How things can turn around. I was on the brink of quitting two months ago and now I'm full of spit and vinegar enthusiasm. The lesson? Cash in the bank makes running any business an entirely different affair. No cash and you have a life of stress. Around every corner lurks disaster. Cash in the bank and you have some breathing room. You can make strategic decisions.

My future plans? Keep the costs down. I've got a design business that is running smoothly. We know who we are, we are confident in what we offer. My grandiose dreams of growing have been tempered by both the reality of needing lots of cash on hand as well as a realization that running a large firm might be the worst idea i've ever had.

The design business has some interesting issues in it's inherent model. That is selling something elusive as "good design". I'm seeing that no matter what your business plan, your business is your client list and the quality of that relationship.