Business onwners' hard decision-making moments

The tough decisions of business owners

Business owners make tough decisions every day: when they must decide between tapping into his home equity line to finance his business or running out of operating capital for a new project; when they have to fire their employees who have become close friends just because sales are down; when they need to make an equity investment to renew the equipment. These are just a few examples of the tough decisions that business owners make every day. Learn more by reading this article written by Enrique Quemada, ONEtoONE President.

When you absolutely need to invest

Here is  an interesting story. A client was having trouble convincing his wife that they should reinvest some of their savings into renewing their printing equipment because their competitors had all upgraded. Without this investment, the company was destined to disappear. She did not understand why he wanted to risk their savings so close to retirement, but then she, too, realized that the company would die otherwise. He had spent all his life building his company and could not bear seeing it plummet. ONEtoONE was hired to secure the capital that banks did not want to provide, and we found a strategic investor from Italy.

Problems and decisions that business owners face everyday are overwhelming, and they are the only ones who know about them, their significance, and potential consequences. If you are an entrepreneur, you know it: your family thinks you are self-centered and feels neglected. You are constantly unable to attend family events, and your spouse and kids think they are a second priority. You do not want to worry them, so you prefer not to share your business problems with them. That is why they do not know you are under pressure and your decisions could potentially ruin all that you have built.

How to enjoy life again

A friend of mine could not manage the situation, and as a consequence, his marriage was destroyed. He could not understand what was happening, and when he realized it, it was too late. The divorce was hard, and his wife took everything but the company. The pressure was tremendous, and the loneliness made it even worse. Then, the company started to suffer because of the situation, so he came to us looking for advice. His industry was growing, and we looked for a potential buyer. We found a Canadian buyer who bought the company and offered him a C level position to run a new division. Selling his business gave him the peace of mind he desperately needed, and the opportunity of being involved in a new project helped him to enjoy life again.

You do not need to go through this dilemma forever. There is an amazing M&A wave today. Prices of public companies are at the highest they have been, and liquidity is abundant. If you are tired of the hardships and the loneliness that comes with being a business owner, 2018 is the time to sell.

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