I used to work for a small business where everything was always a level-10 emergency and we couldn't take time to do anything to organize ourselves because the world was falling down.
We were terribly understaffed, so one day the boss puts up a job posting on Indeed for a new position that would make our lives easier. Applications were sent to our public email inbox, which I could see.
Day after day we'd get new applicants throwing their hat in the ring. And day after day my boss was like “I don't have time to look at this shit!!!” I offered to take over the hiring and he told me no.
After a few weeks I get an email from Indeed: Since no action was being taken on our end the listing was going to be paused. I told my boss and he wouldn't do anything. All the while stressing out about how much work we had.
Small business owners are the worst when it comes to shortsightedness. My boss could've taken an hour or 2 a week to go through resumes and bring people in to interview. Hell, I offered to do it for him! Instead he treated it as “wasted time” that would distract him from other emergencies that could be solved by hiring someone to handle them.
This also extends to other areas of small business ownership like money. I've known so many good but higher paid workers who were let go when times got tough, even though they were the glue that held the business together. Letting them go when the business hit a rough patch would solve issues in the short run. But what if that individual was the best sales person? Or someone who people wanted to come in and see? You're ruining your business over trying to save a few hundred bucks a week.
And this is why small businesses usually stay small businesses.