Where Is Your Small Business's Ship?

A friend with a good job once observed to me that, "It must be frightening being a small business owner. You know, not having a guaranteed paycheck, benefits and all."  

I told him, "You're right.  It scares the hell out of me." And then, remembering being downsized twice in 18 months, I hit him with this:  "It's almost as frightening as when I was an employee."
 
In that spirit, here's a jewel I came across a while back. I don't know who said it first, but I like it and want to pass it along.
 
"A ship in the harbor is safe . . . but that's not what ships were made for."
 
Were you made for the "safe" harbor of employment?   If so, God bless you! The world must have lots of loyal, productive employees. Send me your resume.
 
Or were you made to sail the entrepreneurial open seas?  If so, God be with you!  Because you're not part of a large fleet, you navigate by the stars of the marketplace and the storms, reefs and pirates of the marketplace take no prisoners.
 
If you were made to sail and not to lie at anchor, you will not only know storms, reefs, and pirates, but you will also know what your ship is made of, perspectives not possible at anchor and voyages of which others can only dream.
 
All of life is a risk.  Raising anchor and setting sail merely introduces you to different kinds of risks from those found in that safe harbor.