Did alcohol cause me to fail?
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Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 5,937
I'm sorry about your business, thomas11. The bad economy did in a lot of businesses, and surviving seems to be a mixture of good practices and good luck. Lots of folks saw their fortunes reversed through no fault of their own. Certainly the booze didn't help your, though. If you'd have been sober you probably wouldn't have been injured, and perhaps you could have weathered the other stuff.
But I hope you realize booze hasn't ruined you! Your business failed but you are not a failure nor are you permanently ruined. Get your head straight again, get a break from MN and work on staying sober. You will rise again!
But I hope you realize booze hasn't ruined you! Your business failed but you are not a failure nor are you permanently ruined. Get your head straight again, get a break from MN and work on staying sober. You will rise again!
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Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: MN
Posts: 8,704
Originally Posted by MythOfSisyphus 
I'm sorry about your business, thomas11. The bad economy did in a lot of businesses, and surviving seems to be a mixture of good practices and good luck. Lots of folks saw their fortunes reversed through no fault of their own. Certainly the booze didn't help your, though. If you'd have been sober you probably wouldn't have been injured, and perhaps you could have weathered the other stuff.
But I hope you realize booze hasn't ruined you! Your business failed but you are not a failure nor are you permanently ruined. Get your head straight again, get a break from MN and work on staying sober. You will rise again!
But I hope you realize booze hasn't ruined you! Your business failed but you are not a failure nor are you permanently ruined. Get your head straight again, get a break from MN and work on staying sober. You will rise again!
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Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Tuxedo Park, NY
Posts: 1,101
I also run a business along with my father, it is also a small consulting business with lots of equipment, insurance and overhead. I drank for the past 15 years and probably 12 of them I was able to function well enough nothing bad happened. Eventually that all changed though and if my dad had not been picking up the slack I left we would have been ruined for sure. It is rough here in NY everything is expensive, taxes, insurance, real estate. . It doesn't take long for some screw ups to catch up with you. At nine months sober I am taking charge of situations as my dad is retirement age and I realize I have no room left for alcohol in my life whatsoever. If I try to bring it back in not only am I gambling with my livelihood but my employees and family's as well. It gets stressful at times and if I ever come to a point where I can't do it anymore I would rather just sell it and move on.
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Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Midwest
Posts: 4,860
Lots of good feedback here, Jeff.
Many circumstances, including weather, are outside of our control. I think of my dear father, who left teaching and went on to run a successful business of his own. He retired at the right time. Five years later and the internet would have wrecked his business.
Don't look at the decision to close your business as a failure. Move forward with a positive attitude and the knowledge that you learned a lot from your venture.
Many circumstances, including weather, are outside of our control. I think of my dear father, who left teaching and went on to run a successful business of his own. He retired at the right time. Five years later and the internet would have wrecked his business.
Don't look at the decision to close your business as a failure. Move forward with a positive attitude and the knowledge that you learned a lot from your venture.
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Join Date: Feb 2015
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Originally Posted by sva777
I also run a business along with my father, it is also a small consulting business with lots of equipment, insurance and overhead. I drank for the past 15 years and probably 12 of them I was able to function well enough nothing bad happened. Eventually that all changed though and if my dad had not been picking up the slack I left we would have been ruined for sure. It is rough here in NY everything is expensive, taxes, insurance, real estate. . It doesn't take long for some screw ups to catch up with you. At nine months sober I am taking charge of situations as my dad is retirement age and I realize I have no room left for alcohol in my life whatsoever. If I try to bring it back in not only am I gambling with my livelihood but my employees and family's as well. It gets stressful at times and if I ever come to a point where I can't do it anymore I would rather just sell it and move on.
Trudgin
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 6,348
I have made my living for quite some time through various small businesses. Heck, I was selling baseball cards etc to neighborhood kids since I was 8 or 9.
As entrepreneurs, we simply don't know any other way. The thought of a real job for me is daunting. Just can't imagine. Some have failed, some have been successful. It is a long process to get things working as we envision.
If we stop doing one thing, we look at the next great adventure - we learn from what went correctly and what didn't. Some people simply want to buy a job, not grow a business - there's a big difference.
Regardless of all that. alcohol ******* everything we do - it is step one in sobriety to understand. Nothing is better (except a hangover) or impedes our faculties making us delusional - more than consuming alcohol. Nailing down the exact point of when and why is mental gymnastics and pointless.
Find something else to do, stay sober and give it your all - if it doesn't work, do something else!
We have to get over yesterday and move on.........
As entrepreneurs, we simply don't know any other way. The thought of a real job for me is daunting. Just can't imagine. Some have failed, some have been successful. It is a long process to get things working as we envision.
If we stop doing one thing, we look at the next great adventure - we learn from what went correctly and what didn't. Some people simply want to buy a job, not grow a business - there's a big difference.
Regardless of all that. alcohol ******* everything we do - it is step one in sobriety to understand. Nothing is better (except a hangover) or impedes our faculties making us delusional - more than consuming alcohol. Nailing down the exact point of when and why is mental gymnastics and pointless.
Find something else to do, stay sober and give it your all - if it doesn't work, do something else!
We have to get over yesterday and move on.........
