Rewards of a Rocky Road

by Ben Hall

According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 20 percent of small businesses fail in their first year, and about 50 percent fail in their fifth year. Intimidating statistics for someone with zero entrepreneurial experience.

Yet, on my 30th birthday, I told my wife I was going to start my own business. That was August 28th, 2005. With ten years of sales and management experience under my belt, I was confident.

OverView was launched in a financially booming economy. In March 2008, my son was born. My company had ten employees across four states. We recorded our highest revenue generating year.

“I had a newborn baby, a house payment, and nearly $500,000 in debt.”

And then it hit. The Great Recession of 2008, a global economic downturn that destroyed world financial markets, banking, and real estate industries. Millions of people lost their life savings, their jobs, and their homes.

My own access to capital disappeared in less than ninety days. I was forced to lay off employees, write- off over $160,000 in accounts receivable, and figure a way to completely restructure my business. I had a newborn baby, a house payment, and nearly $500,000 in debt as my revenue plummeting by more than 63 percent.

What I Learned

Fifteen years later, my business has survived and is thriving. OverView stands strong today, not because of the decisions I made as a business owner – but because of my competence in sales and management. I sat down and pulled numbers, cut expenses, cast my vision for the future, and set SMART goals to get there.

As an entrepreneur, it is important for me to quantify and qualify my skillsets. I think about the twenty five years of sales and management, fifteen years as business owner, and how that translates to my success and that of my clients.

Sharing the Benefits

Can I share the wisdom and experience of a business owner who made mistakes? Absolutely!

You can download my free Financial Guide that features some valuable tips and insights. You can also schedule a 15-minute call to discuss how I can put my experience to work for your business.

In the words of Oscar Wilde, “Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes.”

Discover Your Own Savings

Schedule a 15 minute call with Ben to discover how you can realize savings on HR Services, payroll processing, healthcare coverage, business insurance, and many other businesses expenses.