![On The Sound of Ideas, we talk to female entrepreneurs about how they are faring during the pandemic. [winnond/shutterstock]](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c243a68/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3000x2000+0+0/resize/840x560!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Flegacy%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F2%2F25%2Fshutterstock_1729115374.jpg)
It's almost March, and that means we're coming up on one full year since the pandemic began in earnest. While case numbers are trending down, people are still being advised to stay at home to stay safe.
That has forced many small businesses to adapt their operations, to meet customers where they are: in their homes. But it also meant even moving to online ordering or social media and that is sometimes not enough. According to a September Yelp report, hundreds of thousands of small businesses across the country closed during the pandemic. And three of every 10 small businesses say they likely won't survive 2021 without additional government assistance -- that's from a new Federal Reserve Bank survey.
The pandemic has also been tough on women. The US Chamber of Commerce reports almost 3 million of whom have left the workforce since last year.
We start today's The Sound of Ideas by checking in with three women entrepreneurs, about how their businesses are navigating the pandemic.
Later this hour, we'll talk to the President and CEO of the Cleveland Clinic, Dr. Tom Mihaljevic, on the hospital system's 100th birthday. Then, we'll feature this month's Applause Performances, featuring the music of singer Kyle Kidd and guitarist Marcus Alan Ward.
Resources
Local Businesses Featured:
Cleveland Clinic Founder's Day Events
-Mari Foisy, Co-Founder, Riveredge Soap Kitchen
-Anna Harouvis, Owner and Chef, Anna in the Raw and Good to Go Cafe & Catering
-Debra Drobnick, Social Media Manager, Irie Jamaican Kitchen
-Dr. Tomislav Mihaljevic, MD, CEO and President, Cleveland Clinic
-Kyle Kidd, Singer
-Marcus Alan Ward, Guitarist
