Creating a successful business is about more than financial achievement; it’s more about the satisfaction of creating a service or a product.  It’s about taking something that didn’t exist before and making it become reality.  It’s about the sheer enjoyment of focusing on a vision and enjoying the risks and possibilities that come from creating a business through entrepreneurship.  More and more Americans are leaving the corporate environment and becoming their own bosses.  Some enter the realm of business ownership as a result of a downsizing, others as a result of a mid life crisis.  Whatever the reason, the growth of small, privately owned business across the nation is at record levels.  The bottom line is we live in a country that allows us realize our dreams, both professionally and personally, if we work hard. 

Your passions will help you to create a business you understand.  That’s very important – do something you appreciate – something you enjoy.  Do what you know.  Do what you like.  Success is never a foregone conclusion, but if you do something you identify with, you’re more likely to realize positive results.  Remember, an entrepreneurial attitude is just as important to a firmly established company as it is to a start-up.  If you can maintain the “start-up” approach to building the business, you foster a mentality of accomplishment throughout the organization, no matter what its age or its size.  But never forget – entrepreneurship is difficult.

Your attitude can make all the difference.  There are always challenges and you should focus on opportunities rather than problems.  Make the customer number one and strive for high productivity.  If you have employees, make sure you set the pace and the example and foster an attitude that creates an “ownership” process throughout the company.  Don’t ever stop taking reasonable and evaluated risks.  Communicate your vision with employees and customers and keep it simple. 

Don’t be misled; there is a lot of information to learn.  Business owners need to develop working relationships with a variety of individuals including customers, wholesalers, dealers, staff, bankers and other professionals such as lawyers, accountants and other specialized professionals.  Entrepreneurs must make important decisions daily, often at a moment’s notice and most times, under pressure.  Owning a business can be very challenging but remember it’s going to take a lot of hard work and long hours.  Get to know your strengths and your weaknesses and then adjust to make sure that success becomes more likely.  Entrepreneurship isn’t always as attractive and glamorous as some pundits may portray. Ask someone who’s done it. If you start your own business, life as you know it will never be the same.  It might be better than expected, then again, it just could be worse than you could ever imagine; but it will definitely be different from anything you’ve ever done. 

If you decide to make a go of it, follow your heart, your passions, and learn all you can about your business and your customer base.  Perhaps your company will be the next one that is included in the Forbes Celebrity 100 as a global billion dollar a year power player.  Keep pushing forward and never give up.