Has anyone heard about Sweet Farm, a non-profit farm sanctuary that replaced lost revenue by offering their animals as attendees to liven up meetings called Goat to Meetings? Check out the CCN story, too, if you haven’t seen this on the news. They got so popular that they had to ask other sanctuaries to join to keep up with demand. This creative pivot is but one example of what companies have to do to survive and find their new norm. 

These inspirational changes come from unsuspecting sources and manifest in various ways. A small media company that can no longer afford to deliver print subscriptions to empty offices quickly turns to creating a digital replica and transforms in-person events to online webinars seamlessly continuing to provide essential information to their readers. A fitness provider offers online classes to keep their patrons fit and preserve cash flow. A local personnel resource company partners with a manufacturer to provide masks to local businesses as the local economy starts to re-open. These are not just indications of what happens when a pandemic is upon us, but is evidence of an ever-present creativity and tenacity of the small business and entrepreneurial mind. 

Small businesses use this mindset every day to thrive in good times, which many often overlook. Since starting my own business, my admiration for all business owners regardless of size has grown. Having spent most of my career working for established companies, I’d assumed that starting and running one would be a lot easier than it’s been. The grit it takes to build a business entity and ensure that it mirrors your passion is immense. 30.2M small business owners in the United States alone have this grit (source: 99firms.com). Each one has had to learn how to navigate the CARES Act, the banking institutions, cashflow management, and the emotional overload of being accountable to their families and employees to keep the business alive. Some have had to do this with English as a second language or a lack of frontline support. 

As COVID-19 enters into a normalization phase, and we puzzle through what the future looks like, please remember that creativity, along with strength, courage, and flexibility, is what got us here ... and will be what delivers us to what lies ahead.