What is Business Debtors Anonymous (B.D.A.)?

Business Debtors Anonymous (B.D.A., formerly known as Business Owners Debtors Anonymous, or B.O.D.A.) is a distinct and dynamic but not separate part of D.A., created to focus on the recovery of members of the fellowship who are business owners. Together, members of B.D.A. support one another in applying the D.A. principles and tools when owning and running a business. You can find free helpful literature here.

However, as part of D.A., there is no separate membership for attending Business Debtors Anonymous meetings. It is understood that paying bills for goods and services rendered according to agreed upon terms does not constitute debting.

How do you know if you are a compulsively debting business owner? Some of the experiences and behaviors that led to compulsive debting were:

  • We neither knew when bills or taxes were due, nor did we remember if and what we had paid or still owed.
  • We confused our personal finances with our business finances.
  • We often did not know the exact costs of our overhead, operating expenses, or profit margins.
  • We had no business plan.
  • We lived in a state of deprivation for the sake of our business.
  • We under valued and under priced our goods and services.

In B.D.A. we learn to operate our business along spiritual lines and find that operating in integrity and being of service is profitable. We accumulate cash reserves, pay our bills and employees on time. and build a thriving, prosperous, debt-free and financially solvent business.

The Tools for Business Debtors Anonymous:

  1. We keep separate professional and personal financial records and bank accounts.
  2. We write annual one-year business plans with definable and accountable goals and targets.
  3. We keep clean, orderly, and accurate financial records, including Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, Cash on Hand, Inventory, Assets, and Outstanding Debts, and put all tax and bill due-dates on our calendar.
  4. We pay ourselves a salary including benefits, medical insurance, vacations, and sick days.
  5. We remain mindful that dollars spent should generate revenue, and we compare prices before making purchases.
  6. We maintain clarity about the overhead and profit margins of every product or service we sell.
  7. We pay our bills and invoice our clients promptly.
  8. We put all our business agreements in writing and write our own Letters of Agreement.
  9. We notice the competition but don’t worry about it. We learn from our competitors and trust that it is an abundant universe with more than enough for everyone.
  10. We separate ourselves from difficult personalities and poor-paying clients and place principles before personalities.
  11. We bookend before and after making commitments and difficult business decisions or actions.
  12. We are willing to be in charge of and responsible for our business. Professionals who work for us, such as accountants, lawyers, and consultants, are not our Higher Power.

This material is excerpted from Business Debtors Anonymous, a pamphlet which can be ordered from the General Service Office.