Business owners often fall for the trap of making up for other shortfalls in their business and themselves by working longer and harder. Those shortcomings may be financial or skill based. The problem with working harder rather than smarter is that resentment will set in. The business owner starts to hate the business, see it as a noose around their neck and realistically not making rational decisions anymore. Reinvestment in the business seems pointless, therefore replacement or addition of equipment, staff or finances becoming lacking and poor results keep recurring because such actions were necessary to keep the business going and growing as well. Business owners get into a downward spiral of low quality activity and hence results. Working harder simply means that people are almost assuring themselves of being stagnant and the pressures back at home from being absent and not bringing home the cashflow that is desired to run a great household with holidays that re-invigorate everyone. Remember, your family wants time with you, not someone who cocoons themselves in their business in a vain effort to save the ship.
The best remedy for this is to snap out of this slumber and make a clear decision to properly grow the business and save it from extinction. Unfortunately working harder is not the answer, even though it may seem like the logical one at the time. Business coaches work with business owners who are in that space to get them out of this trance and get them busy with proactive strategies which will gradually move them into more positive outcomes.
