COVID-19 and the ensuing global shutdown has disrupted the way we do business like almost nothing before it. But it is not an excuse for failing.

Yes, staying afloat during the pandemic has been a challenge for most companies. Yes, a lot of businesses have lost significant sources of revenue. Yes, hundreds of thousands of workers have been laid off. Yes, the way in which we do business has been changed forever. But you can’t use any of that as an excuse to pack up and give in.

As a business owner, it is your responsibility to find a path forward. Not just for yourself, but for your employees, your company, and society as a whole. You have created something unique that you are offering to the world and you cannot let it be snuffed out.

This is not the first crisis we’ve seen and it certainly won’t be our last. The important thing to reflect on in this moment is what this pandemic has taught you. What lessons are you gleaning that will help you come out stronger on the other side? How can you pivot to bring a new idea to the marketplace? What new product lines could you embrace? How does your supply chain need to change going forward? Can you move your services to online delivery? Which processes and procedures are working and which ones aren’t? What innovative ideas have you been waiting to find the time to fully develop? Which employees have really stepped up and shown their commitment to you and the company? What soft spots have been exposed that need to be re-armored?

Whatever you have to do, keep going. You have to be creative, determined and agile in this moment. The entrepreneurial spirit is what will get us through this incredible time. And when you do get to the other side of all this, you and your company will be all the stronger for it.