Suggestions for Newcomers

Business debtors

Business Debtors Anonymous (BDA)

BDA is a distinct and dynamic but not separate part of DA, created to focus on the recovery of members of the fellowship who are self-employed people or business owners. Together, members of BDA support one another in applying the DA principles and tools when owning and running a business. There are particular issues that arise for such people, both in managing their businesses, and in keeping them separate from their home lives. Note that the primary purpose of BDA is to operate businesses without incurring debt, and personal debting issues should be addressed at regular DA meetings

However, as part of DA, there is no separate membership for attending BDA meetings. As it states in our Third Tradition, "the only requirement for DA membership is a desire to stop incurring unsecured debt". This applies to both professional and personal debt. It is understood that paying bills for goods and services rendered according to agreed upon terms does not constitute debting.

The meetings list specifies which meetings focus on BDA issues. Some may restrict participation in order to allow a focus on particular aspects of business debting (see meetings list).

Investors Business Owners Debtors Anonymous (iBODA)

In iBODA, our business plans need an enormous infusion of cash to take it to the next level. This cash infusion would allow the businesses to expand to a position of potential market dominance. We found putting our businesses ‘out there’ exposed to the venture capital community is intimidating, risky and very frightening to the iBODA member. We draw strength from each other in our meetings as we learn to find spiritual solutions to our common business problems. Some iBODA examples:

an invention that needs to be patented and manufactured

a new product that needs to be distributed nationwide

a high technology company that needs a large technical staff with overhead to produce the service being offered

Qualifications: iBODA members are actively raising outside capital for their companies by selling shares of stock based on the assets and projected assets (business plan) of their companies as collateral. The only qualification to join is to be a member of both DA and BDA meetings, and creating a business plan that generates a profitable return on the way to becoming an asset in itself.