Stars shine brightly outside your window. The moon is a huge round ball hanging high in the midnight sky. It’s time to call it a day.

Thirty-nine years ago, a business owner friend of mine congratulated me on my decision to start my own business. “Now, you will be able to work half days and choose your own hours,” he said.

Smiling, he added, “That’s any 12 hours you want.”

He was half-right. To build a successful business, long days are just the beginning; but, you don’t really get to choose the times. You do whatever it takes to get the job done; you never really walk away from it, 

Our marketing company has worked with literally hundreds of growing businesses over the years. They tell us ownership requires hard work and dedication beyond anything they ever anticipated. We share their pain.

As owners, we can all list the biggest challenges we have faced and tell personal stories about each one:

• Working harder than we have ever worked before
  
• Worrying about making payroll
  
• Managing cash flow to grow the business
  
• Providing consistently excellent customer service
  
• Losing an important customer
  
• Training new people
  
• Losing great employees to a competitor
  
• Surviving in a down economy
  
• Diversifying when an industry niche goes away
  

We stay up late at night, finding solutions. We leap over high buildings. We run through obstacles with our hair on fire. If we hit a concrete wall, we reinvent our companies and start over.

Why do we do it?

Because we love it.

The top reason business owners start their own company is because we have a passion for our product or service. Owning a business isn’t really about the money, although making a profit is important. It’s about love.

Going to work every day is not really a job because we love what we do.

So, to all the business owners who work their heart out for their customers and employees, every day of the year:

Happy Valentine’s Day. We love you.