Your Happy Place: 5 Things That Make Small Business Owners Happy

What makes you happy? In particular, what makes you happy as a small business owner?

It’s worth thinking about from time to time. After all, as the saying goes, “What you think about, you bring about.”

It can make sense to take inventory, every so often. If something brings you joy, be grateful for it, and use it as a touchstone: Let your mind run to your sources of happiness when you’re feeling down, or less than motivated. (Pro tip: At night, if you can’t get to sleep, don’t count sheep – count your blessings instead. You’ll fall asleep smiling.)

Happiness in business 

Through my role with 17hats, I stay in touch with a lot of small business owners, especially solopreneurs in service-driven fields.

Those conversations inform this listicle. Time and again, I’ve heard recurring themes when I’ve asked people, “What makes you happy?”

So, without further ado, here are Five Things That Make Small Business Owners Happy. 

Here’s hoping that you have some – or all – of these things going for you as a small business owner.

We can all use more happiness in our business! 

1. Pursuing your passion

I’m in awe of the passion that so many small business people bring to the table. Especially in service-driven fields – that passion manifests as a rave-worthy customer experience.

But, not only does that passion motivate solopreneurs to succeed, it also fuels their happiness. Simply put, it’s fun to make money doing what you love. 

It’s fulfilling to improve too. As you grow and gain experience, you can progress in your chosen field, and provide an even better experience for your customers.

We’re lucky as small business people that we get to pursue our passion during our work hours. That’s something that brings me great happiness, and I hope the same is true for you.

2. Better work/life balance

Another narrative arc that I have encountered often is the overworked lawyer or designer or bookkeeper – or insert another office job here 😒 – who set out on her own to find a better work/life balance.

Many of these folks never looked back. They now have more time for their spouse, kids, or outside interests, and that rebalancing of priorities brings them great happiness.

That’s not surprising. The annual World Happiness Report found that work-life balance is a strong predictor of happiness. Anything that fosters work-life balance is a good thing.

On that note, let me mention something that our members already know: Managing your small business with 17hats can restore your work-life balance by streamlining your process and automating those time-stealing tasks. If you’re not a member already, do yourself a favor and visit 17hats.com – you can even get started for free! 

3. Connecting with others

Ample science points to social connection as a source of happiness. Humans are social creatures, and strong relationships promote our sense of well-being.

That’s true for everyone. Small business owners are no different.

Whatever your field, you likely have opportunities to collaborate with like-minded professionals. Not only can you do amazing things when you partner with others, but that connection comes with a proven side benefit of happiness.

Of course, you can also connect with your customers. When you tailor a personalized customer experience, you are making a social connection. Those connections benefit you on a professional level, sure – but also on a personal level.

And that’s to say nothing of the satisfaction (read: happiness) that comes from a job well done!  

4. Helping others

Here too, research sheds light on the path to happiness: Helping others activates the pleasure center in our brain and releases endorphins – the brain’s chemical signals that trigger good feelings.

As a small business owner, you are well-positioned to help others. For instance:

• Helping your clients. This could be baked into your customer experience, or it could be a one-off, value-adding effort that you include for free. It’s good business, and it benefits everyone involved, even you.

• Helping those in your network. Here’s your chance to commit a random act of kindness. Sing the praises of a colleague you value in an unsolicited Google review or LinkedIn recommendation. (See this related blog on the power of compliments. Once again, both parties benefit.)

• Helping those coming up behind you. Did a mentor help you grow in your chosen field? Pay it forward by helping someone else, or by speaking to a community college class of students who want to follow in your footsteps. 

Let your mind run to other opportunities, too. Whatever you choose, you’ll help yourself to a dose of happiness when you help others.

5. Practicing gratitude

Thankfully, #5 on this list is easy and accessible to everyone: Practice gratitude.

Several studies support this. Gratitude is strongly correlated with happiness, and it has other mental and physical health benefits, besides.

As entrepreneurs, we have a lot to be grateful for! For starters, we are empowered to pursue our dreams of small business ownership.

That’s big picture. But each of us has much more to be grateful for too, if we only pause long enough to think about it.

Make time to practice gratitude. Consider writing down what you’re thankful for in a gratitude journal. (One study at Kent State found that participants who wrote down what they were thankful for were more likely to report feelings of happiness.) 

One other thing about gratitude? It can become a habit. Once you start focusing on gratitude, it becomes easier to remain grateful.

Happiness remains a choice

Did the five sources of happiness above resonate with you as a small business person? Or would your Top 5 list be different?

All of us may have different things that make us happy. But if you want to boost your mood – and be happier, period – it’s well worth identifying what works for you.

Find those things, and focus on them. You’ll be happy you did.