Being a small business owner is endlessly rewarding, but it’s also more than a full time job. Having your own business is a way of life.
As part of this week’s Friday Fun, here are seven signs you’re a small business owner:
You’ve forgotten what the word “vacation” means.
Every year, your friends with “9 – 5” jobs jet off on tropical vacations, but as a small business owner, there’s no time for you to do so. A vacation for you is a Sunday without a business call.
You forget and misplace things all the time – except your business card!
Sometimes being a small business owner can be frantic. It’s not unusual to leave home without lunch, or to lock your keys in your car, but you’re never without a business card. Stashed away in every drawer, pocket, and compartment, your business cards are essential when looking for new clients, customers, or investors.
You’re the owner, the secretary, and the plumber.
As a small business owner, you’ve got to worry about every dollar in your budget. That means handling all possible tasks – from scheduling appointments, to making executive decisions, and even fixing toilets.
You’ve forgotten what getting a bonus feels like.
Every year you give your employees a bonus, but you can’t remember the last time you got one yourself. As a small business owner, you take your bonus in the form of happy employees and a successful business.
You have to treat your family and your clients as equally important priorities.
You’re well aware of the push-pull between personal obligations and professional ones. Every entrepreneur with a family is all-too familiar with the prospect of picking up the kids from school while simultaneously calling into a conference.
Your dinner table, your garage, and even your bedroom double as your office.
You know you’re a small business owner when you’re constantly apologizing for leaving work all over the house. When you run your own business, you’re thinking about your finances, your future prospects, and your clients 24 hours per day – whether you’re in your office or not.
Your business’s logo is plastered everywhere.
From your car, to your computer, to your coffee mug, your logo is never out of sight. As a small business owner, you’re busy, determined, and overworked, but most of all you’re accomplished. So, when you see someone driving by with a bumper sticker for their small business, you know it’s not just advertising; it’s pride.
OnDeck is a Google Ventures-backed company with an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. The company offers small business loans nationwide to over 725 different industries. For more information about OnDeck small business loans, click here.