Today is Thanksgiving in the United States and I thought it would appropriate to share 13 things that I {and maybe other} small business owners can be thankful for.

Yes, the little things that we take for granted can often mean the most and as business owners caught up in the busyness of life, I’d like to pause a while and give thanks for, in no particular order:

1. The Internet

Hands down, the first thing I’m thankful for is the Internet. I know this list is in no particular order but if it had been, this one item would be tops, again.

I love the Internet, second only to God, husband and my daughter. Yeah. That much. It has made our business possible. It has opened up doors that I never even knew existed. It has given me resources and information at my fingertips.

The Internet has given me YOU, our readers, our community, the folks who cheer me on each time I write a post, email me with questions, or just read what I have to write. Hugely grateful.

2. Awesome, Advanced Automation

As an entrepreneur, I value automation {to an extent} and am grateful for the hours it frees up for me. Whether it is using Mailchimp to send out my emails, Dropbox to save and share editorial calendars with clients or Trello to work with my team, I love how automation makes it simple and easy.

3. The Opportunity to Learn New Things

I love learning and being a business owner gives me that opportunity pretty much every day and for it I am grateful. Yes, it frustrates me at time, but am choosing to be thankful for a “job” that is constantly evolving, new and filled with opportunities to learn.

4. The Chance to Work with Clients Who Rock

Oh yes! Thankful. So thankful for all the clients who in the last 2 years have trusted us with their communities, their content, their business babies and been solid rocks with their enthusiasm for our ideas and their genuineness with their praise. I am deeply grateful each time I hear things like

5. The Joy of Bringing People Together via Communities

I’m a people person and the joy of creating engaged communities that believe and support the brand or the blogger is just amazing. I love what I do and am thankful that I can do my bit in bringing people together via Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest.

6. The Feel-Good Fuzzies of Helping Change Someone’s Life

Yeah, it may sound hype-y but when a client tells me that the work we do saves them hours, gives them the chance to work on what they want to and not what they have to or that they can sleep easy knowing that their blogs and online communities are well taken care of, well, I feel that we’re just helping to change their lives by a teensy bit.

Your business and the products or services you provide will be helping YOUR customers and improving their lives. That is the reason you’re in business. To change lives. And for that, one should be thankful.

7. The Blessing of Being Able to Work My Own Hours

Totally. The hours may be long at times, and odd most of the times, but they’re what work best for me. Thankful.

8. The Magic of Making Heart-Centered Connections and Relationships

One of my favorite parts of being an entrepreneur is my network of fellow entrepreneurs. The communities that I am a part of, the mentors who’ve taken time out of their busy lives to support me, the bloggers who’ve generously shared their knowledge with me via their posts.

As entrepreneurs, we have the opportunity to make some powerful, positive relationships and for that I am thankful.

9. The Support of Social Media

Social media is not just what I do. It is what I live. My support system exists in social media. It is through Facebook and Twitter that I “hang out” with friends and see what’s going on with their lives and share my own. It is via Pinterest that I get inspired to create something simple yet sweet to bring joy to my daughter’s day.  Thankful.

10. The Abundance of Setting My Own Pay Scale

As entrepreneurs, we don’t have the limitation that a company can set on our pay scale, determined by experience or whatever else. We decide what we want to earn and then, make it happen. Disclaimer: it doesn’t always happen but the sheer thrill of setting your own pay is just mind blowing.

11. The Beauty of Creating Value, Every. Single. Day

Whether it is a blog post that I write, a social media calendar created, an online marketing strategy brainstormed, there is value being created every day and that is beautiful and for that I am thankful.

12. The Peace in Working with a Team I Trust, Respect and Admire

In my corporate avatar, I couldn’t choose my team members and more often than not, we were incompatible. Naturally, one of the things that I’m deeply grateful for as a community manager and web content creator is the peacefulness that comes with working with people I’ve chosen, hand-picked.

My husband and I work together and that in itself is a blessing but we’ve also been able to add team members who mirror our work ethic and bring their own unique talents and skills to the table as well.  Hugely thankful to each one of them.

13. The Hope and Passion that Burns Bright, Day in Day Out

Finally, I am deeply thankful that being a business owner fills me with the passion and hope to keep endeavoring, striving, achieving. That fuels and fulfills me and for that I will always be grateful.

What are YOU thankful for as a business owner?