Matthew Neilson loves serving his country while drinking his coffee.

“It makes the whole world,” he said. “I mean out there, we run on caffeine.”

The U.S. Army specialist has been deployed twice and each time, quality coffee wasn’t available.

That changed thanks to Coffee for Troops an organization that does just that: sends coffee to active military personnel fighting on the front lines overseas.

“It seems like a very small thing that would not have a very big impact in the grand scheme of things,” Neilson said. “But it really makes the difference out there.”

Started on September 11, 2010, Coffee for Troops has donated almost 20,000 bags of coffee to troops across the world.

“I deployed multiple times over my 21 years in the military and every time drank crappy coffee,” said Carl Churchill, founder of the nonprofit.

An Army special operations veteran, Churchill knows firsthand how something as small as a cup of coffee can make a big difference in soldiers’ lives.

“My wife will read the emails to me with tears in her eyes about guys and gals who are getting the coffee, how it makes the difference for them," he said.

Churchill sources coffee beans from around the world and roasts them at Alpha Coffee near Salt Lake City, Utah. He uses money from donations and his own personal profits to ship the coffee overseas, something he plans on expanding.

“Our mission statement is four bullet points," Churchill said. ”Awesome coffee; be a warrior; have fun and give back. And that’s what we’re going to continue to do.”

With Neilson making a career in the military, being deployed is almost certain to happen again, saying he’ll continue to take pride in serving his country and also while drinking his coffee.

“Emotionally, it carries with you knowing that people are continually thinking about while you’re gone,” he said. “That’s just kind of the cherry on top getting the coffee.”

As several businesses close their doors for good during the COVID-19 crisis, a new surge of entrepreneurs are starting up new establishments.

“This is Hidden Gems. This is our Wizard of Oz-themed ice cream shop," said business owner Josh Schmitz.

Schmitz is balancing opening three new businesses: an ice cream shop, a bakery and a bar

“Maybe this is a bit harsh,” he said, “but if you call yourself an entrepreneur and you didn’t grow during 2020, you can’t call yourself that anymore.”

Schmitz says the low cost of entry during the pandemic was too good to pass up. That and his desire to help others find jobs encouraged him to file new business applications.

“We weren’t designed to do like solo,” he said. “So, for us to be able to build during this time and create some buzz and energy while still being COVID safe was a no-brainer for us.”

Schmitz is one of many people across the country opening up a new business during the pandemic.

Experts like business consultant Angelique Rewers with The Corporate Agent say this increase is based on three trends: necessity, awareness and opportunity.

“A lot of folks have had to start businesses. Either they’ve lost their job, their traditional job no longer was a fit or their other business went under,” she said.

The United States Census Bureau reports nearly 4.5 million new business applications were filed in 2020, which is about a 24% increase from 2019.

Rewers predicts those numbers will continue climbing nationally.

“I think the next couple of years is going to be fueled by a boom,” she said. “But, I also think we’re going to see is a real change in buying behavior.”

For Schmitz, leasing three properties at once has created dozens of jobs for his community as he becomes part of the next generation of business owners looking to keep their doors open post-pandemic.

“We want to keep growing and keep building and keep doing cool stuff and creating opportunities for our people,” he said.