Right now, small businesses all over America are at risk. Risk of eviction, loss of employees, not enough emergency funds in the bank. Suppliers facing shortages, past due bills piling up. The list goes on.
The one thing that service providers can – and must – do in these hard times is be understanding and try to be helpful. Many of our friends out there are suffering right now.
Some of my small business owner friends are leery about applying for emergency payroll and disaster aid assistance, because they worry about how they will pay back the money.
But you can only suggest things to your clients; sometimes they don’t want to do something that seems obvious to you to be in their best interest.
In those instances, I don’t push too hard and I try not to disagree too much with clients, because in 30 years of practice, I’ve learned that sometimes there are issues behind the scenes that they may be unwilling to share, especially during hard times.
Past experiences of the business owner may make them particularly sensitive to taking on more debt, or they are worried about the unpredictability of a possible lawsuit, or they hesitate at the idea of breaking a lease where the landlord refuses to give any concessions on the rent in a shopping mall that has been closed for two months.
Every situation is unique. You have to follow your client’s lead. All you can do is present them with options and information. In the end, you always have to remember that it’s their decision.
But in the meantime, if your business is facing hard times, now is the time to get some advice and see what your options may be. I’m here to help. Call me at (315) 877-1741,
