A few weekends ago, while waiting at a crosswalk in New York City, I overheard a conversation between what appeared to be two small business owners. The part I caught was something we hear all too often from small business owners in the U.S.: the long hours they devote to their businesses each week, weekends included, and their shared desire to “just have a break.” Part of what fills those hours is the range of roles an owner personally covers: operator, strategist, bookkee

When we talk about what makes a small firm “successful,” we usually think about familiar financial metrics like profit margins and revenue growth. These measures are intuitive, easy to quantify, and deeply embedded in how lenders, policymakers, and analysts evaluate firm performance. But many small firm owners don’t define success solely in financial terms. They weigh financial viability with other factors like community impact, financial stability, and personal values. This