Recently, the question, “What’s your biggest business frustration?” was posted on Linkedin. The question was posted in the small business / franchising Q & A section. Below please find several of the responses from a cross-section of small business professionals . As I have done in the past, the names of the responding individuals will be kept confidential. Instead, they will only identified by their Linkedin statement or profile.

A small business owner provided a brief response:

Three in order….
1) government paperwork
2) employees that do not work while at work
3) taxes…really…tax the rich? Don’t you know it is the rich that pay your paychecks?

An individual that describes himself as a “Marketing Visionary” responded:

a) workers that want a job, not an opportunity
b) prospects thinking your NOT capable because your an SMB
c) vendors offering solutions – a don’t know my business
d) Clients thinking 15 days means 30 days payable in 45

Another small business owner chimed in:

Being a small business owner myself I find it frustrating that clients continually will get ripped off and not get the most for their money because they feel more comfortable going to a ‘big name’ company.

A small business owner in the graphics design business added:

My biggest frustration is clients not taking my advise. My designs are not there to look pretty, I design marketing pieces to accomplish my client’s goals. Many times, clients have a set thing they want to say. Really, they need to think about what the customer wants to hear and how they can help them. Do you want to read a mission statement on a website or do you want to see if the company you are looking at offers the service you are looking for? I get frustrated when clients waste my time and their money. I want them to get something out of their marketing.

Really? Are these really our biggest business frustrations?

Let’s keep the conversation going and get some response from the franchise community. Franchisors, franchise executives, franchisees, franchise brokers, franchise consultants and franchise suppliers, let’s hear what YOU have to say. So, what is YOUR biggest business frustration?