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.