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Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: MN
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"Regardless of all that. alcohol ******* everything we do"
That is a FACT, no? I've pondered many things over the month, I think for the short term I will buy a job as it will provide what is necessary to "live". But my mind can't stop thinking about the next business opportunity. I know I have set some guidelines for myself in that regard, now I need to find it. Two qualifications are this: It's either work that is paid hourly, or a product that has a unit price. That way, profit is essentially guaranteed. The business I was in was like any construction trade. Submit a bid, sell your job the best you can, and pray there is profit when the job is complete. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Snowplowing is an example. I charge $70 per hour per truck, I can't lose. As long as that truck is working its turning a profit for the company. But, if you a bid a retaining wall job and run into construction debris below ground, or god knows what else, even with a contingency of 10%, you might still lose your ass. Its rare, but it happens.
That is a FACT, no? I've pondered many things over the month, I think for the short term I will buy a job as it will provide what is necessary to "live". But my mind can't stop thinking about the next business opportunity. I know I have set some guidelines for myself in that regard, now I need to find it. Two qualifications are this: It's either work that is paid hourly, or a product that has a unit price. That way, profit is essentially guaranteed. The business I was in was like any construction trade. Submit a bid, sell your job the best you can, and pray there is profit when the job is complete. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Snowplowing is an example. I charge $70 per hour per truck, I can't lose. As long as that truck is working its turning a profit for the company. But, if you a bid a retaining wall job and run into construction debris below ground, or god knows what else, even with a contingency of 10%, you might still lose your ass. Its rare, but it happens.
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Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: SE USA
Posts: 599
I was just reading your post and realized how much you have progressed and grown since you first showed up here. You should be very proud of that. So far you are beating the odds on addiction. Keep it up, keep growing, and you will have a successful future regardless of the work situation.
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Originally Posted by sg1970
I was just reading your post and realized how much you have progressed and grown since you first showed up here. You should be very proud of that. So far you are beating the odds on addiction. Keep it up, keep growing, and you will have a successful future regardless of the work situation.
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Join Date: Oct 2012
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I think your fighting spirit is unbowed and unbroken, thomas11!
I think it's a sign of your progress that you're refusing to take defeat lying down- you're actively seeking that next opportunity.
Look on the bright side; you mention not owing the bank a dime. That's pretty major! You wrapped up the loose ends pretty well and aren't in a bunch of debt. Combined with sobriety you should be well positioned to take advantage of whatever opportunity presents itself.
I think it's a sign of your progress that you're refusing to take defeat lying down- you're actively seeking that next opportunity.Look on the bright side; you mention not owing the bank a dime. That's pretty major! You wrapped up the loose ends pretty well and aren't in a bunch of debt. Combined with sobriety you should be well positioned to take advantage of whatever opportunity presents itself.
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Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,352
I think you've progressed in a number of ways.
Clearly you now see your relationship with alcohol in a different light.
that's a massive step forward, as is admitting you have a problem which is something I remember you having trouble with.
I think you're more of a philospher than you used to be - you stand back now and think about things rather than simply jumping in.
I think that's growth.
You've always had a drive to help others, and thats still with you - I think you're more effective now tho simply because there's a new maturity about you.
Again, not that I'm calling you immature before - but I can see growth there.
Dealing with disappointment is tough Jeff - noone likes it when their preferred option is simply not available.
I hope you'll be kind to yourself tho. The important part of this story is you built the business up from nothing and ran it very successfully for a number of years.
Life is hard sometimes and stuff happens - we can't always mitigate against that.
Don't lose heart - who knows - you may find this door closing leads you to another door you've never though about before.
Clearly you now see your relationship with alcohol in a different light.
that's a massive step forward, as is admitting you have a problem which is something I remember you having trouble with.
I think you're more of a philospher than you used to be - you stand back now and think about things rather than simply jumping in.
I think that's growth.
You've always had a drive to help others, and thats still with you - I think you're more effective now tho simply because there's a new maturity about you.
Again, not that I'm calling you immature before - but I can see growth there.
Dealing with disappointment is tough Jeff - noone likes it when their preferred option is simply not available.
I hope you'll be kind to yourself tho. The important part of this story is you built the business up from nothing and ran it very successfully for a number of years.
Life is hard sometimes and stuff happens - we can't always mitigate against that.
Don't lose heart - who knows - you may find this door closing leads you to another door you've never though about before.
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Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 6,224
Originally Posted by thomas11
And of course, I'm wondering if alcohol ruined me.
Jeff if my business goes down the tube -- and I can tell you that economic circumstances aren't great -- I hope I can both wind it up and leave it with the same style and dignity as you.
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Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: SE USA
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Sometimes I think it's hard for us to see our own progress. It's more obvious from the outside looking in. I think the posts above summed up the growth that I have seen as well.
And as far as your business situation, ditto what Marcher said. I'm in construction as well and most people don't handle this like you have. Most I've seen would take everything they could get and run screwing others in the process. That is failure and that is how they will be remembered. You are doing what's right and that is not failure. This too shall pass and by doing what's right you will be ten steps ahead when you come out of the other side.
And as far as your business situation, ditto what Marcher said. I'm in construction as well and most people don't handle this like you have. Most I've seen would take everything they could get and run screwing others in the process. That is failure and that is how they will be remembered. You are doing what's right and that is not failure. This too shall pass and by doing what's right you will be ten steps ahead when you come out of the other side.
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Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Tuxedo Park, NY
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I would have to have to say your doing pretty good as others pointed out. It is rough getting our lives sorted after our affairs with alcohol, some harder than others but all difficult. That's why we are all here, we share that. With that in mind you seem to be making some good realizations and clear business decisions.
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