- June 26, 2021
- Posted by: Stratford Team
- Category: Business
June
25, 2021
6 min read
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
With a new wave of shutdowns blanketing the country in an attempt to rein in the third wave of the pandemic, small businesses — which are vital to the health of the U.S. economy — are struggling to hold on. Many are closed for good: 60 percent, according to a Yelp survey in September — up 20 percent from April. The number is even higher today. Unable to support their employees, who have now run out of unemployment insurance, the effect is far-reaching and heartbreaking. Small businesses employ about 50% of the workforce and are more than just a job, a brick-and-mortar shop, a pin on Google maps — they are a vital part of the community, often becoming a surrogate family to employees, a meeting place for neighborhood folk, and the face of…