SmallBizResource Blog -- SmallBizResource

What I Hope Santa Brings

Posted by Judy Mottl Friday, Dec 21, 2007, 02:11 PM ET

At this point Santa's likely checking his list, yelling at elves, and sipping bourbon when the missus isn't watching. I just hope he got my letter be cause I've been good--well pretty good anyway.

What I want for Christmas isn't much: good health going into the New Year, prosperity for every small business owner who perseveres, happiness for bosses who treat their employees well, and that those looking to embark on a business take a big leap forward and charge ahead. In return I'll share an inspiring story:

I recently spoke with a woman who exemplifies the spirit of today's entrepreneur. (To me every small and mid size business is entrepreneurship--you wear alot of hats and you juggle alot of balls and you keep going despite it all.)

She had no technology expertise what so ever but she saw a need for a niche HR software application given years of recruiting experience. So she found a developer with whom she map out a software design and now, just a few years later, brand-name companies are calling her to come in and plug in her handy application.

She wasn't daunted by the prospect of launching a new business because, as she explained, she knew there was a need and she knew what the application had to provide.

She didn't run after venture capitalists, or scrounge for grant money. She started slow, understanding that building a good business would take time, patience, and lots and lots of work.

She told me she didn't even consider the prospect of failure--an interesting statement given some experts believe entrepreneurs should plan for failure. It's all about attitude, she said, and believing in yourself and in your product.

When I got off the phone I sat for a moment thinking of how lucky she is-- how lucky SMB operators are in that they set out a plan to make a business all their own.

That independence, that fierce spirit to succeed is invigorating and inspiring. In running your own shop there's typically no one around to give you a needed pat on the back or word of encouragement.

So that's what I hope Santa brings to all small business owners this year, as well as good health and lots of success.

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