Plan for the worst and hope for the best. I have explained this business strategy to clients for years.
People are surprised that in many circumstances that I have Plans B and C. In some circumstances, I have Plans C, D, E and F ready to implement. This is one of the reasons that I enjoyed Ocean’s 8; the plan was not the plan. Their Plan B was the real plan. I loved it, it added a depth to the movie.
St. Ignatius is usually attributed to this quote: “Pray as if God will take care of all; act as if all is up to you.” This is how you should be running your small business.
There should be contingencies and redundancies in place to keep your business up and moving forward. The late shipment may be the vendor’s fault; but making sure critical parts are on hand is your responsibility. Plan and plan ahead, think of chess- do you think one move ahead or three?