Small business is America. Almost every person has at one time or another dreamed of owning their own business. Why not? I don't have to answer to a boss. I can set my own hours. In 10 or 20 years, I can live a life of leisure or somewhere at the top of the food chain.

So the goals are set, the die is cast and off you go into the world of owning your owm small business. You make a business plan, get some additional capitol financing, align personnel, arrange a facility and your off.

Now comes the real fun. Decision after decision on the best approach to service, products, marketing. You've done your homework. Your happy with the initial results. You say let's let this profit machine start rolling.

Six months later you get a real shock when the profit/loss statement comes out of the printer and the bottom line is still red. Your financial partner has called you a couple of times on the return on his investment. The spouse wants new livingroom furniture. The vendors have put you on COD. The pressure is mounting. You feel the weight of the organization on your shoulders. Then the test comes.

Fred's produce down the street pays you in cash. The thought occurs to you to keep the cash off the books to pay for the spouse's livingroom furniture and no one will be the wiser. Gee, that worked so well, why don't I cut back on the product quality, save a few bucks there and see if I can get my investment partner off my back.

Every small business owner has been at this fork in the road. Each one must make his own decision as to which road to take. Looking the other way is the easy route at first but it is costly in the long run. A small business should be built on partnerships of trust with customers, vendors and financial partners. Honesty and integrity in the marketplace are wonderful pillow partners. The kind of partners that will let you go to sleep at night with the satisfaction of knowing you were truthful and honest at any cost. There are no skeletons hidden in your closet which can rear their ugly heads. You don't have to be looking over your shoulder while your trying to move your business forward. At the end of the day you can say "It's been a good day!"