talked about earlier this year as doing a great job of telling a story and connecting to community:
