take a breath

sometimes it's hard to stop, even for a moment.

as a small business owner, you are frequently pulled in as many as 150,000 directions at the same time (and that's on a slow day). even if you have an accountant, a marketing team, a sales force and fantastic support staff, you are still the main resource for all of these people. slap on top of that the demands of home and family (b/c as a small business owner, it's doubtful you have someone else to run all that for you too) and the term 'fast paced' doesn't even begin to describe the level at which you live.

it's tough, and some days it can seem almost impossible.

but some days, especially the toughest ones, it can be a very good and healthy idea to stop for a moment and take a breath. take a moment to appreciate why you made this move to become self-employed, and relish in your small accomplishments. try to find something to celebrate or appreciate and remember that for all the busy, crazy, insane nature of what you do, there is a reward.

maybe you are able to volunteer at school or coach your kid's team b/c you can make your own schedule...
you might be able to offer community help to other small businesses, families or other organizations by virtue of the products/services you offer...
maybe you are able to better care for your aging family members and give them the time they need when they need it...
or possibly, you are just able to get up every day and do something you really love, with people whose company you enjoy and try (sometimes successfully, sometimes less successfully) to make a difference in your world...

for these and many other reasons, you became a small business owner. bravo/brava to you. celebrate the fact that you are part of what keeps america growing and innovating every day. even if a tough economy has hit you hard, as it has for many of us, find something to make you remember that there is a reason why you did this, a reason why you continue to do this and many reasons to continue.

take a moment, take a breath and enjoy a success, big or small. it's what life, and business are all about.

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ps> i invite you to visit one of my latest successes, a new site for RadioTech. this fantastic little company is a prime example of what every small business should be. they are a hardworking group of people who take great pride in what they do and always put their customers first. they are dedicated to each other and their business, and they believe in only the best quality. i truly enjoyed working on their project and was continuously impressed with their dedication and effort. please celebrate them with me by visiting their site.