No excuse can or should be used to justify ignoring so many customers for so long. Having said that, if you are married and planning to start your own business or already owing a business here is an unedited quote from my book:

"If you are married, have your spouse pledged to be supportive of your business venture, for better or for worse, otherwise get the best paying job you can find or you will be handicapped right off the gate. Should things get rough, your home is your only refuge to rejuvenate to fight for another day. With or without a formal commitment, your spouse is already your business partner. Would your spouse make the rest of your day better so that you can be energized to have another productive day building the future dreams for your family? Or is it a case that your bad days at work aren't bad because it was after work when things often got rough? If you cannot have peace, comfort, and support when you come home after a long day, your chances of being better than the competition will be greatly diminished."