When your business hits a crisis — falling sales, missed payroll, operational chaos — panic is a natural reaction. But panic often leads to poor decisions, and poor decisions can make a bad situation worse. At SDX Partners, we've seen it all — and we've helped fix most of it.
Here are the five most common mistakes founders make during a business crisis, and what to do instead.
1. Trying to Fix Everything at Once
When things feel broken, the instinct is to “fix everything” — sales, marketing, HR, operations — all at once. But this only spreads your already-thin resources thinner.
What to do instead:
Prioritize based on impact. Fix the leaks that bleed the most — usually cash, sales, or morale. Focus wins attention. Wins build momentum.
2. Avoiding Hard Conversations
Founders often delay tough calls: letting go of underperformers, renegotiating with vendors, or resetting expectations with investors. Fear of confrontation only adds time — and cost.
What to do instead:
Address problems head-on. Transparency builds trust. Silence destroys it.
3. Holding Onto Dead Products or Channels
It’s hard to let go of something you built — but just because you believed in it doesn’t mean the market still does. Emotional attachment kills objectivity.
What to do instead:
Look at the data. If a product, campaign, or channel hasn’t worked after repeated effort — kill it fast, and redirect your resources.
4. Trying to Do It All Alone
Many founders delay asking for help out of pride, fear, or budget concerns. Meanwhile, the problems grow — and become harder (and more expensive) to fix later.
What to do instead:
Bring in external help early. A fresh perspective, and more importantly, execution support, can make the difference between surviving and sinking.
5. Focusing on Growth Instead of Survival
In crisis mode, some founders continue chasing growth instead of stabilizing the core. This burns cash and increases stress — without fixing the underlying issues.
What to do instead:
Stabilize first. Then rebuild. Growth should come after you've stopped the bleeding.
You Don’t Have to Get It All Right. Just Don’t Get It All Wrong.
Crisis is a defining moment in any founder’s journey. What you do in those weeks and months can decide the fate of the business. Don’t try to carry it all on your shoulders. Let people who’ve seen this movie before walk with you.
Speak to our turnaround specialists today.
Let’s avoid the common mistakes — and get back to building something great.
Contact us