I lost RM200k waiting for my business to "turn around"

Small businesses don't fail dramatically.
They bleed out slowly.
RM500 loss this month. Break even next month. Small profit. Then RM2,000 loss.

This cycle creates false hope that kills entrepreneurs slowly.
"Next month will be better." "Almost there liao." "Push a bit more can already."
I know because I lived it.

Restaurants, car washes, retail shops - they look "simple" to run. Anyone can wash cars, right? Anyone can serve food?

But hidden beneath:
- Rental eating RM8,000 monthly
- Salaries demanding RM15,000
- Utilities, supplies, inventory
All must pay whether you make sales or not

These businesses also chain you physically.

No systems to run without you. No leverage beyond your own hours. Just trading time for money, except now with overhead.

After losing RM50k, quitting feels a bit sohai.
After RM100k, quitting a bit sayang.
After RM150k, wanna quit also cannot.
"Already invested so much."

So keep grinding lor. Keep hoping. Keep bleeding.

The variable income is the cruelest part.

That one good month gives you hope. Makes you think you've "figured it out." Then three bad months wipe out all progress.

Traditional businesses work. But only if you have:
- Capital to survive 12-24 months of losses
- Reserves to shut down cleanly anytime
- Stomach to walk away from sunk costs

Most dad-preneurs? We have none of these.

We bootstrap with savings meant for kids' education. We "invest" money we can't afford to lose. We trap ourselves in overhead prisons.

Then pride keeps us there while the prison slowly crushes us.

New entrepreneurs must learn: Avoid high-overhead models unless you're already wealthy.

The romantic idea of opening a cafe or shop? That's for people with RM500k to burn, not dads trying to build better futures.

Low overhead. High margin. Scalable without your presence. That's the only equation that works for bootstrap entrepreneurs.

Everything else is a slow-motion disaster disguised as a business.

Want to know if your business is slowly killing your dreams?

I'm running a masterclass for entrepreneur dads. Learn to assess if your business model is viable or just bleeding you dry.

The framework to spot the trap before you're RM150k deep.

Register here: [LINK]

Stop the bleeding before it's too late.

Kon

P.S. That "one more month" mentality? It cost me two years and RM200k. Don't let hope become your enemy.