However, he did mention a few downsides: little to no outside accountability, lack of consistent capital, feelings of loneliness, no steady revenue stream, feeling disconnected from others who don’t understand his drive to succeed, constant struggles to survive and a severe lack of work-life balance. Sound familiar?

I think most entrepreneurs struggle with similar issues, especially balance. There are many reasons they can give for their lack of life balance and low satisfaction: “I have too much work to do. I just need a few more hours to finish this project. I need more money. I have bills to pay. My business depends on my hard work. My family needs more income. I am solely responsible for developing, marketing, selling and servicing my product or service.”

Any or all of these reasons may be true, which might lead entrepreneurs to find great difficulty in managing two sides of entrepreneurship—balance and success. How often do you struggle with working longer hours than you know you should to try and secure next sale? How many times has your family and friends tried to pull you away from your office this last month? Take a moment and count up actual hours you have spent working this last week or month. There is always temptation to do a little more, work a little harder, talk to one more potential customer in hopes of making one more sale.

What specific things are you doing to take care of yourself: physically, emotionally, and spiritually? Many entrepreneurs overlook these vital areas of life in search of professional success, yet these areas are full of potential for sparking creative, outside of box thinking that leads entrepreneurs like yourself to discover life changing products and services and find a new perspective on your business venture.

ASSESS WHERE YOU ARE

Take a moment and write down these 8 life areas:

• friends & family • fun & recreation • physical environment & home • romance & significant other • fitness & health • career • finances • personal & spiritual growth

Expert knowledge is one of most cost-effective tools you can use to promote your business and make more money. One of best ways to do this is to give away your special knowledge for free. Yes, that's what I said-for FREE. Many entrepreneur's are afraid if they give away something for nothing it will be perceived as valueless or ignored. They are often anxious about losing business by revealing too much to a prospective client. However, according to another perspective, namely that of your true potential customer, by giving away your expert knowledge you are adding value. They perceive you as someone who wants more than their money, you want a relationship. You are perceived as honest expert. Your business is seen as one who wants informed customers. Let's take a look at what giving away your expert knowledge would look like.

PRODUCT BASED COMPANIES. Those of you who own product based companies, where you sell "widgets," have numerous opportunities to give away your knowledge. Many of your customers want information and an education. They want to know about benefits, features, options, how it will cut costs or make them more money.

For example, if your business sells computer network infrastructures then you probably know something about them that majority of people do not. Most decision makers looking to purchase a network infrastructure for their business want to make a wise decision. They may be unaware of complexities of various systems, how they can be used effectively, what kind of components they need and what to expect to pay. Most decision makers want an education-not necessarily a comprehensive one, but an overview of critical buying points.

Action Step: A way to give away your knowledge is to have an "Ask Expert" section on your website where anyone can email a specific question to you for free advice. If you have a store front, develop separate brochures for anyone requesting information or coming to your store: one written for "lay" person and one with all detailed technical specifications.

SERVICE BASED COMPANIES. Entrepreneurs in many service based companies often have to work harder to develop customers. It is more difficult to sell something you cannot see, feel, or touch. However, your customers still want to know similar things about your service: what are features, options, benefits, whether they can trust you, and how your services will either cut costs or make them more money.