The week leading up to New Years, I started feeling a bit congested. I live in Buffalo, NY, so that’s not an uncommon thing in the winter months. I drank more fluids, kept a humidifier on near me, and did my best to be proactive to fight it off.

 

By New Years Eve, it became clear I had lost the battle.

 

My head felt inflated, I couldn’t breathe, I had a never-ending cough, and my voice was gone. New Years day had me curled up on the sofa, our two little dogs keeping me company (funny how empathetic animals are), while I tried to minimize my talking, despite having family in town visiting.

 

Monday came, and I was worse still. My wife finally said to me, “You aren’t planning to go into work tomorrow, are you?

 

I had been planning just that, actually.

 

You see, I haven’t taken a sick day in 8 years since the time I had to hole up in a hotel room in Dallas during a conference I was attending when I came down with a particularly evil stomach demon. I didn’t take any “true” sick days then but, admittedly, I didn’t emerge from my room till 3 days had passed and I could finally stand vertically once again.

 

Here’s the problem: I’m an entrepreneur.

 

I own a consulting company, travel frequently, and I just don’t take sick days. I can’t even fathom it. I think in my lifetime I can recall maybe three days I have actually been unable to get into the office.

 

So January 2nd was looking to be one of those days. Mostly because my extensive medical research (Google) told me I was, in all likelihood, highly contagious, and I knew my office mates just wouldn’t appreciate unneeded exposure to whatever nastiness my body was brewing.

 

So around 4 pm, I emailed my team that I wouldn’t be coming in. After the usual shock, and ‘get well soon’ notes, I made a cup of tea with honey (my 18th of the day – is there a limit to how much tea one can consume in a day?), and went back to bed.

 

I woke in the morning, coughed like a lifetime smoker (I’m not), and knew I’d made the right decision.

 

My wife had wisely decided to sleep elsewhere. We have a steam shower in our bathroom, so I left it on, with the door open to get some moisture into my lungs (from about October, through May, there is almost zero moisture in the air north of the Mason-Dixon line).

 

I was able to get up, make a sandwich, and collapse on the couch by late morning, and logged on to work.

 

In truth, as a regular traveler, most of the value I get from being in the office is being visible, and able to plug in with people in person. Most of the real work happens online, by email, and Slack.

 

I assured everyone I was alive, and if not quite ‘well’, at least on the mend (I did make it in the following day, and as I write this on my second day back, I am almost back at 100%).

 

This got me thinking about other realities of life business owners face, that most non-business owners don’t realize.

 

Top 10 Things Business Owners Face that Most Others Don’t Think about

 

1. We don’t get sick days.

Heck, we really don’t even get vacation days.

 

2. You’re going to get it wrong, more often than you get it right.

If you don’t have the stomach for that, and getting doors slammed in your face a lot, touch up the resume, and get it out there pronto.

 

3. If cash flow is light, guess who skips a paycheck?

Still guessing?

 

4. Every problem is your problem.

No matter how small, and every success, needs to be shared with the team. Kudos are rare, fingers of blame pointed at you, common.

 

5. You are the final negotiator when things need to be settled.

Whether it be a disgruntled customer looking for a refund, or a pending deal needing some final wiggling to get a signature on the dotted line.

 

6. You are ALWAYS the bad guy.

Need to let someone go for poor performance? It’s your fault. Not sure about hiring someone who someone you knew recommended? It’s your fault. Need to play good cop, bad cop to settle a dispute, or resolve something? Guess who’s the bad cop?

 

7. It’s ALWAYS the right thing to preserve someone’s dignity.

ALWAYS. For example, there have been more than a few instances where we needed to part ways with under performers. This included people who just weren’t right for their assigned roles, and consultants who customers reported fell asleep on the job (yes, this happened). There is almost no reason to embarrass someone when dismissing them. Let them leave with their dignity, and file away the real reason. ‘It’s not you, it’s me’. It works in breakups, and firings.

 

8. Your gut is always right.

Nuff said.

 

9. You always need to protect your team.

Your family will always have you’re back. Just the same, you’d damn well better have your team’s back. Even if you know they are wrong, and you have to chastise them in private, in public, or in front of customers, you take the blame, and protect your team.

 

9a. The Internet has way too many cute animal pictures.

No really, Google it. (Sorry, it’s true, but I was just making sure you were paying attention.)

 

10. You need support.

I hope you have a pet or two. A supportive family, and enjoy the flexibility you will realize in time, to enjoy the eventual fruits of your labor.

 

So in closing, I have found most entrepreneurs do best when they are in good physical shape, have a hobby related to fitness, and don’t need more than 5 or 6 hours of sleep each night.

It’s not always easy, but as with any fruit bearing tree, a reward worth earning takes time to come to fruition. Make sure you’re prepared to wait for it…and don’t you dare get sick.