I figured out the other day that I really am a business owner. When you consider I’ve owned Roundpeg for 10 years, that’s  a pretty strange thing to say. But the truth is, for most of those years I’ve been self-employed. I worked and took home a salary (most months), but at the end of the day, if  I walked away, there really wouldn’t be anything left of Roundpeg.

A strange and wonderful thing has happened over the last few years. Roundpeg has really become more then just me. Roundpeg is Jenna’s design skills, Peter’s mastery of web design and Whitney’s support skills. It’s Allison’s writing, Rebecca’s skill keeping it all together, and a little bit of me too.

But it is wonderful to have a business which can run without me whether I’m gone for a day or two or week or two. The company continues to operate and that is the sign that I’ve crossed over and made the transition from self-employment to business.

Why is that important? Because someday, many years from now, I may want to retire or sell the company. It is nice to think I am building something that will continue providing employment for others and a retirement income from me long after I step away from the business.

What about you? Have you built a job or a company? It’s strange and difficult to let go, but in the long run the only way the business will make the transition is if you do. The trick is to hire the right people, train them well and then trust them to do what you hired them to do.

So as you think about your own business, ask yourself these questions:

•  If I’m not there, does work get done?
• Do sales get made?
• Are customer issues resolved?
• Are new programs, projects and ideas launched?
• Do customers call in and ask for specific employees, even if you are there?

When you can answer yes, you really are a business owner.