My business is a seasonal service business so this is a normal thing. Won’t know if business is really slow until Spring. The year as a whole has been good.

That’s not commuting. Commuting is traveling to and from work and home.

Commuting is not tax deductible. The IRS does specifically ask for how many miles you spent commuting, but you get no deduction for it only business related miles.

I used to like a certain Craftsman shovel from Sears. One day I had a job out of town and needed a shovel. I go to Sears. Sears didn’t open until 10 am. Bummer! I look across the parking lot and there is a big orange Home Depot (which opens at 6 am because they cater to contractors). I bought a shovel from them instead and went about my business.

Now I liked Sears and felt bad enough about this to write them a letter. Never heard back. Where is Sears today?

It may be a bad time to start certain kinds of businesses, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bad time for you.

In a book by Dan Miller I read about 20 years ago he said there were two main reasons small businesses fail.

1. Poor marketing (ie not enough sales)

2. Poor financial controls (ie spending too much money)

It’s really that simple. You have to bring in more than you spend and keep doing it consistently.

Only you can decide whether the business you are considering starting will be able to do that, but that’s what you need to do.

Thanks for your interest, but it doesn’t look like we will be able to meet your requirements. Here is my competitor’s number. You might try him.

I review books on Amazon and other sites from time to time. I rarely give a book 5 stars unless it is truly outstanding. My average review is probably 3.5.

I can’t see how a four star review hurts your business.