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Tips for Helping Your Small Business Survive Long Lead Times

Key Points: In order to have consistent inventory during global supply chain shake-ups, companies have diversified products by finding suppliers and manufacturers that operate within the United States. Fetch RI has seen a lot of persisting supply chain challenges, including long lead times and delayed supply shipments. The company has made changes in purchasing…

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Key Points:

  • In order to have consistent inventory during global supply chain shake-ups, companies have diversified products by finding suppliers and manufacturers that operate within the United States.
  • Fetch RI has seen a lot of persisting supply chain challenges, including long lead times and delayed supply shipments.
  • The company has made changes in purchasing procedures by doubling and tripling the amount of time it expects for a product to arrive after ordering it.

Commentary:

Through the pandemic, small business owners across the country scrambled to keep up with ever-changing mandates and are still dealing with supply chain challenges that plague virtually every industry. Adjusting operations has become necessary for most businesses to stay alive, and Johnna Devereaux, the owner of Fetch RI, a Rhode Island based holistic pet boutique and supply store, shared with MarketScale how she pivoted during these trying times and what learning lessons can apply to other entrepreneurs facing long lead times.

Abridged Thoughts:

The last year and a half has proven to be very difficult for small businesses. Specifically in our store, we’ve seen a lot of issues with products coming in and delivery times. One of the things that we’ve done to pivot with this challenge is to change our purchasing procedures. We have basically doubled, if not tripled, the amount of time that we’re taking from ordering a product to when we’re expecting it to arrive. We’ve also diversified our products and looked into different areas that we might not have otherwise looked in to find Made in the USA products, products by crafters, small businesses, looking through different avenues, different channels than we normally would have.

Adjusting to Supply Chain Issues Ahead of Holiday Season Demand

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Video TranscriptExpand ↓

What a time to be a small business owner through the pandemic, small business owners across the country scrambled to keep up with ever changing mandates. And now, with supply chain challenges that plague virtually every industry, adjusting operations has become necessary for most businesses to stay alive. And Joanna Devereaux, the owner of fetch r.I., a Rhode Island based holistic pet boutique and supply store, shares with us how she's pivoted during these trying times. The last year and a half has proven to be very difficult for small businesses, specifically in our store. We've seen a lot of issues with products coming in and delivery times. One of the things that we've done to pivot with this challenge is to change our purchasing procedures. We have basically doubled, if not tripled, the amount of time that we're taking from ordering a product to when we're expecting it to arrive. We've also diversified our products and looked into different areas that we might not have others to otherwise looked in to find made in the USA products, products by crafters, small businesses looking through different avenues, different channels than we normally would have. If you're the owner of a small business dealing with similar challenges, Joanna has a few recommendations for you. So what I would recommend to all of the small businesses out there is think outside of the box. Never give up and just keep going at it. Things will change. And when they do, you'll still be in business for up to date news and expert commentary. Head to market scale to see the latest.

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  • 01Rising vacancy and rising demand at the same time, per Newmark's 2H 2025 report, means the U.S. cold storage market has spare space and a shortage of the right space; the useful question is now what kind of capacity, where, and for how long.
  • 02A 2023 Frontiers study of 67 cold stores found field energy use ran up to 30% above laboratory conditions, so a lease quote should be judged on the provider's measured fleet energy data, not on rated performance.
  • 03Leased modular units fit operators with a stable baseline and volatile peaks (harvest compression, plant renovations, rerouted supply); Titan's own author says permanent construction still makes sense where demand is long-term and steady.

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  • 01Hain expects $305 million to $310 million in net proceeds on an estimated $323 million headline price, and the announcement does not itemize what accounts for the difference.
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  • 02The sharper question for any new concept: does it borrow familiarity shoppers already have, the way Coca-Cola's Mr. Pibb relaunch did, or does it have to build awareness before a benefit claim can do any work?
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