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.
