Briana Thompson is a small business owner who has struggled to survive the Covid-19 pandemic.

Her Brooklyn, New York-based boutique spin studio, Spiked SpinThe sanatorium was only open for three months prior to the closing. crisis hit. After being closed for more than one year, it was reopened in May 2020.

Then you can go to the omicron variantShe was forced to leave the city by her landlord, and she had to close her doors for a few more weeks.

“I felt the shock of fear once more, and it was like we had never experienced before. What does this signify?” Thompson is 32.

The studio was able to reopen at the start of January. Thompson’s entire experience of losing her savings and her emergency fund has motivated her to continue her mission to provide health and wellness services to those in need. She is aware that there could be further disruptions.

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Thompson stated, “As much we may be ‘prepared to understand’ the virus in a little bit, we don’t really know what it is.”

“I do hope that we can control it, but we don’t fear moving.”

According to ABI, 71% U.S. small-business owners believe that the increase in Covid-19 cases has had a negative impact on their revenue. survey by Goldman Sachs. Babson College and David Binder research conducted the poll among 1,466 Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Participants from January 10-13.

According to The Census Bureau, there were 31.7 Million Small Businesses in America as of October. U.S. Small Business AdministrationThis group represents 99.9%. Eighty-one per cent of small businesses do not have paid employees, while 19% (or 6 million) do.

According to the report, owners face the most difficult post-pandemic task of generating enough income. Small Business IndexMetLife and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. InflationTop concerns were also compliance with Covid-19 safety protocol.

But there are reasons to be optimistic. With a score of 63, the Small Business Index reached its highest level since the outbreak, compared to 39.5 in 2020’s second quarter.

“Employers remain stuck between the long-term optimistic outlook and recognizing that growth will be on the horizon and omicron,” Luke Pardue, an economist with Gusto (payroll and benefits provider Gusto), which serves small and mid-sized businesses.

Many small-business owners see rising inflation as either an increase in prices or a loss of profits. These are the factors to consider. Producer Price IndexThe metric of wholesale prices for products and services is the. jumped nearly 10%According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2021.

The Small Business Index shows that 3 in 5 small businesses have raised prices during the past 12 months. To manage rising inflation-related costs, some have used loans and reduced staff.

Thompson doesn’t think raising prices at Spiked Spin would be an option as she is trying to make Spiked Spin more accessible to her customers. Thompson has had to make tough decisions in order to update her existing studio and plan to open a new one.

She said, “I am constantly considering where I can make the most use of this funding” and what return I will see from the client’s perspective.”

It supply chain disruptionsThe problems that plague small businesses ever since the outbreak of the pandemic are not likely to go away soon.

The survey by Goldman Sachs found that 69% believe these issues negatively impact their bottom line. Many believe large suppliers prefer small businesses to larger businesses because they have higher volumes of orders.

Pardue explained that because small businesses cannot always be competitive with larger companies on wages, they resort to new tactics to recruit and keep talent. Pardue said that this includes offering financial incentives and vaccine mandates.

He said that owners who are not able to increase wages can use these steps to protect the workers’ physical and financial health, which results in higher retention and better hiring.

Women business owners with such mandates report 31% having trouble hiring. This compares to 43% who do not require vaccines. a surveyGusto und National Association of Women Business Owners found.

A record 5.4 million business applications were filed by 2021 according to the figures provided by The Census Bureau. It’s an increase from the 4.3million in 2020.

Sullivan stated that it took him four months to adjust the curve during the pandemic. It is truly amazing.

“That leads to the optimism, the optimism that despite all these headwinds …. “That power of innovation, the ability of entrepreneurs to solve issues and create businesses overrides all these headwinds,” he said.

Thompson thinks optimism comes from having experienced the pandemic.

She stated, “I experienced a period of feeling extremely down and very uneasy, but it was over.”

Now, she’s moving ahead with plans to open another studio and offer digital services.

Thompson expressed excitement for Thompson’s future plans.

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Disclosure: Comcast Ventures and NBCUniversal are both investors Acorns.