From Adversity, Opportunity….
The past year has wreaked more havoc than a 100-year storm on the world economy, to say nothing of what it has meant to small business owners, the hardest hit.
And though some familiar NW Michigan names and faces will no longer be around when we do emerge from the viral pandemic, it’s not all bad news for small business.
The time tested adage of “from adversity comes opportunity” is reflected among some survivors, many of whom have implemented creative business strategies that a year ago would have seemed unthinkable.
In addition, help on the national level in the form of stimulus checks for individuals, additional PPP loans and enhanced unemployment benefits, have no doubt amped the optimism.
Recent surveys have found that over 20 percent of small business owners are optimistic about what lies ahead, while another 33 percent are somewhat optimistic. And this during a worldwide pandemic, the likes of which has not been experienced since the turn of the century—along with an unstable national political environment marked by disinformation, pusillanimous legislators, and baseless election conspiracy theories.
SCORE, the nationwide (300 chapters and over 10,000 volunteer business mentors), has always been a touchstone for small business entrepreneurs seeking help.
Over the past year it has established a special “Resilence Hub” that leverages its already broad base of services and allows users ready access to a network where people can learn—-from each other and experienced business professionals. And all at no charge.
For more information the northwest’s regional SCORE office is located in Traverse City. Check out their website here: traversecity.score.org.