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Owning a home-based business is a dream for many people. While it’s a golden opportunity, it is also extremely stressful. If you are successful, you can become swamped in work. If it’s slow to grow, you stress about paying the bills.
If these home business owners don’t find other ways to cope with the stress, they may self-medicate with alcohol, drugs, or other substances. This can lead to dependence or addiction and risk the loss of the business, along with family, friends, and home.
There are many addiction rehab centers, but what happens to the business when the home business owner seeks their help? That depends on what kind of small business it is. If you are the owner and only employee, the situation is different than if you have several employees.
There are ways to get the treatment you need and at the same time keep your business up and running.
Run Your Business from Rehab
Many substance abuse treatment centers, particularly luxury rehabs, are business-friendly. They allow you to use your smartphone and laptop. They have fast Internet and private work centers. Some may even have videoconferencing, a printer, and a fax machine at their disposal. Your clients don’t have to know you are in even a high-end rehab.
That’s provided you can still do your clients’ work and the work of recovery from addiction and stress. It might be a good idea to let your clients know you’re making amends for the past, and that you’ll be back on track soon. It can also help build trust with them if they know you are making an effort to address your addiction issues. Rehab times vary according to many factors, such as the severity of the addiction, co-occurring mental health issues such as stress, and the ability to play. How long you can afford to leave your business can be another factor.
One of the reasons to attend inpatient rehab, luxury or not, is to remove yourself from the environment that was causing or triggering your substance abuse. If your work was one of them, then you may have to consider suspending your business for the duration, whether it be seven or 90 days.
Select a Proxy
Shutting down your business can cost you your customers. So can doing poor-quality work. If your home business isn’t a one-person operation, you may have to consider promoting someone until you can resume your work, or even bringing in someone from the outside that you trust.
At the very least, you need someone to handle on-the-spot decisions in your absence, to vote, agree to contracts, and negotiate on your behalf. Your proxy can remain in place for as long as you allow them to. This gives you a chance to remain committed to your sobriety and maintain a steady path toward good health.
Once you know who will be taking over your business, make sure to introduce them to each client personally.
Be honest about what is going on and ask them to be as patient as possible while you are away. Make it clear that it is only a temporary situation and that you look forward to working with them again as soon as you can.
Assure them that they are in good hands and answer any questions they may have before you leave for rehab.
Some clients may feel they have built a bond of trust with you and only want to work with you. . You may lose them. Once you return to work, you can work hard to re-establish that working relationship and rebuild the rapport you had in the past.
The harder you work to bring back the strong business relationship you had in the past, the more respect your clients will have for you in the long run.
Be Honest About Your Situation
If you can’t find or trust a proxy, or if your work cannot be done by anyone else, you will have to let your clients know that you won’t be available for some time. This will risk losing some of them, but so will not telling them and having them wait days or weeks or months for work that you said you would provide but can’t or don’t.
You must also decide whether or not to tell them that the reason is you are going into rehab. Some may understand, especially if they or a family member have been in rehab, but others may be prejudiced against anyone who has abused alcohol or drugs. Factor in how they will react if they find out later and the likelihood that it will come out.
If you don’t feel you can tell them the whole truth, you can say it’s because of a medical issue. The 2016 Surgeon General’s report recognized substance abuse as a chronic medical condition like diabetes or hypertension.
The key to keeping your clients is knowing them and understanding their needs. No matter what type of home-based business you own, you will have to know your clients very well if you expect them to stick around until you get out of rehab or your medical treatment plan has been completed.
Know Your Limits
After you have completed your time in rehab, it is up to you to decide when you are ready to return to work.
Addiction is never cured, only managed. If the underlying stress hasn’t been dealt with, if you haven’t learned better and healthier ways to cope, you are that much more likely to relapse. It can happen after years of sobriety, but the danger is greatest right after recovery when something in your old life triggers it.
If you still feel that the stress is still overwhelming, allow your proxy to remain in place for a while longer. Take the time you need so that you don’t fall back into the same old routine. Preventing the cycle of addiction and substance abuse starts with knowing your limits and working towards becoming a stronger, more resilient person.
Maintaining a home-based business while you are in rehab isn’t impossible, but it does take dedication and hard work. Committing to both your clients and yourself will help you make a successful comeback.
Take the time to get back on the path to good health and your clients will appreciate the efforts you are putting into your business.
Source:
- ncbi.nlm.nih.gov– Chronic Stress, Drug Use, and Vulnerability to Addiction
- addiction.surgeongeneral.gov/ – Facing Addiction in America – Full Surgeon General’s Report (PDF)
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