This week, I was fortunate to be able to take some time and watch the USA Procycling Challenge with my family. We spent a few days in a very friendly hotel in Aspen, drove through gorgeous Glenwood Canyon, and ended the week at Denver City Park watching the bicyclists finish the race. It made me think about a few business issues that all small business owners need to think about:

1. Location matters. At Flagstaff Mountain, there was someone at the base of the mountain selling cowbells for $5.00. My husband realized he had to have one. Even though my son got one for free in Aspen (thank you State Farm guy!), my husband decided that it was important for him to have one on Flagstaff and this was his opportunity. The people were making a killing because they knew that location mattered and those eager to join the festivities up the hill would pay the price they were asking.

2. Opportunities abound. I was shocked that at Denver City Park, no one was offering food or drinks for sale. If I had been a street vendor (even one of the guys with the cart that sells ice cream), I would have been there in a heart beat. The temperatures reached over 90 degrees and there was no one selling food (at least in the area we were in). There was a missed opportunity for someone that wanted to make a lot of money. I would have bought ice cream for both me and my son! (And maybe my husband, but he did get a cowbell the day before so maybe not.)

3. Taking time off can be good. Anyone that knows me, knows that I work a lot. Whether it is teaching seminars, meeting with clients, or writing that last minute contract (or blog post), I am typically doing something work related. This is the first time in a long time that I have taken off multiple days in one week (and okay, I’ll admit I scheduled a few things and did work the first part of the week). Every business owner needs to take a few days here and there to recharge. Whether you recharge by watching bicycling races, ballets, or gardening, you need to have some time to not think about work. Yes, you can cheat a little bit. However, as a business owner you will work more hours than you ever imagined – make sure that you work to live and not live to work all the time!

Next time, I’ll write about something a little more legal. But for now, this post is the last of the vacation of your small business lawyer! If you need legal help, please call or email me, your small business lawyer, at 720-258-6647 or elizabeth.lewis@eclewis.com.