Change can be a scary thing, be it large or small. In the case of some friends of mine, this change is going to be huge.
They own their own business; they have for many years but soon now they will be closing their doors. Between the economy, the aggressive competition and a big change in walk by traffic, they simply are not getting the sales required to stay in business. On top of that the landlord is insisting on a rent increase which certainly doesn't help.
My friend was in tears yesterday as she told me news. She asked if I thought this was a good decision and sadly I had to agree. I have worked with them on and off over the years and I know what the sales were like compared to over the past couple of years. There is only so long that one can hold on, waiting for things to get better. Eventually the choice to let go has to be made.
So once they close they are going to take a break for a bit while they sort out the next step. They may start again somewhere else, only time will tell. They may work for someone else for a while, who knows. And this may - in the long run, work out to be a great thing to happen to them.
I certainly wish them the best of luck.