Being an entrepreneur or business owner has its share of ups and downs. While the downs can be pretty low the ups always seem to triumph for a true entrepreneur at heart. Milestones are what entrepreneurs and business owners work towards. Once you finally reach a certain point then reflection can truly begin. Finding enjoyment in running your business keeps it from becoming stale in the long run. No matter which part you love most, loving them all is equally as important. We asked several entrepreneurs and business owners what their favorite part of running a business is and below are their replies.

#1 – From the Heart

My favorite part of running a business is the flexibility and freedom that comes with it. You see, I have spent 12+ years doing marketing for other people and other businesses. Everything I did had to be approved by someone other than me. Even as the marketing director for some big companies, I had to get approval on messaging and tone before I could post something as small as a Facebook post. As a business owner, I get to do things my way. I get to have a sense of humor, but also help people, without having to jump through hoops for approval or go to creative for an image design. I’m allowed to write my own blogs, and collaborate with other brilliant people who I WANT to, not who I HAVE to. Everything is done from the heart and it shows through our work. I get to do it all and I love that!

Thanks to Denielle Kennett, It Takes a Village

#2 -Driver’s Seat

I started my company a little over a year ago. What I love most about running my company is that I sit in the driver’s seat to see the impact of the work we do. When advising a client or managing a project, I embrace the trust and responsibility bestowed upon me. When all is said and done, it brings me joy to know that my company has brought a client that much closer to seeing their vision realized.

Thanks to Walt L. Jones III, SEQ Advisory Group

#3 – Making a Difference

My favorite part of running a business is using my talents to make a difference in the lives of other entrepreneurs who are fighting to keep their dream alive. Connecting every day with customers and working together to solve their business problems provides a level of satisfaction that goes way beyond the financial rewards. We all want to believe that what we do matters. Running a business gives me the freedom to choose what matters to me and align that with what matters to my customers.

Thanks to Carl Mazzanti, eMazzanti Technologies

#4 – Seeing Progress

Without a doubt, the best part of running a business is seeing the efforts and progress of the team you’ve assembled to help you. It is so humbling and inspiring to look around the office and see high-caliber people who have bought into your vision and are excited to be a part of the adventure. Then to see their hard work and creativity result in both individual rewards and the success of the business goes a long way toward making all the late nights and stress worthwhile.

Thanks to Jacob Dayan, Community Tax

#5 – Uniquely Mine

I love the freedom to add value to the world in a way that is uniquely mine. There are aspects of business I love and having my own company has allowed me to focus on working on those, namely helping other business owners prepare for success, plan, and protect what they achieve. I am also able to allow the members of my team to focus on the things they love. Allowing myself and others to be who they want to be is truly rewarding.

Thanks to R. Shawn McBride, McBride For Business, LLC

#6 – Strategy Control

I truly love being able to control the strategy for the business and being the main person in charge. At every previous job I had worked at I felt that I wasn’t able to make enough higher-level decisions and chart out the strategy for the business to hit goals. I much prefer being the strategist than just another worker following orders. I love learning all the different aspects that go into running a business and understanding the different functions. It can be overwhelming to keep tabs on everything, but if you hire the right people to help you out, things go much smoother. I feel it’s my true path to run my own business, and I feel much more on the right course now that I’m doing so.

Thanks to Joe Robison, Green Flag Digital

#7 – Growth

Being an entrepreneur has many ups and downs, but through them there are so many great experiences and outcomes. My favorite part of being an entrepreneur and running my business is the growth. The growth in myself, my business and in those around me. Growing myself as an individual, is probably one of the most difficult yet most rewarding things. Personal development is the fuel for business growth and making an impact on others and is something that goes with you regardless of business success. Growing my business, is seeing hard work resulting in success. All the sweat equity that comes with being an entrepreneur is all worth it when you see your business grow into the vision you had when you started. Growing others around me, is making an impact in my community and to other entrepreneurs and mentees that I have the ability to impact every day. My mission is to have a positive impact on the people I come in contact with; leading and inspiring them to do great things in the future that will go on to affect other people for generations to come.

Thanks to Fradel Barber, World Financial Group

#8 – Allow People to Thrive

My favorite part of running a business is building systems that allow people to thrive. The days I feel best about our work at Nonprofit Megaphone are the days when a we sign up a new customer for a trial, effectively manage the ad campaigns for existing clients and are responding to inbound inquiries with promptness and professionalism, all without my direct involvement. The ability to scale your impact as an entrepreneur by building your own systems – human and otherwise – is what separates entrepreneurship from any other job, and what makes the pursuit so enjoyable for me.

Thanks to Grant Hensel, Megaphone

#9 – Giving Back

My favorite part of running a business is giving back. In 2011, I started my business as a gift for a little boy who was struck by a car. I created the first Roll Tide Activity Book as a gift for the little boy as he was recovering in the hospital. I quickly knew that I wanted to cash in my 401k and start a business and give back to others. I find the most joy out of going to visit kids in hospitals. Typically, parents of these children find me and request an activity book for their child or someone knows someone who knows about my books and tells me about them. When I travel to book signings, I always try to schedule a hospital visit to donate my activity books to the children. The child life specialists enjoy using my book and app products to engage with the children who might be going through harsh treatments. They use them as ice breakers to engage with the kids. This Thanksgiving, I helped a family who has a child in the hospital. Last week, we were strangers. Today, we have been brought together because of my business. The coincidence here is that when I went to visit Xavier, I had no idea that he was struck by a car when he was eight years old. He is an Auburn fan. My company was started as a gift for an eight year old Alabama fan who was struck by a car. For anyone running a business, I encourage you to contact your local children’s hospital. Find a way to give back throughout the year. There is always a need. There is always a way.

Thanks to Darla Hall, Sports Zone

#10 – Helping a Family

It all started when my childhood friend, who also became my business partner, suddenly died at the age of 27. We started an IT company and through all our hard work we had gained a strong standing in the market. His sudden death left behind two children as well as a devastated and overwhelmed wife. I committed myself to working even harder and generating more revenue compared to what we were generating. As a devoted friend, I decided that I wanted to give his family a greater share of our revenue. At the end of every month I calculate what his share would have been and present it to his wife. When she asks how much the month has brought in, I’m always happy to report it’s more than the previous month. This is my favorite part of my business. Looking back at his children and their happiness motivates me to continue earning more each month.

Thanks to Naqi Rizvi, Host & Soft