Theres nothing romantic about much of what it takes to build a successful small business. You just have to grind it out - literally. Taking all the ingredients and finding the perfect blend to match your taste of what you want out of your small home based business idea with what it takes to succeed in business is not easy. It takes a subtle mix of daily results and daydreaming. You just have to grind it out and hold onto your dream at the same time.

I was reminded of this the other day during a casual conversation with one important half of an emerging small business destined for on-going success. As Bill and I talked about how his wife Kathys love of spices and their goal to have fun with a small business idea suited them, he was taking the results of grinding a large spice block into tiny graduals, filling half-ounce pouches and sealing them. He commented that in a good day he could grind out over 250 packets of spices ready for wholesale distribution and direct sales.

Bill was excited about being a part of the process necessary for their small business to succeed. He was no armchair entrepreneur with a plan for someone else and their investment to orchestrate. Although, the very nature of his hands-on involvement was providing him with the insight and personal experience necessary to make the best decisions for the on-going funding needs of his growing small business.

I was also struck by the deliberate nature of how he was helping Kathy, the original drive behind the small business idea: providing spices to the masses of occasional gourmets who didnt need a large amount of their favorite spice or a new blend to occasionally prepare, cook and enjoy their favorite dish alone or with their friends. Bills background had prepared him to understand that although you might try a number of ways and means to move your small business idea to its appointed success you did nothing in a vacuum or haphazardly. Everything counts positively or negatively in the ledger of business success.

One of Bills most interesting concepts in deciding what to do next had to do with the coin flipping probability of '"heads or tails" - its always one or the other. It works or it doesnt. Make the wrong call and you may be done. Recognizing this, he always visualized and emotionally walked both himself and Kathy through multiple coin flipping choices before making and implementing a real life business decision. By doing this he always improved his odds of success for the next step in their business development. He recounted some of the early ideas they had for rolling out their small business idea when it was at the home based stage. Some ideas that may have been ideal for others but ultimately didnt feel right for them or simply wont have worked out successfully. Mental coin flipping proved to be an invaluable strategy at the outset of their business and continues to serve as a useful tool today.

Both Bill and Kathy bring the necessary drive and dream to their small business idea. More importantly, they understand the need to grind it out day by day with passion and purpose. Every decision is subjected to the "coin flipping" exercise because finding the right blend for success and profitability is not a matter of luck. To realize their perfect blend of small business fun and profit both Bill and Kathy are willing to endure the daily grind.