Small Business, Big
Problems
If
you are a small business owner, you probably spend a lot
of time worrying. It’s perfectly understandable, too.
If you’re the Big Boss, you find yourself in the position
of trying to be all things to all people, and that’s
a lot to be concerned about. Everyone wants an answer from
you—employees, vendors, clients, contractors, customers,
and your family.
High
employee turnover and the difficulty of finding reliable
workers is one of the major problems reported by small business
owners. Even when you use pre-hiring drug tests and background
checks, there always seem to be problem employees, malcontents
who like to make “the company” out to be greedy
and unfair, and of course you’re the main villain in
the scenario.
Meanwhile,
although you may be painted as the bad guy or gal, you’re
actually worrying about how much of a raise you can afford
to give employees while you continue to obey all the workplace
regulations of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration
and other government bureaucracies, make sure you aren’t
discriminating against anyone who might sue you, and try
to work out the biggest bugaboo of all—health insurance.
Then
there are worker’s compensation, unemployment compensation,
and liability insurance—to say nothing of payroll tax
reports, W-2s, 1099s, performance reports, and all the other
forms associated with employing and paying people. Even
though you delegate a lot of these responsibilities to others,
you’re the one who makes the final call and takes the
big fall if someone doesn’t do their job.
Of
course, you need to leave some time to think about the economic
aspects of your business. Are you targeting the right market
with the correct strategies? Are you keeping up with changing
market conditions? Are your prices in line? Too high? Too
low? How can you compete with the big-box stores? You’ve
got to read reports that track your sales, measure your
profit margins, detail your inventory, explain your net
profit, and list your expenses. What about those cash flow
problems? Are you going to be able to make the payroll and
pay yourself this week? Has that loan been approved?
If
you’ve got a business with trucks on the road or other
equipment, you’ve got maintenance, safety, and insurance
headaches to deal with. Office equipment is another source
of frustration. Sure, it’s great that everything is
done by computer these days—but what a mess it is when
the person inputting the data messes up or forgets to backup
important files. And speaking of computers, has your web
site been updated lately? How about your virus protection?
The
list of troubles to be faced daily goes on and on. Vendors
want to be paid. Dissatisfied customers want refunds. Contractors
don’t meet deadlines. The computer crashes.
As
we said, small business owners have a lot of worries. Spreading
themselves too thin inevitably leads to stress, and in return
stress can lead to depression, anxiety, heart problems,
and difficulties in personal relationships. Spouses and
children may complain, “You’re married to the
business,” or “You’re never home, and when
you are you’re so distracted they can’t get through
to you anyway because your mind is still at the office.”
Vacations? Forget it. The small business owner is always
“on call” even if a short vacation can be managed.
The
truth is, a lot of small business owners wished they had
never gone into business at all. But what would they do
if they sold out? After all, they’re business people.
They love the idea of being part of the business world,
associating with other business owners, and simply being
part of the amazing free enterprise system. But being your
own boss is supposed to be a dream-come-true, not a daily
round of hassles.
Is
it Time to Re-evaluate?
If
you’re a frustrated small business owner and you feel
trapped by many of these problems, you may be looking for
a new enterprise that will not be so taxing—a way to
create a stable income that still leaves you time for the
very people you’ve been working so hard for: yourself
and your family. You’ve already proven that you can
succeed—and if only it weren’t for all those annoyances
bogging you down, you can only imagine how much more successful
you’d be.
There
is an alternative to a bricks-and-mortar business that robs
your energy and enthusiasm. According to a September, 2006,
report by the U.S. Census Bureau, about 49% of small businesses
today are home-based, and the number is expected to continue
rising. Why is a home-based business so appealing to so
many? To begin with, most of the aggravations associated
with storefront businesses just aren’t there. Feelings
of freedom and peace reign in a comfortable home office
environment. There is time to spend with family.
As
a home-based entrepreneur, you will still be part of a viable
business community of like-minded individuals who will be
happy to network with you and who won’t expect you
to be their caretaker. This frees you up to devote your
time to accumulating wealth for yourself and your family,
the people who matter most to you.
It
costs nothing to investigate this burgeoning business concept.
Simply fill in the web form to receive free, no-obligation
information on how a home-based business can give you a
whole new outlook on your business life.
