(Published each Thanksgiving on Smallbusiness.com.)
In the United States, we observe Thanksgiving–a day of reflection and gratitude — on the fourth Thursday of November.
Of course, this has been a year like no other. For many small business owners and employees, this has been their last year in operation due to the devastation of the coronavirus and various natural disasters: fires, tornados, hurricanes …
For that reason, we think our words are weak. But they are heartfelt. Today, we start this message with a paragraph we typically use to end it:
Successful small business owners are not necessarily the ones who have the greatest financial success. Nor are they reckless. But they are already at work trying to find ways to restart their business when others see no hope. And when they find no hope, they seek hope elsewhere.
More importantly, they are the ones who need our support when they re-power the engine of American commerce.
They are the ones for whom we are thankful.
1. Customers
(Saturday Evening Post)
Peter Drucker, perhaps the most influential business thinker and consultant of the past century, said it best: “There is only one valid definition of a business purpose: to create a customer.” You can have great ideas, great execution, and a great team. But you only create a business by creating customers. That your business is alive this Thanksgiving Day is a reason to pause and be thankful for the customers who have joined you in making your aspirations a reality.
2. Opportunity
(Saturday Evening Post)
There is no guarantee of success when running a small business. But those who are the creators and managers of small businesses have one thing in common–the opportunity to dream, to create, to overcome challenges, and to try. And often, when met by failure, to try again. Such an opportunity has come at a great cost beyond our own investments, however. For those who have fought–and continue to fight–to defend the liberty that makes such opportunity available in the United States, we are also thankful.
3. Independence
(U.S. Archives)
You may sometimes wonder why you do it–but then, you remember that you’ve been granted the opportunity to operate your business with your unique vision. It’s harder than you imagined. And you have hundreds, perhaps thousands of bosses called customers, clients, suppliers, banks, etc. But the word independence helps balance the burdens you bear.
4. Passion
(U.S. Archives)
Scott Adams, the creator of the comic strip Dilbert, suggests in his recent book, How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big, that success doesn’t come from passion; rather, passion is the result of success. While we don’t doubt that Adams is sincere in his belief, we sincerely believe he is wrong. Passion is what smooths out the ups and downs. It provides a North Star when we lose our bearings. Passion enables us to believe when others doubt us. Yes, discipline and process and structure and hard work are all a part of the job. But passion is the energy for which we can be thankful.
5. Families of birth and families of choice
(Saturday Evening Post)
There is a family of one’s birth. And then, there is the family of one’s choice. As we continue to learn that families all look different, we, too, discover that the relationships we have with those who create the “ecosystem” of our work can often grow into relationships that may be comprised of the families of our birth, or the families of our choice. But they are families for whom we are grateful.
6. The Journey
(U.S. Archives)
The most successful small business owners are not necessarily the ones who have the greatest financial success. They are not reckless. But they are already at work trying to find ways to restart their business when others see no hope. And when they find no how, they look elsewhere.
More importantly, they are the ones who need our support when they re-power the engine of American commerce.
They are the ones for whom we are thankful.