Hey big spender!
In my previous column I have told about entrepreneurs who live under social assistance levels for a long time and who fight hard for their company. This struggle becomes more difficult when problematic debts are involved. Debt problems have many causes. More than once I have had a lump in my throat during an intake interview because the cause of the problems was the death of loved ones or even children. Because a company often does not offer certainty in terms of income, such a tragedy almost always immediately results in less income. Soon the first bill is left and before you know it the costs run up so high that the income is simply no longer sufficient and debts arise. There is often nothing wrong with the company itself and in such cases it is nice that a process (with or without remediation) can lead to a restart of the company.
But tragedy in any form is of course not the cause of debt for everyone. For example, I once helped a very nice couple who owned a houseboat. It was agreed with the bank that the boat would be rebuilt in parts, but in the second installment the bank did not come over because the conditions could not be met. Due to circumstances the value of the boat had dropped drastically. Very annoying of course and the couple was left with a large residual debt after a forced sale of the boat. During this period, the bank in question was also faced with a hard time and the special management department was reduced to one (according to the couple, rather “sour”) employee. The employee, who was quite busy after all those cutbacks, only came with the message that the € 156.897 was immediately due and had to be paid within ten days. But then again, if the couple had one and a half tons at their disposal, they would not have had to speak to the perhaps somewhat overworked bank clerk and had a cappuccino on their beautifully converted houseboat. The couple had a thriving business and were certainly willing to pay the remaining debt. The contact with the employee was only so difficult that it was impossible to make agreements. Both parties were subsequently quite frustrated. However, because we act as an independent party, communication could be restored and good payment agreements were made. The couple had to make significant repayments for several years, but because the frustration had disappeared, the focus was able to return even more to the company, which is now going very well. Bank happy and married couple happy.
The mentioned couple got into trouble through no fault of their own, but that cannot be said for everyone who signs up with us. We also have a group of people who 'just' spend the money. Even if it isn't there. And then you get debts. These big spenders can really fall off their seats during an intake interview if we indicate that we cannot sell it to creditors that you eat out twice a week and that a new lease car might not be a good idea now. But despite the fact that the spending pattern of some may not deserve the beauty prize, that is no reason not to embark on a remediation process. Everyone makes mistakes and can learn from them. We are all human, and by taking the right steps now the problems can often be solved. The spending pattern must of course be adjusted, but by making the most of your efforts for a number of years, the best out of a bad situation is achieved. The fact is that there is often a lot of debts and no solution. The direct consequence of this is that no one benefits from it. Debts continue to accumulate and the damage (for example due to eviction) only increases. It is also wise to ask for help from the people who may have really gone too far. Sometimes it is necessary to first show for a while that there is a will to change, after which a process is perfectly possible. Together we work towards the right solution!
Manon Luijens