As a small business owner...

Best of luck to you, Lumenari. Folks like you are essential for the well-being and prosperity of America. Sounds like you have an outstanding group of employees who respect you greatly. Hang in there, my friend.

a reply to: scraedtosleep

To you and everyone who has responded on this thread...

I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your words of encouragement.

When I made this OP I was at a low... feeling beaten up by circumstances beyond my control and just telling you how I felt.

You have really lifted my spirits at a really bad time and words cannot express how thankful I am.

The people of ATS rock!

Our family business is now in its 53rd year of operation. It was started in 1967 by my mom, when she was 54 years old. My wife and I bought the business from her in 1978. I am now 67. I retired two years ago and now only offer consultation to my 3 children who do the actual ground work and own equal shares of the business. We have 38 employees. 38 friends.

Fifty-three years. I've never been through anything like this...and I'm ostensibly insulated (by my kids) from the worst of it. My daughter who is the accountant for the business tells me we can go forward for 6-7 months and are having to layoff 1/2 our employees. I hate that it has to be that way...but we must be able to eke out somehow...so we can survive and then make a comeback. My mom, who passed away at age 99, would expect us to fight through this. I pray we don't disappoint.

a reply to: Lumenari

Uh, Oh, you are going to be labeled as " a socialist" for doing this by the same socialists/communists, and anarchists whom call themselves "independent" or "libertarian" when in fact they either want no government at all, which equals to anarchism but they are too deluded to realize this, or they love government in everything.

These type of people think that charity is "socialism", being in a group is socialism, being social is socialist, or any social program equals to socialism... heck, even inorganic objects, and inert objects such as trees are socialist in the revisionist version of these deluded people...

Anyway, it's good to have a heart and decide yourself you want to help others as long as you can. Thanks for actually doing something to help in this time of crisis.

a reply to: Lumenari

Your business has nothing to do with Corona virus killing it. The Russians and Saudi's are flooding the market with oil in order to keep market share and revenue. Oil has dips and highs according to economics and politics. You entered a cyclical industry and are crying now that your gamble lost. Were you crying when oil was $100 a barrel, $4.99 a gal? So now you want to feed at the taxpayer trough using the Corona virus as an excuse? I say BS. You gambled on the price of oil and lost. Not the taxpayers responsibility to bail you out. Not just you but other stock holders too, they gambled and lost.

a reply to: Lumenari

You are a good person and doing the right thing. I hope and pray that your business weather's this storm and everyone else comes out of this stronger and better.

Leading by example is the real way to determine one's character. I'm proud to call you a friend.

originally posted by: Quark
a reply to: Lumenari

Your business has nothing to do with Corona virus killing it. The Russians and Saudi's are flooding the market with oil in order to keep market share and revenue. Oil has dips and highs according to economics and politics. You entered a cyclical industry and are crying now that your gamble lost. Were you crying when oil was $100 a barrel, $4.99 a gal? So now you want to feed at the taxpayer trough using the Corona virus as an excuse? I say BS. You gambled on the price of oil and lost. Not the taxpayers responsibility to bail you out. Not just you but other stock holders too, they gambled and lost.

SoOo...

The drop in demand for oil was not caused by the Corona virus scare, travel restrictions, cruise lines shutting down?

All OPEC and Russia did was exploit an opportunity that was already there.

As for feeding at the taxpayer trough, reading comprehension much?

Payroll is coming out of my pocket.

Your post is amazingly off-base and tragically imbecilic at the same time.

Don't worry - even the large corporations starting to do this- but not voluntary - dictated. Received 30% pay cut today.

I lost my bar for the time being because coronavirus. But I still work at Walmart, and I still have an online musical equipment sales business. I'm the only bar in town that was paying bartenders an hourly wage on top of their tips, and I'm continuing to pay them the hours they worked most weeks +10%. The music business came to a screeching halt, because everybody is unsure of their financial future right now, and I'll probably just close it for good. So, basically, I'm just a department manager at Walmart now. The bar will come back, but who knows when? I'm not angry about it either. I made good choices and don't really need to work, I just get bored at home.

a reply to: Lumenari

Read this article then speak with your accountant. We are doing a health reimbursement arrangement to offset the high cost we currently carry for our company health insurance. This will save you a lot of money without compromising the health plans and coverage.

www.takecommandhealth.com...

originally posted by: [post=25044264]Lumenari[/pos

I agreed, hung up and cried like a little girl for a few hours.

The Crying Oilman

Not making fun at all, just think you might have a story more important than all of us realize.

Your crew must really understand what the hell is going on and seem glad to help you.

No offense, but your work exploits nature ( I drive a V8 so thank you), yet it seems that the work hasnt tainted the morals of you or your crew.

We have hope things will get better, but they will be so different. Don't thank God for this, thank your crew any way you can. As a growing small business owner you give me hope I don't have to be a capitalist pig .