One of the business challenges of needlepoint, a craft where people use needles to cover a canvas with thread or other materials, is mass production because many people prefer to have their canvas hand stitched rather than printed. How can entrepreneurs overcome supply chain issues like this?

Ashley Vestergren, founder of Stitchwheel LLC, overcame supply chain issues using several innovative strategies. She contracted with artists who could create duplicates of the canvases after a designer created the original, allowing for a faster production process. In addition, she opened up multiple studios to protect the company’s productivity in case one studio experienced complications, such as a COVID-19 outbreak.