There are many ways to lose a business but regardless of why it happened it is usually a traumatic experience for the owner. It's a crisis.
Every part of running a small business is potentially stressful — not enough turnover, too much debt, issues with employees, long hours, operational problems and so much more.
Some owners are focused on growing their business, others on just maintaining a level, and others are so immersed in the start-up stage they might not see where they're headed just yet, despite a business plan that clearly marks the way.
But without access to stress management tools or help and support from other professionals, assistance providers, colleagues or family, few small business owners can escape the pile-up of personal pressure. Some feel it more than others.
Whangārei woman Fiona Green, former operator of the cafe at Whangārei Airport, knows a lot about that pressure and the added difficulties of ill-health, anxiety and then an inevitable, spiralling plummet into business failure.
Fiona Green, down but not out after a business loss and bad health.
In Green's case that included plumetting into serious mental and physical illness.
Green started a group called Business Crisis Support NZ, a networking, sharing, help-directing group which held its first seminar in Whangārei last Thursday.
Two other local, former business people were guest speakers who shared their personal experiences, including the background of their ventures, the pressures and the pleasures, and the breakdown of those businesses.
''We've all lost businesses for different reasons,'' Green said.
''But it doesn't matter what the reason was, we all feel similar things because of it. You feel shame, you can't escape the worry, you feel you've failed, there is loss of confidence.''
Along with having had her own demons, including financial, to overcome, ''People are just cruel''.
Some didn't hold back in giving opinions about her ability to manage.
''I've even been cyber-bullied. I went through the proper processes to get them shut down.''
In Green's case and one other who spoke on Thursday, mental health problems either added to or stemmed from their businesses woes.
''I don't think anyone who hasn't been through business loss understands its impact on health.''
Those feelings of shame, worry, failure, loss of confidence, etc, led to Green self harming and abusing medications, including bungling her medication for congestive heart illness and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
But earlier, illness led to her inability to work as hard as she once had. Staff were hard to get or keep because the cafe's hours were aligned to flight schedules.
''I was absolutely passionate about what I did. I loved dealing with the customers. I take some responsibility for the business going, but not all.
''People could have helped - there should have been help available.''
Green said that in bigger businesses the responsibility is spread; in very large organisations tiers of management and support mechanisms kick in.
Small business owners often have limited communication with people who can offer coping tools or see a wider picture.
She closed her cafe because there wasn't enough in the tank, hers or the business's, to keep going until it sold. She has paid back her debts but is still suffering from health problems.
Her halting speech pattern is part of the impact of having an adjustment disorder, with similar symptoms to post traumatic stress disorder, which she says is a direct result of the business loss.
Yes, there are support services out there, but what happens when it's too late? When a ''failed'' business is construed as a personal failure - or, put more harshly, a failed person?
At last Thursday's first Business Crisis Support NZ seminar, discussions about what happened and the fallout were followed by a conversation about ''where to from here''.
Green said some people just pick themselves up and start afresh. Others don't know where to turn. And others, as with any huge personal trauma, get so heartsick and anxious they become ill.
For now ''where to from here'' means researching what help is available, putting the word out, opening up channels - and possibly holding another meeting in May.
