This fall, even as the Omicron variant gained steam, we largely pretended it wasn’t that bad. We were wrong.

But that’s not what I’m here to talk about. I want to focus on what you’re going to do when you literally can’t keep your doors open because all your employees are home sick. (It’s already happening.)

In my hometown of Asheville, N.C., schools have closed because the latest spike left the city schools system without enough staff to “maintain facilities operations or hold classes.” Restaurants, already hard hit by the Great Resignation, are also shutting their doors. Retail stores, concert venues, and theaters are following suit, as they can’t keep enough staffers on the floor to take care of customers.

It’s not just where I live. It’s happening everywhere, though perhaps not all at once. In many ways, what we’re seeing are rolling shutdowns. Airlines that can’t get enough pilots or ground crowds. Retail shops with salespeople out. You get the idea.

Get ready for the ‘Great Shutdown’ More>