Elliot always wanted to be his own boss. No more answering to anyone, no more clocking in—just freedom. So when he opened Elliot’s Gear & Goods, an outdoor supply store, he was thrilled.
At first, things went well. Customers came in, sales were steady, and Elliot enjoyed telling people, “Yeah, I run my own business.”
But he didn’t actually run it.
Invoices? He’d get to them later. Staff scheduling? Someone else could figure it out. Inventory? It looked fine. Accounting? He assumed money was coming in, so things were probably okay.
One day, a supplier called. “Elliot, your last three payments bounced.”
Then his best employee quit, fed up with the chaotic scheduling.
Then a letter arrived. Overdue taxes. A lot of them.
Elliot panicked. How had things gotten this bad? He had assumed that if sales were happening, the business would take care of itself. He had ignored the hard, unglamorous parts—until they were too big to ignore.
It took months of scrambling, late nights, and painful lessons to turn things around. But the biggest lesson?
Lesson: Running a business isn’t just about having a great idea—it’s about owning the responsibility. Ignoring problems won’t make them disappear. Face them, or they’ll face you.
