When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, small businesses across the globe were forced to either adapt quickly or shut their doors, in some cases for good.

It is easy to blame governments, weak areas in the economy, and the virus itself for the problems that have emerged over the last few months. For some businesses and some industries, this blame is well-placed.

However, I’m here to tell you that it isn’t the pandemic that is at fault in a lot of cases. It is a collective lack of preparedness that allowed the pandemic and resulting lockdowns to shake the foundations of businesses everywhere.

In some cases, the pandemic didn’t cause the problems so much as it revealed them.