If our local economy has proven one thing, it is that we have a resilient business community.
Keeping up with the news, whether nationally, internationally, even locally, can be nerve-racking, if not sometimes terrifying. News stories tend to exaggerate both the good and the bad, but particularly the bad. The news rarely shows a house that’s not on fire.
As a result, we are often bombarded with negative news stories. And so often it’s about our economy. The market might drop 300 points one morning over the latest jobs report, then the next day it jumps 400 because a healthy inflation report was released.
These ups and downs seem to occur all the time. It would be easy to buy into the fear. However, the discipline and resilience needed for our local business leaders to navigate these volatile waters is not easy. Whenever a new situation arises, they must remain calm, get to the truth, mitigate the problems they can, and lead with confidence, guiding the way towards a successful outcome.
I see such leadership in so many of our local businesses, big and small. When Covid hit in 2020, it appeared disastrous for small business. The government panicked initially and put forth ideas to appease constituents, but it would have been crushing to small business.
I recall thinking it was checkmate for a staffing business if we were mandated to pay all employees 80 hours of paid sick leave when virtually all of our clients froze all activity instantly. Fortunately, the politicians quickly came to their senses when they heard the cries of small business.
But the point here is that every small business I know had to gather themselves, analyze how to deal with this, put together a plan, and execute it with little margin for error. And you know what? Most survived. Yes, some did fail, but others thrived.
New demands (delivery, curbside service, protecting customers and workers) were everywhere, and those responsive and light enough on their feet skillfully maneuvered their way to get to the other side.
Business changed because it had to. Things like Zoom, working remotely, supply chain issues, Covid protocols were all in the forefront because it was the hand we were dealt, and our local economy rebounded because local business rebounded.
From the largest companies in Tualatin, like Lam Research, Legacy, Nortek, Pacific Foods, Kai USA, to the smaller, yet equally important businesses like all of our fast-food establishments and restaurants, the banks, all retailers, every business, they all had to adjust or potentially sink.
Singing the praises of small business is not popular or sexy, yet here I am singing the praises of small business. I hope that more people realize that behind the scenes there are people and teams within a business who are constantly adapting to current market conditions. This is no simple task.
Our community is very lucky to have such a solid lineup of local small business. We should honor their skills, and definitely their resilience.
