Supply chain expert Lisa Anderson says the global system has never been more volatile.
“It’s an unprecedented situation because demand fluctuation has been so dramatic,” says the president of LMA Consulting Group, a California-based supply chain management consultancy.
Inspiration to start up a business can come from anywhere, but for Francesco Clark it was the result of a life-changing injury.
Back in 2002, the then 24-year-old was paralysed in a diving accident. In addition to losing the use of his legs, the spinal cord injury caused his skin to no longer be able to sweat.
With his skin subsequently prone to becoming irritated, he and his father, a doctor and homeopath, developed some natural face creams in their home kitchen in New York State.
It was the start of a skincare business called Clark’s Botanicals,which is now reported to have annual revenues of around $5m (£4.2m).
Mr Clark grows some of the natural ingredients for his skin creams, such as jasmine and aloe vera, in his own garden at home in Westchester County, north of New York City.
The rest he sources as locally as possible, with production outsourced to nearby facilities rather than seeking cheaper manufacturing overseas.”