A Sad Day

Good grief it’s been a tough season. Sales-wise, we’ve actually fared better than most. For us it’s been tough because we’ve had a bunch of our stockists close, and others just not pay.

I’ve written before about payment terms and whatnot, but that’s not what this post is about.

Today is a very sad day because today we’re referring our first matter of an invoice outstanding by several months with no communication to a debt collection agency which will be followed by legal action against one of our stockists. And it sucks. Lots.

Fundamentally, I don’t think it’s my role to act as the bank for the industry. I don’t have the capital or the inclination. Moreover, it’s exceptionally disappointing at a personal level that someone I trusted and respected has decided to try and screw me over. These aren’t big corporations we’re talking about. It’s two small business owners. Out there somewhere, right now, is an individual who has actively made the decision to ignore all attempts at communication and compromise and to lie to and steal from me.

But – there’s a lesson in all this. Respect and trust must be earned, not inherently given. I can’t decide if it makes me a good person that I willingly trust… or just naive. Either way, it’s clear there’s no place for it in business.