You Can Only Do Your Best And Then Ask For Help

Collecting receivables during the Christmas season is always a challenge as everyone is holding back on paying their bills because they are also having collection issues. Of course there is also payroll and Christmas gifts and on it goes. The already reduced cash flow from the downturned economy  is further reduced by the seasonal collection slump for most non-retail businesses.

I spoke with a man recently who has a small business and is falling behind on various debt payments. He called me out of great frustration and told me he has done his best and can do no more and asked me what he should now do. All he wants to do is provide for his family and he would do anything he has to do to succeed. I told him to hold his head up high, that he is an honorable man, he has done his best and he is correct–he can do no more. He can do no better. Whatever happens, happens. I told him, today is done, go home and enjoy your family and the weekend and the season. Fear not. We will handle whatever comes down the pipe.

The reality? Nothing bad will happen. He is not in immediate jeopardy, he is simply a man who is doing everything he can to provide for his family and employees and is very frustrated and depressed because he can do no more and he has come up short… today. By no fault of his own, he’s a victim of the down economy. He’s thinking he’s a failure? No, a tremendous success, I told him. A man can only do his best and act honorably and if he accomplishes both he is doing all he can and he will survive. If he fails, it is his business that failed, not him. What more can a man possibly do other than act honorably and do his best?

We will call his creditors and get him some time, and we will evaluate his debt to determine if we can do a debt forgiveness workout for him. We will save this man’s business. He has done his best, he has acted honorably and he has asked for help. He is an honorable man and can do no more, we will take it from here. He can rest assured that his family will be ok, his employees will have jobs and we will do the debt forgiveness workout and this man will prosper once again. He has done the best he can and then he has asked for help. He can do no more.