GREENSBORO, N.C. -- It's been one hit after another for small businesses across the country. First came COVID-19, and now USPS shipping delays.

Steve Mitchell is paying close attention to the U.S. Postal Service and Washington right now.

Lawmakers from both parties are asking the USPS to immediately reverse operational changes they say are causing delivery delays across the country. Delays that Mitchell says are affecting his Greensboro bookstore, "Scuppernong Books."

"Since the pandemic, lots of people aren’t leaving of course for obvious reasons, and so mail order has become an even more important part of our business," Mitchell says.

In fact, their mail orders went up by 400 percent in April. Mitchell says they have no other options as USPS has been the only reliable and affordable carrier for them.

“Small businesses, like Scuppernong Books and other small businesses in Greensboro, can’t afford to ship through other major carriers and also, other major carriers don’t deliver everywhere," Mitchell adds.

It's a fundamental service Mitchell says the country needs and he needs to keep his business afloat.

“The same way we don’t decide the Department of Defense needs to make a profit, the U.S. Postal Service doesn’t need to make a profit. It needs to be supported by Congress and the administration because it’s actually a service that applies at all levels across our country," Mitchell said.

So as Mitchell continues to send out books, he hopes his customers will understand if there are delays.