Quoted:


Frustration.  In spades.  Aces high, Jokers wild.  And a bit pissed off.



I moved up to Alaska for an opportunity in 2005.  To buy a business and settle.  After a couple of years, I would be considered by the corp. to do so.



Nearly 3 years ago, business was starting to go downwards...nothing major.  The current owners took a few trips from the previous years profits and when we hit a bump, revenues dropped and they stopped advertising.  All advertising.  I did some small advertising things, mainly a few print-outs to a few public boards.  That slowed the descent for a couple months.



Then the crash hit.  By crash, I mean $4.00 a gallon gas and heating oil.  For Fairbanks, Alaska...that was a big deal.  The next spring I had 7 patients take the time to come see me to let me know that they were leaving the state.  Made me wonder just how many left without bothering to come by.  I spent a couple hundred out of my paycheck for a mailer.  Quite a few came back...not deliverable, no longer this address, no mailbox...the usual, just a higher percentage...



Then I got sick.  Nothing serious, I guess.  Just seemed to catch every cold and flu bug.  Just, severely.  Never did go to the doc, just dealt with it.  Missed about 4 weeks total in work, that year (2009).  The current owners had not renewed their professional licenses and we lost a few more patients.  If I was down, the business was closed.  And I went into a depression.  I could see what was going on and what needed to be done, but...could not get it to change.



Stress.  Gotta love how it messes with you.



In talking with a few patients, they have the money and insurance, they are just worried.  On top of that, even though the business has been in the same spot for nearly 12 years, I still run into folks who never knew it was there (personally, I think it should be in a different spot...but, that is for later).



And now...



The corporation has approved me to purchase the business.





YAY me....  





In going throught 475 pages of documents they sent me, and the purchase agreement.  I find out this...



The previous owners stopping of advertising was a direct violation of contract (requirement of 10%).

And they outright lied in tome that they never took any money from the business for themselves.  I can say bullshit on that, now.



And now 'we' are barely making payroll...well, I went fron 2400 a month take home, to 1600.  From a business that grosses 250k rto 350k a year when its's run right.



I am the only employee, they had 2 before.  The business is viable.  I have made some mistakes, as have the current owners.  The biggest was stopping advertising since our direct competitor has been running full-page color ads, local TV, and now in radio.  They (the competitor) started that when they found out that I'm not an OJT type, but...actually went to school for this.



The competitions big ad?  Revolves having an expert come up from the lower 48.  We do not need to do that (now), since I am the expert.  





Yeah, I'm rambling a bit.  Spent 20 bucks on a half-rack of beer that I cannot afford, right now.  



I'm a bit ticked off.  



Anyone have any input?  And yes, I mean positive, and negative.

Quoted:
Can you turn it around if you are calling the shots? Can you use the fact that they violated the contract by not advertising to your benefit? Without knowing how the sale is set up, can you get a lower purchase price? Can you use the info that they pulled profits out for personal use to your benefit?

Quoted:
Ok, help me to understand. The business is viable, and you are confident you can outperform your biggest competitor. The company was offered to you, and at a substantial discount below what you thought you would be paying. Your pay has suffered recently due to poor decision making on the part of the current owners, but once you take over, you can change things, including possibly the location, to one that would be more high traffic.

So where is the frustration coming from?

Quoted:


You know.  Now that I think about it.  I'm not sure where the frustration is coming from.  I think it's because I'm going into a hole with a couple of bills and the company wants me to fly back and forth for some training, and such.  And, over the last two years, my reserves have dried up.

I've got a couple of ideas on that.  In a way, venting a bit has cleared my mind and now, ideas are popping into my head to address a couple things.