How to deal with business failure or loss in business?

Business has two children, and they are born as a matter of rule. One is called loss and the other is called profit. Everybody loves profit and nobody loves loss, but they both are always together. When there is a business loss or profit, people should remain in equanimity. This applies to the situation of business failure as well. Equanimity means not being overly excited during profit and not going into depression during a loss or failure. If humans get the right understanding, then they can remain in equanimity during both profit and loss.

Worrying kills the business

Business itself means having ups and downs. In business, you need a lot of guts. If you lose courage, the business will sink. Worry is the death of business. In business, if worry starts, understand that the work will spoil; and if there is no worry, understand that no obstacles will come in work. To grow a business, some thinking is indeed necessary; but if business is all you can think about day and night, then understand that it has gone beyond normality. Thoughts related to the business will naturally arise, but when those thoughts prolong and then turn into worry, it creates anxiety, and anxiety causes great harm. Therefore, set those thoughts aside before they turn into worry.

Just as the beard grows on its own even if we do not worry, and food gets digested on its own even if we go to sleep after eating, in the same way, even without worrying, the business will keep running. Therefore, one should sleep peacefully at night. Still if the mind keeps troubling us, “I want to finish tomorrow’s work today itself,” tell the mind, “Everyone is asleep, why are you alone awake? Even if you keep pestering me for no reason, nothing is going to change.” It is better to sleep peacefully than to stay awake all night working and then wake up late the next morning. In this way, one should make all efforts to grow the business, but not resort to worrying.

Business should be conducted with confidence and calmness. In that, one should not be too eager to earn money or make a profit. Yes, if there is a shortage of food at home or a shortage of clothes to wear, then one may worry about earning money. Sometimes, even if the business gets delayed for two years, it may still be such that there is no difficulty in one’s home for food-drinks or for living in general. At that time, maintain stability. Yet, we rush to earn profit. We have assumed that wealth is the foundation of our life, but it is uncertain when that support may vanish. Therefore, one should proactively live in such a way that in times of business loss, one is not shaken to the core.

Extraordinary understanding in profit and loss

Before Param Pujya Dadashri attained the complete experience of the Self, he used to do contract business in the worldly life. He says that if everyone at home is in good health, then even if there is a loss in the business ledger, it should be seen as profit. Whether the business prospers or suffers, the health of the family members should not be affected. If we adjust the mathematics of life in this way, there will be equanimity in both profit and loss.

Param Pujya Dada Bhagwan, based on His own experience during times of loss in business, drew a conclusion, which we can learn about in His own words.

Dadashri: Once I incurred a loss in our business. This was before I attained Self-realization. At that time I was so anxiety-ridden that I could not sleep at night. The answer to my problems eventually came from within. I asked myself who else besides me was worrying about this loss? I felt that I was probably the only one doing so. My partner may not have been worrying at all; I must be the only one. The wives and children were also partners but they were unaware of this loss. Despite the fact that they were unaware of the loss, their lives were still going on. I was the only senseless one worrying about it! When I realized this I came to my senses. None  of them worry; all of them are partners yet they do not worry, then why should I alone worry?

Then, I came to my senses so I stopped worrying. Well, if those people do not worry, then what is the need for me to worry? I just have to fulfil my responsibilities; there is no need to worry. The profit and loss all belongs to the business. It’s not on our head. We are only responsible for performing our duty. The rest all belongs to the business. If we keep carrying the business on our head, how much sleep will we get at night?

The mind is such that if things don’t go its way, it gets upset. Hence, we should not have any expectations from the beginning; else, where we hope to make a profit, we should assume that we will incur a loss. This will help beat worrying when we actually incur a business loss or undergo business failure. Say the business is likely to bring a profit of five lakh rupees; decide beforehand that even a profit of one lakh will be enough. Even then, if in the end everything balances out and income tax and household expenses are covered, that itself is more than enough. If such a resolution is made and then a profit of three lakh is earned, we will be happy on gaining more than expected. But if five lakh was expected and only three lakh is earned, then worry and sorrow will arise. So, one should not wish for a loss, but if a loss does occur, this is the key to not becoming disheartened. After all, business means either this shore or the other, both profit and loss are bound to come. If castles of hope are built on profit, then disappointment is sure to follow.

Profit should be seen as a part of business, and loss too should be seen as part of business. We should not let either weigh on our heads. It is the very nature of business to show profit and loss, black and white, black and white, it goes on like that. In that, we should decide that we will not fall into aartadhyan (adverse internal state of being that hurts the self) or raudradhyan (adverse internal state of being that hurts the self and others). Nowadays, if there is the slightest business failure, a person becomes shattered. At such times, one should think positively, ‘So what if the money is lost? I am still going to survive.’ If someone offers us two lakhs to sell our eyes, will we sell them? Or ten lakhs for our liver, fifteen lakhs for our heart? Of course not. We are already the owners of such a priceless wealth within ourselves. Then why worry so much about money? As long as we are alive, we can always earn profit again.

When people face a loss in one business, they think of shutting it down and starting another business or taking up a job. But Param Pujya Dadashri says that a loss incurred in business is recovered from the business itself. The market where the business has suffered a blow, in that very market the wound heals and the remedy is found. For example, if a money loss has occurred in the cotton market, it cannot be recovered by opening a grocery shop, and a loss in the contracting business cannot be recovered by starting a paan shop.

In the greed for profit, one should not spoil the relationship with customers. If we deceive a customer by giving faulty goods, even if we later close the business, they will still remember it. Param Pujya Dadashri says, “     You  should deal with the truth in a way that is beneficial (hit), pleasant (priya), and brief (mit). If one of your customers comes along, talk to him in a manner he finds pleasant, talk to him in a manner that is beneficial to him. Do not sell him an item that will end up being useless for him when he goes home. You should tell him up front, ‘This product is of no use to you’.”

Normality & humility in business

Even in business, maintain normality. Suppose we have a shop; we should open it when everyone else opens and close it when they close, returning home accordingly. Many people, driven by the hope of earning profit, open early and close late. But that does not lead to any significant profit. More so, if our worker is slightly late one day, we end up shouting at them and increasing our kashays. If no customer comes to the shop, we go around all day thinking that no earnings were made today. Just as when the electricity goes out, we do not panic but sit calmly and wait. At most, we may make a phone call or two, and eventually the electricity comes back. Similarly, during times of business loss, we should not panic or lose composure. Instead, we should maintain patience and regularity. We should deal calmly with customers when they come, and when they don’t, take God’s name.

Do business only to the extent that lets you sleep soundly at night. Go about business while preserving good conduct. Preserving good conduct includes all of the activities like eating in peace, giving the body enough rest and sleep, and giving enough time to family members. Even if we run the business in four shifts, our lifespan will not become two hundred years. So there is no point in rushing about in a way that only creates strain and restlessness all day. Param Pujya Dadashri says that earning money is not something to be forced into; it is about understanding how prosperity truly comes . Even with plenty of money, if the whole day is filled with stress, restlessness, worry, and frustration, then know that such wealth has no prosperity in it. The money that brings peace carries prosperity, and the money that brings sorrow does not.

Even if we make every effort in all possible ways, if the business still does not bring profit, then understand that the circumstances are not favourable at present. At such times, if we push harder, the losses will only increase. Instead, when business is going through a rough patch, strengthen your focus on spirituality, devote more time to God’s worship, prayer, or satsang. If we cannot afford to buy vegetables, then get by with simple khichdi and live frugally. Later, when circumstances improve and the business makes a profit, the extra money should be spent on virtuous deeds such as building a temple for God, giving charity to the poor, or feeding the hungry.