The Adventure...

Small business ownership is an adventure. It is appealing to most because of the FREEDOM it promises. Well, I find that ironic. I always told people that owning my own business was great because I got to work whatever 80 hours a week I wanted.

People like Tim Ferriss, author of “The Four Hour Work Week” would look down on that notion, but to be honest, there are very few individuals that can build any lasting and thriving business on any less. If you are thinking about starting your own business, you need to take this into consideration. It is NOT easy. It takes time. It takes dedication. It takes a lot of hard work. AND it takes discipline. I think there are few businesses that make it because they do not understand this. They think it is as easy as reading a How-to book on ________________(you fill in the blank), and they will have a successful business.

I encourage you to read the stories that true business owners tell me. I will be interviewing veterans and rookies. I always love both because you get something different from each one. From the rookie we will see pure optimism, and a take-no-prisoners mentality. From the veteran we will hear wisdom and experience that has been tested by the adventure. Both excite me.

I hope this blog will be an encouragement to some, and a slap in the face to others. We all need both from time to time; I know I have.

So here’s to a new year, and a new decade. It is filled with hope and promise. Let us press forward to meet the challenges that will come, and create companies that thrive, advance, and make us very wealthy.