Is Clinical Depression The Real Cause of Small Business Failure?

 It has been repeated so many times that it is universally regarded as a fact when I think that it is really a myth.

The myth is that the majority of small businesspersons who have to close their doors do so because they lack management skills.  It is not true! Or at best only half-true! And it hinders consultants from examining one of the major causes of small business failure

As small business rescue consultants we meet many failed business owners. The majority of them have lived and breathed their business for years. They have sweated blood worrying about it. They do not sleep for worrying about it. They procrastinate. They deny the problems.

They exhibit all the systems of clinical depression. One of the symptoms of clinical depression is a paralysis of the mind. You can clearly see that some task is vital for the success of the business, and you know what to do and how to do it. But something stops you from doing it.

Business owners will spend long days at their desk doing nothing. Accomplishing nothing. Physically unable to even get started. Blaming themselves for being a failure. Yet it is not their fault.

Clinical depression is a disease caused by chemical changes in the brain. A person suffering it cannot help himself much. It is no good telling him to "pull his socks up" and get on with it. He can't!

And in case I seem politically incorrect in always referring to "him"  in this case it is deliberately so, because in our experience it is men who suffer from it more often. A man's macho image will not allow him to consider admitting that he is suffering. So he suffers in silence.

Many times one of our younger consultants have returned from a client meeting filled with exasperation. "What a useless exercise! The Landlord is coming to change the locks tomorrow. It's going to be difficult to do much now. The Landlord has to give one months notice why didn't he come to us then? What an idiot!"

He's not an idiot. The man is suffering from depression and the wonder is that he called us at all. Most of them just let it all happen.

Yet there is a simple answer to the problem. Our motto is that It is Never Too Late To Better A Situation And There Is No Problem That Cannot Be Solved.

I remind my young consultant of it, The solution to the problem will not be as good as the solution would have been one month ago but it will help. We are in existence to help clients.

But the real solution to he problem is to educate men and women who are in business in the idea that it is okay to ask for help when they feel "things" are getting on top of them.

Therefore, if you can see a business speed-bump ask someone you trust for advice. If you think that speed-bump is you, visit your doctor to see whether you are suffering depression. Some counselling, perhaps medication, will have you feeling your old vibrant enthusiastic self. Then watch you business achieve the things you know it can.

At the very least, ask us some questions at kelvyn@consulting4profit.com we nearly always have the right answers.

We are always adding additional articles so please call in again soon.