How do I tell my brother (without shattering his golden little heart) that he is a freaking idiot when it comes to "business ideas". He called me tonight and is so fired up about this pet store he's going to open that's going to be "bigger than any building ever" and will be a "multi-billion dollar company by next year". My god. How does he say these things out loud and not realize how impossible it would be to attain that? It hurts to hear him so excited about something so ridiculous. He's already planning to take out loans early next year after having taken out loans THIS year for a business he started which isn't panning out. It really, really hurts to hear him be so clueless. I've tried carefully, gently explaining that the real world is a harsh place, but he starts saying I'm attacking him and not being supportive. I honestly don't know how to handle this. I want to support HIM, but at the same time let him know that his idea is going to put his family in further debt without being successful. He skips around from one "Dream" to the next and they all end up not being what he thought and he abandons them. I want him to be happy and successful with his family, but this pipe dream has got to go and I need to find a nice way of saying it. He is so sensitive. Last time something like this didn't work out he got suicidal and I wasn't able to be there for him, because he lives on the other side of the freaking country.
Tell him how much you care for his success and that you don't want to see him get hurt. You might try to find a business professional in the field for him to talk to, especially someone who has been there for a while. Pet stores are really tough businesses, especially in this economy. All but a small handful (besides big box stores like Petsmart/Petco) of stores that I've visited over 10 years have eventually closed after surviving a couple of years. The ones that survive have dedicated/knowledgable staff, good working hours for customers, specialized to only a few animal types (that makes them competitive with the big chains), and just good at keeping their customer loyalties.
I think you have an excellent idea of setting up a meeting with a business professional. I will look and see who is available in his area. The last thing I want to do is hurt him, but I know that by not telling him the truth of the situation it will only hurt him worse in the long run. Ugh. So complicated. You are absolutely right. Pet stores are insanely competitive and a hard market to get into. I tried using that fact to get him to reconsider, but he just says he'll make his so big people can't resist. Exotic animals, a shelter attached to the store, every type of animal represented inside. It's just crazy. Instead of seeing the facts and reconsidering, he just goes BIGGER and that is scary to watch.
Yeah, I keep thinking he needs to go onto shark tank and just get shredded. It's going to hurt, but he really needs to hear from someone who's been around the block a few times to get grounded. You might try talking with his wife about this idea so she realizes the danger he's putting his family in.
