My small business.

A simple statement that announces to the world that you are no longer beholden to someone else to earn a living.

“My small business” completes the mind shift from employee, hobbyist, part-timer to full fledged business owner/entrepreneur.

The phrase, “my small business,” is a declaration of independence. It announces to your family, friends, boss, etc. that the side gig you’ve been doing over the last several years wasn’t just a phase you were going through.

It is a real breathing business that you created and brought to life. It is something to be proud of, and you should tell your story to everyone you possibly can.

Most small business owners and entrepreneurs can probably tell you the exact moment they crossed over to being a full-time business owner. It’s a moment most entrepreneurs never forget.

It’s a time that is filled with anxiety and doubt and, quite possibly, is the biggest decision they ever make.

As Stacey Nerdin tells us in her post about her small business journey, she had to fight off fear:

“The decision to start my own small business involved having my eyes wide open at some points, and squeezing them tightly shut at others. That’s because while I dove into the wealth of research and educated decision-making to be done, I had to forcefully refuse and reject the fears and doubts that came knocking. This has not been a ‘leap’ of faith for me, but a walk, a determined decision to keep taking one step after another to see my ideas bloom and grow.”

Stacey goes on further to declare, “A decision was made. A name was chosen. Paperwork was put on record. I am a small business owner.”

The best thing about making this declaration is that Stacey isn’t alone. There are hundreds of thousands of people making the same decision every single day.

YOU are not alone. Right now, there are hundreds of entrepreneurs around the Bonfire that have made this decision, and are following Stacey’s journey and her challenges of starting a small business.

You can join and leverage our network of entrepreneurs, body of knowledge and experience to help you on your small business journey by joining us around the Bonfire.

Image credit: halbergman