Being an entrepreneur means you get to wake up everyday and do what you love. In honor of Valentine’s Day, we asked some of our members to share what they love about running their own small businesses. Check out what they had to say—and if you have a small business story to tell, scroll to the bottom of the article to find out how to share it with us.
“Running a small business allows me to use a variety of skills and parts of my brain, which makes things fun and interesting. I love that I get to come in everyday and create something for my family and my team. Most of all, I love that I can see the results of my work and make an impact.”
Nevin Bansal, CEO, Outreach Promotional Solutions
“What I love the most about running a growing small business is the sense of accomplishment from trial and error. While it's frustrating when you realize something isn't working, you have to put pride aside and take it as a learning moment; there is value in making mistakes. On the flip side, the ‘a-ha moment’ when something is working is what invigorates me. Even a small win is still a win.”
Nicole Ponstingle, COO, Partner, Pandata
“It provides me with the opportunity to share my knowledge and experience with clients, employees and others that I hope makes a positive difference in both their personal and professional lives! Lastly, it challenges me to be a constant learner since I believe the key to success is knowledge.”
Timothy Dimoff, President, SACS Consulting and Investigative Services Inc.
“What do I love about running my own business? Well, I started my business after having been laid off four times (reorganization, buyout, hostile merger, and intentional downsizing). Running my own shop has meant I get to do the fun stuff, as well as all the admin and grunt work. I admit that over the years I have occasionally wished I was back in the corporate space where other people took care of the infrastructure stuff. But those moments are rare. Most of time I love the freedom I have to pursue work that I enjoy with clients that I love. I get to choose the direction of my company, and if I want to add a service line or change direction, I get to decide without having to bounce the decision off some corporate board. I get as much vacation as I want, and nobody gives me a hassle when I take time off. Finally, during the Great Recession I sometimes had to worry about cashflow, but you know what? I never worried about job security, because I knew my “boss” was not going to lay me off! That’s what I love most of all!”
Jim Smith, PCC, The Executive Happiness Coach®
“I love talking to entrepreneurs from around the country who are doing incredible work and, when they become clients, I love watching them evolve. Sometimes that evolution comes in the form of business growth and other times it comes as they move through a significant leadership growth moment on their journey to self-mastery. It brings me joy to help them get out of their own way so they can serve, grow, innovate in their businesses and their community.”
Monika Moss-Gransberry, best-selling author, coach, organizational consultant, and creator of Life Mapping, monikakmoss.com
“There’s no one else to blame for mistakes and failures—just me. No one else to share praise with from happy clients—just me. No one else to justify my actions, priorities or feelings to—just me. No one else to keep me focused, motivated and client-centric—just me. No two days are the same and no two engagements are the same. The constant variety keeps me focused, sharp and happy. No 'same-o/same-o' or 'SSDD' here. I've had the privilege of being in a position to touch hundreds of people's lives—if only for a brief moment or simple concept. That spirit of making an impact as a consultant, trainer or executive coach is always exciting.”
Phil Stella, Owner, Effective Training & Communication, Inc.
“I love the opportunity to work with and learn from some great people who are entrepreneurs. I am grateful for the opportunity to be a trusted resource for owners and their teams and to enjoy the progress we make together. I see endless possibilities for small businesses as they confront, overcome and gain confidence from new challenges in the free market.”
Wayne Bergman, Business & Executive Coach, Owner, Consistent Business Growth
“I love the community of support that has enabled me to run my small business—accountants, business development professionals, graphic designers and the social media folks. They are all small businesses themselves and without their encouragement and support (and COSE’s too), I would not be able to run my business and love my business. When I was still in big company corporate America, I had no idea about all the love shared amongst those in the small business community. Happy Valentine’s Day!
Margaret M. Cassidy, Principal, Cassidy Law PLLC
If you have a small business story you’d like to share or if you would like to be added to our list of contributors for future articles, please contact Marie Zickefoose.