Do you get tired of fighting the same battles every day? Do you get the impression that your supplier really isn't your "partner" and your customers only give lip service to loyalty? Do you wish you could just stay home and play golf, or watch television? Well, bankruptcy may be the answer! Here are five easy steps to get you there.

Step one: Lower your prices. Quit worrying about making profits and focus on getting the business — regardless of how much you have to lower your price. This works for the big boys, why shouldn't it work for you?

If you lower your prices enough, the customer will have to buy from you. Wouldn't it be worth going in the hole on a deal just to hear one of the big box distributors say, "Boy, we can't beat that price." You will get to thumb your nose at them all the way to bankruptcy court!

Step two: Don't let the customer know you can deliver service. Whatever you do, don't tell your customers that you are a third-generation independent distributor who grew up in the business. Don't indicate that you've forgotten more than a big box rep, who has nothing more to offer than a big catalog, will ever know.

And please, don't tell him you're committed to doing a good job for him because your mortgage and child's college tuition depends on it. If you convince the customer that you can deliver service, then you don't have to lower your prices and that screws up Step One.

Step three: Forget quality. Really, this quality thing is way overrated. If you want to be successful in bankruptcy, it is imperative that you buy cheap, untested products that will appeal to the customer's lowest-price appetite.

You need to look for the really cheap stuff that has never seen the inside of an independent lab testing facility. There are guys out there that specialize in importing these products and they will be more than happy to help you in your bankruptcy efforts.

Step four: Don't train your employees. The last thing you need is one of your inside or outside sales reps knowing what they're talking about. If you throw away money training your employees you run the risk of delivering service, which defeats the purpose of Step Two.

Another problem is that trained employees have a higher self-esteem and feel good about what they are doing. This will make it difficult for you to maintain a high employee turnover rate. Remember — think before you train!

Step five: Don't join a cooperative. It doesn't matter if consultants recommend cooperative membership, don't do it. Many of the independent distributors are joining cooperatives, buying groups, consortia — or whatever you call them. If you join one, it could very easily lead to lower purchase prices, national account marketing, or industry networking.

Any one of these advantages will thwart your bankruptcy efforts. Remember, you don't need anybody else. You got to where you are doing it your way.

If you start running your business differently just to adapt to changes in the industry, you might end up successful. That is not what bankruptcy is about!