For the Entrepreneur

Don’t let this thing literally scare you to death.
 
There are a lot of things that I could write about today. There are new developments in the PPP Loans. How about what is happening with the Employee Retention Credit? Our nightmare economy always makes a good story. But today I thought that I would write about something that is really important.
 
Today, I am going to write about you.
 
Last Wednesday I went into The University of Chicago Hospital for a routine colonoscopy. Yeah, I know how truly disgusting that is. If you’ve ever been through one of these religious experiences, then you know as well. But the experience itself was not the news.
 
What is interesting, was the emptiness of the hospital.
 
I’m no stranger to the outpatient procedures center down at The U of C. My Mother was diagnosed with rectal cancer seven years ago. There’s a history of it in our family. I have a great uncle that died from it.
 
So given our family history, they watch me rather carefully. Normally this portion of the hospital would have been full. Last Wednesday morning, I counted four patients, where normally there would have been at least thirty-five. That got me thinking.
 
As luck would have it, I had just completed the returns of one of our Brothers in the elective surgeries business. When I called him with the results, we spoke about the industry.
 
I know that his numbers are substantially down for this year. People just aren’t going to the hospital. But he told me that he thought his numbers would probably not rebound for the foreseeable future.
 
People are just too afraid of this virus, to get the medical attention that they need.
 
He went on to tell me about a conversation that he had just had with an emergency room doctor. A young woman had come into the ER. She had broken both of the bones in her lower leg three weeks before, had not gone in for the help that she needed, and had then developed an extremely aggressive case of gangrene. The ER Doctor had no choice but to recommend that they amputate her leg from the knee down.
 
Amputation really? What is this? The sixteenth century?
 
But after thinking about it, and seeing what I had just seen with an empty surgical center, it all seemed to fit. Can people really be so afraid, that they are not doing what is necessary to take care of themselves?
 
Our Brother in the elective surgery business asked me to think about something else. He said, “What about all of the people who weren’t there getting their colonoscopies. How many of them will go in next year when they are comfortable, just to realize that they have then developed Stage Three Cancer?”
 
Whoa Hos. Stop the truck.
 
We keep hearing about all of the people who are dying from the virus. I’m certainly not going to make light of it. We’ve had two customers that died from it. Two Brothers that I truly respected. Great men that I miss.
 
But what about all of the people that will die because they were just too afraid to go in to get checked out? What about the people who postponed necessary medical procedures? How about the people who needed medical help, who wouldn’t go in because they were afraid? That number could become much larger than the number of people dying from the virus.
 
It dawned on me that we could win this battle, just to lose the war.
 
Don’t become another statistic in this fight. Do whatever is necessary to maintain your good health. See your doctors. Get your procedures done. Do it in a safe manner. Wear a mask. Douse yourself in sanitizer. Whatever it takes.
 
Don’t let this thing literally scare you to death.
 
Let me leave you with this one thought…
 
Entrepreneuring is hard. The only people who ever said it would be easy, were the armchair quarterbacks who had never even owned a snow shoveling service back when they were seven.
 
Everyone looks to us for leadership. Our employees need our strength. Our clients need our professionalism. Our suppliers need our confidence.
 
Then you get to our families. Our spouses, our children, our parents, everyone needs us now more than ever. This thing is scary. It’s after effects may be even more frightening than the virus itself. Many of these people closest to you are more anxious and unnerved than ever before.
 
You need to be their light at the end of the tunnel, their steady hand at the wheel in the storm. What is required of you isn’t easy. But now we must all lead by example. Dig down deep. Find whatever energy is necessary. Get it done.
 
If you don’t lead, imagine what will happen to the people around you. But do so knowing that we are here to help.
 
Accounting Solutions Ltd. stands ready to complete its mission and purpose of protecting you, your family, and your business. If there is anything that you need, anything at all, you have but to call. I’m here and I remain,
 
Sincerely yours,
 
Chris Amundson
President
Accounting Solutions Ltd.
773-267-7500
888-310-0300
 
www.AccountingSolutionsLtd.com
 
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE AND LEGAL DISCLAIMER. The information contained in this email message, including any attachments, is legally privileged and confidential and intended only for the addressee(s). If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any reading, use, or dissemination of this message is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please notify us immediately and delete this message from your system.
 
Although this email and any attachments are believed to be free of any virus or other defect which may affect any computer system into which it is received and opened, it is the responsibility of the recipient to ensure it is virus free. Accounting Solutions Ltd. accepts no responsibility for any loss or damage arising from receipt and use of this email.
 
Note that the only professional services provided by Accounting Solutions Ltd. are those specified in a written communication from our office detailing the scope of services to be rendered and the terms and conditions applicable to the engagement.