A woman named Emily recently called into “The Ramsey Show” and shared how one car accident upended her family’s life and destroyed a thriving small business they had spent years building.
“Our family was in a major car accident,” she told hosts Jade Warshaw and Ken Coleman. “I was put on medical leave due to a brain injury, and that turned into more complications.”
Business Was Booming Before The Crash
Emily and her husband ran an organic skincare and candle company that had been doing $350,000 in annual revenue and was growing at more than 20% a year. Emily was the owner, creator and main employee. Her husband also worked full-time outside the business.
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“We were wholesaling to over 1,100 retailers across the world,” she said. “We had some really big dreams right before this accident happened.”
After the accident, Emily could no longer run the business, and they had to shut down their storefront, which was their biggest revenue stream. She said it was their in-person sales that drove the bulk of their income. “It was over $220K in sales a year.”
They now owe $250,000 in business-related debt, and another $89,000 in personal debt, including a loan they took to consolidate credit cards and student loans. On top of that, they have $71,000 in car loans.
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Emily's husband makes $90,000 per year, but they're still short about $5,600 a month after covering basic living expenses.
“We already downsized our house. We moved and took care of a massive expense that way,” she explained. Emily said she still has two months of savings left to pay herself from the business account, but after January, that runs out.
Trying To Stay Afloat
Emily has about $100,000 worth of inventory left, enough to produce or sell as-is. However, online sales were always the slowest part of their business. Despite stepping up digital marketing and offering discounts, they’re struggling to move product without the storefront and in-person customers.
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“We were brick and mortar up until just a few months ago,” she said. “We’re trying,” she added about their efforts to sell online. “It’s just slow.”
Coleman encouraged Emily to reach out to previous customers and retailers who knew and loved her products. “You had a loyal customer base, true or false?” he asked. “Yes,” she responded. “I’m wondering how do we reach out to that group and go, ‘Hey y’all, this is my situation right now.'”
They pinpointed that selling the inventory is the “best chance to get some relief” while they’re waiting on settlements and the key to avoiding further financial damage.
“This has got to be his [her husband's] side hustle,” Coleman said. “Because that's $100,000 in your garage, basically.”
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