During our summer vacation this year at Bear Lake, Utah we enjoyed their famous raspberry ice cream shakes.
Rumor had it that most of the raspberries aren’t even grown in the Bear Lake Valley any more. This is despite the fact that they have an annual Raspberry Days festival!
So why not just close up shop?
Because people are expecting raspberries when they go to Bear Lake.
So what happens when your product or service depends on something that disappears or is no longer grown or manufactured locally?
You import what you need.
Customer expectations have been established that you’ll provide a particular product as you’ve always done. If you run into supply chain problems, your customer’s expectations don’t automatically dry up. They still want your product.
The Bear Lake ice cream stands and other local businesses helped meet customer demand by importing raspberries from elsewhere. They still make shakes. People still buy them and everyone is happy.
When your business hinges on having the “original” ingredient that you’ve always had, you should start planning your contingencies now. What will happen if you lose that key supplier, principle employee, or real estate lease?
If you’re unprepared, disaster could strike. Be prepared.