Many times business failure or failure of any kind is just not an option. 

For those of you who remember Apollo 13 this doesn’t take any explanation, but for those of you who don’t remember, Apollo 13 was a mission to the moon.  At the time of Apollo 13, the Apollo series of missions to the moon had become so routine no one paid much attention to them.  Network television had stopped broadcasting the moon missions and news conferences from the space capsule. 

Halfway between the earth and the moon, while the astronauts were going through a normal housekeeping procedure of stirring the oxygen tanks, there was a spark that created an explosion which blew out one side of the spacecraft.  Very quickly mission control and the astronauts realized that before long the spacecraft would be dead with no oxygen, no electricity - and their lives were in serious peril. 

Failure was not an option.  Failure not only meant failure of the mission but failure also meant three astronauts who wouldn’t survive.  Here is the most important statement the NASA flight director, Gene Krantz, made:  “Gentleman, failure is not an option.  We are not losing these men on my watch.” 

So the team at mission control rolled up their sleeves and did incredible things.  They had to rework the entire system.  Electricity was in short supply.  Oxygen was running out plus many more technical problems.  They essentially had to throw away the manual and start all over.  Even the carbon dioxide was growing in the cabin and they had to devise a way of lowering it so the astronauts wouldn’t pass out.  Every procedure was invented out of desperation.  All the engineers and staff at mission control thought of ways to get the spacecraft home that had never been used before. 

If you don’t how the story ends - everyone lands safely and it was considered the most successful failed mission ever. 

So when you are looking at your business and things are difficult, please don’t tell me there is nothing you can do to turn it around.  Business failure is not an option.  Your business has a serious impact on your life and your lifestyle.  During these economic times, go to the positive and start thinking about what you can do to get through this.  Don’t tell yourself it’s impossible.

I’ve had CEOs, company presidents and business owners come to me who were in great peril of losing everything but understood that it was much better to dig in, face the challenge, and change the way they do business rather than lose their business, their house and all of their assets. 

Even if you are having business difficulty you can do this.  If business isn’t as profitable as you might like you can also dig in and make it better.  It’s up to you.  Keep telling yourself:  Failure is not an option.  Keep asking yourself:  What do I do now?  Also, don’t hesitate to talk to the professionals you work with - your accountant, your attorney, your business advisor and express to them that you are in this for the long haul, determined to make it, nothing is going to stop you and you are looking for their guidance.  Just tell them you won’t even consider failure.  

Business failure is not an option.