Paul Downs: My Lifestyle Business
We’re continuing our series with guest writer, Paul Downs, author of the book Boss Life: Surviving My Own Small Business.
In 2011, I wrote a post to mark the completion of my 25th year in business. I took the opportunity to congratulate myself for having survived for so long. Commenters joined me in my celebration, except for one, who wasn’t so impressed. His denigration prompted a second post. Without revealing the details, I’ll say that these two posts capture the tension I feel as an owner: have I succeeded, and can I rest on my laurels, or should I always be trying to grow the business? Who benefits if I deploy my talents to their fullest, and is it worth it? I still don’t have an answer for that question.
Here are the posts: