Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness

I’m writing this during the July 4th holiday, though you’ll be reading it the week after. To be honest, not everyone felt deeply celebratory this year about America’s birthday. A lot has changed in recent months that makes you wonder about our country’s commitment to those “inalienable rights,” such as life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Those rights are supposed to come with being human. No government hands them out like permits.

But let’s be real – the current environment doesn’t exactly feel like fertile ground for that vision.

So what do you do? Give up? Pack it in?
Absolutely not.

Moving Forward with Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness

We’ve got to keep our lives and businesses moving forward. Yes, there’s uncertainty swirling around our society. But you know what’s still certain? The sun’s going to rise tomorrow. Plants are still going to grow (at least for now!). That’s our cue that life keeps moving; so must we. Take action that supports the health of democracy AND keeps your business and life going.

This might be the perfect time to take some chances. Think about it: While everyone else is frozen by uncertainty, there are opportunities just sitting there waiting to be grabbed.

I did some digging into history, and here’s what I discovered about service-based businesses during tough times.

Remember the late 1970s? It was a total economic mess – energy crises, inflation through the roof, and many people panicking. But you know who thrived? Service businesses. Companies like H&R Block, Manpower staffing, and those early computer consulting firms were crushing it.

Why? Because when the world gets complicated, people pay for someone else to figure it out. That’s exactly what service businesses do – we solve problems that other people don’t have time, energy, or expertise to handle.

Here’s the beautiful part about service businesses:
We don’t need massive factories or expensive equipment.
Got cash flow? You can expand fast.
New market opportunity? You can pivot tomorrow.
Try doing that when you’ve got millions tied up in manufacturing equipment.

Here’s something interesting: While 57% of business owners think the economy is weaker than last year, this pessimism is actually creating gaps in the market. When your competitors are pulling back, feeling scared, and playing it safe, that’s when you move in.

While competitors are hiding under their desks, you can gain their customers, hire their best people, and build market share.

Onward and Upward With Your Service-Based Business

Despite all the doom and gloom, nearly three-quarters of small business owners are still optimistic about making it through 2025. Those are the businesses that’ll come out stronger. They’re not waiting for some magical moment when everything feels “safe;” they’re acting now.

For service-based small businesses, 2025 isn’t about sitting around waiting for political certainty (Spoiler Alert: That might be a long wait). It’s about recognizing that uncertainty itself creates the exact conditions where nimble, solution-focused businesses thrive.

The question isn’t whether you should act. It’s how fast you can position your services to solve the problems this crazy environment is creating.

While others are paralyzed by asking, “What if?,” you are the one saying, “What’s next?”