We are a small business that just started out. We have tried to do the right thing. Right by our customers, vendors and everyone we have done business with.

We quickly figured out that nice guys definitely finish last. We have been not paid for work that we did. We've been ripped off for work we've started and spent money to buy materials and pay labor. I guess I should have realized that I can't run a business if you are trying to really do right by people anymore. I don't know what to do anymore. I asked God for help and I can't think of another way out than this.

You want to hear the story? Well, here it is.

We started with the Idea that we were going to do good work for a fare price. We weren't going to rip people off, do great work, and make people happy. We took a job doing demo work for a contractor. He added some additional things he needed and we did that as well. We took down a concrete building and did everything he needed. Then the hurricanes hit in 2024 and everything stopped on the site. We couldn't apply for assistance because we were so new and couldn't do anything about nature. The contractor we were hired by got paid and decided that he didn't need to pay us. So we got stiffed for $26,500. Tried to collect and the company we hired gave up because the guy wouldn't answer the phone. Seriously, you're a collection agent. It might take more that a phone call to get someone to pay for something they owe even if they don't want to.

Fast forward and we are booking some jobs here and there, nothing big but we always make sure that our guys are paid first. Keep the workers happy and live to fight another day.

We order some pool liners for 2 projects and we are hoping to finish them before winter hits in Maryland. If the timing is right we will just make the deadline for winter. Order the materials from a manufacturer and what happens? The manufacturer takes weeks longer that they promised and screwed up the size of the material needed. Now we don't have the ability to finish the jobs. Which means that the customer is looking at us like we screwed us and we are left holding the bag. The manufacturer says, sorry about your luck, and we now have to pay for replacement materials. we don't have the money for that.

Next, (because of course there's more) We have a client we had been doing work for for months. We would finish a project and he would pay and then add additional work. We finish he paid and added additional work. For months that is the pattern. Then files a dispute with the company we invoice through and collect credit cards through. That company takes $47,000 from our account and give it to the customer who is now ripping us off. Well, because we don't have $47 thousand dollars, the platform shuts off our ability to log into our platform. They then tell us that if we don't submit photos and contracts to defend ourselves we will be held responsible. Oh, but you can't get into the platform to add the proof unless you give us the $47k. So we're stuck.

Now we have a manufacturer that we were doing business with that just sold to another company last week and the agreement we had before to fix the problems we were dealing with just told me today that they are not going to honor the agreement that we had previously.

That brings me to today. I'm desperate and out of ideas or places to go. All the time trying to make sure my family is ok. My customers know I wont just leave them hanging. My options are this or bankruptcy. I don't want to do that to my customers or my family. I owe over $109,000 between the business fraud debts and the materials I have paid for out of my own pocket. STOP THE BLEEDING! I can't do it anymore.

Thank you for reading. If you can help I thank you. If not thank you for listening. Either way remember that Jesus loves you. God bless you.

God is good.