Identifying the Early Signs of Business Failure


When starting a beading supply or jewelry-making business, you might have your heart set on making this your career for the rest of your life. While the prospects of doing something you love as a job can be exciting, not everything pans out smoothly for every entrepreneur.

Regardless of how much training and past experience you have in the beading industry, there is no guarantee that your business is going to grow and thrive once you are in the field. Hands-on entrepreneureal work is different from training beforehand, and you won't be able to tell your success rate until you are actually performing in the industry.

Whether you started your beading company months ago or you are just getting off of the ground, you may begin to notice a slump in sales--one that isn't going away. Over time, you may lose interest from your target audience and find it difficult to pay your bills. If this happens to be the case, it's best to stop and re-examine the situation before moving forward.

No entrepreneur wants to tackle the idea of his or her business potentially failing. However, stopping a problem before it becomes a full-blown disaster can prevent your business ownership dreams from completely going down the drain. There are a few signs you can look out for if you think your company might be headed in the wrong direction.

Mounting Losses

Investopedia.com reports that one of the biggest signs of a business in trouble is its cash flow, or lack there of. If you are finding that you have less money in the bank than before, your beading company might be going through tough times. In these instances, it's worth conducting a break-even analysis to determine if your business is still bringing in money.

If you find that your company is in the red, catching this problem sooner rather than later just might prevent your business from going under entirely. Stopping the bleeding can help you realize where you need to make changes in order to turn your beading company ideas back into profit.

Growing Debt

Another sign that your business may be headed for trouble is if you can't keep up with your payments. Furthermore, interest will start to accumulate on your debt and make it more difficult for you to keep up with bills.

If you are starting to hear from lenders who are concerned about you making payments, you might want to go over your financial situation. Many entrepreneurs have to take on debt when starting out, but becoming unable to keep your promises to lenders can eventually result in the end of your business.

A Headstrong Leader

The Los Angeles Times reports that although a diligent leader can bring a company a long way, these individuals can be their own worst enemy. If you are the CEO or top executive of your beading business and everything below you seems to be falling apart, it may be a direct result of your leadership strategy.

It's not uncommon for entrepreneurs to become stubborn know-it-alls once they launch their startup companies, and it isn't long before others start to take notice--employees, other higher-ups and customers. In the end, this can have a lasting negative effect on a business and may even become one of the prime reasons for its failure.

A Change in Operating Systems

Although this might not seem like a big deal, especially when it comes to running a small business, the Los Angeles Times reports that simply changing the operating system and technology can set a company up for ruin.

While making an upgrade may seem like a no-brainer, new technology that has been relatively untested can result in many glitches. In turn, this can turn customers away and damage the reputation of a business. Although installing an upgraded system is not always a bad idea, it's best to test the waters before moving forward with these types of plans.

Failing to Identify Means of Profit

You might naturally assume that it's your products that are driving all of the sales, but how do you really know? In actuality, it might be your excellent advertising skills above your actual products--but unless you know, you can't find a way to capitalize on this means of profit.

When your company is performing poorly, being able to identify what's working (in addition to what's not) can be one way to keep your business afloat. Although it can be difficult to hone in on this, especially when you're already stressed out, doing so can benefit your beading company in the long-run. Taking a step back and looking at the overall picture can be the difference between failure and success as an entrepreneur.