The pandemic has been a double whammy for entrepreneurs. On top of the personal stress of enduring the virus, they’re dealing with constant delays and shortages impacting every part of their business, frustrating customers and owners alike. Global supply chain disruptions have become common amid the pandemic, with shortages, rising import costs, and delays interrupting the normal flow of goods. The impact has been felt by the world’s biggest companies and small businesses trying to secure the materials they need in a timely manner. According to our Future of Commerce report—a commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Shopify—shipping delays, shipping costs, and manufacturing delays are the top supply chain concerns brands expect to encounter in the next 12 months. Brands also know this is a problem worth solving in 2022. According to the report, brands are planning to invest in these areas this year: 45% plan to invest in increasing manufacturing capacity 44% plan to invest in increasing the speed of their supply chain 44% plan to invest in improving collaboration with supply chain partners 30% plan to invest in decreasing associated supply chain costs Another method to lessen global supply chain disruption is to make your supply chain less global. It’s a solution that’s certainly not one-size-fits-all and comes with its own challenges, but it is one way to add stability to your supply chain. We’ll go over why businesses are localizing their supply chain and how you can take steps to do the same. Bring your supply chain closer to home The concept of making your supply chain local or even just domestic isn’t new at all. There’s always been a market and an associated ethos of buying products made in your own country. In a globalized economy with so many products made with cheaper labor overseas, it’s increasingly rare to find goods made domestically, especially in the US and Canada, giving the ones that are a certain prestige. However, amid the supply chain disruptions of the pandemic there’s renewed interest in bringing the process closer to home. This is known as “reshoring” or “onshoring.” There’s also the concept of “localization,” which means bringing points in the supply chain closer, such as localized distribution centers. Each part of the supply chain you can bring closer to home is an opportunity to lessen disruptions. According to The New York Times, some corporate giants such as tech companies and car manufacturers have accelerated efforts to bring at least some of their manufacturing capabilities back to the United States. And that’s especially true for those with manufacturing in China, where a trade war with the US and rising shipping costs have had brands rethinking where to produce their goods. “It’s a big endeavor, but it’s the future,” a Toyota executive told the Times. This process can look like a lot of things—from moving just part of the process to a brand’s home country, or investing in upgrading existing facilities. According to Deloitte, 75% of brands surveyed in 2020 were planning some sort of reshoring efforts. Small or medium businesses may have less complex supply chains than these big brands, but reshoring is still a challenge. Domestic production is generally more expensive and it might be hard to even know where to start. But each part of the supply chain you can bring closer to home is an opportunity to lessen disruptions. The benefits also go beyond lessening supply chain disruption. The Reshoring Institute—an organization that advocates for bringing manufacturing back to the US—found in a survey that nearly 70% of respondents preferred Made in America products, and 50% were willing to pay 10% more for products made domestically. How Franc built a made-in-Canada company Brandy Mercredi started her clothing brand, Franc, in 2017 and knew she wanted to build her company in a different way. She’d been working in the apparel industry for years and was frustrated with wastef...