Many entrepreneurs are optimistic to a fault. This is a common side-effect of an entrepreneurial spirit and it is encouraged by expert advice that goes something like: throw caution to the wind and have big, hairy audacious goals. Success, if achieved too quickly and without enough struggle, can also fan the flames of unrealistic entrepreneurial expectations.

Entrepreneurs' unrealistic expectations can fuel all sorts of business problems. Business problems are to be expected; it is impossible to build without encountering problems; it is impossible to grow without struggle.

Regardless, certain types of business problems are unreasonable, unnecessary, and counterproductive. Certain types of business problems make work...actually, they make fake work. These problems take the form of distractions, fire-fights, and wild goose chases.

Distractions: Regardless of claims to the contrary, people do a poor job of multi-tasking. Focus and concentration are important facets of work-action and distractions reduce both. So, distractions increase errors, which lead to fix-up work, inefficiency and ineffectiveness.

Fire-fights: Few people excel during workplace emergencies. Strings of workplace emergencies - extended fire-fighting actions - create excessive stress and bad decisions. People change when they experience stress...they really change when that stress is sustained over long periods of time.

Wild Goose Chases: Some people are optimistic to a fault. They believe anything and everything is possible. They place ill-conceived demands on others without consideration of the human reactions linked to those demands. They de-spirit people.

Distractions, fire-fights, and wild goose chases are unnecessary problems in business.

When these unnecessary problems are caused by the owner-entrepreneur...well, that's inexcusable.