Just about everyone I know has designs on or at least daydreams of starting a business, which I think is normal. And yet, while no one ever says, "I want to be a cog in a giant, multinational machine when I grow up," that's usually what happens. I can't give you advice on how to create a successful business, but I can hopefully give you the nudge you need to at least try.

If business leaders ever wonder why a chunk of the public disdains business and calls for higher corporate taxes or sector-specific increases (e.g. higher royalty rates for energy and mining, higher stumpage fees in forestry) or just increased business taxation in general, here's a clue: too many companies are addicted to corporate welfare, a.k.a: crony capitalism.

While it took a few years after the financial crisis for financial services start-ups to get their business models refined to the point where they can come to market they are here now, and these alternative financial services technology companies are becoming viable and increasingly common sources of financing for entrepreneurs and small businesses.

Dad was once the ATM; he's less absent now, more engaged in family life. As women "lean in" to the workplace and assert themselves, as they should, men are leaning out. This wreaks uncertainty on the economy, but there is a star of brilliant light looming over the ocean, visible in the ever-rising storm.

When he was laid off at age 52, my father chose to buy a business. And in no time at all, he'd turned the business around and was successful. Today, I run my own business, as do my husband and our two daughters, which raises the question, is entrepreneurship genetic or is it a skill set you can learn?

As I reflect back on the past year, I realize I have learned a lot -- some of it the hard way, other lessons were a pleasant surprise, but like everything in life, you have to take the bad with the good, and the key is to learn the lesson and move on.

I am a self-made man. I started my first company with a few thousand dollars and later sold it for more than $100 million -- then I did it again with a new startup in a different field. After my second company sold, I decided at the age of 50 to write a book about the three simple steps that helped me succeed. Here's a short summary of my three simple steps.

Your step from mompreneur to entrepreneur is not an insignificant jump, it's no longer just your schedule to consider but that of your team, your clients, your need to cover the costs on a monthly basis and hopefully walk away with a salary. But there are two core differences between a mompreneur and entrepreneur.

The customer experience becomes more important now than ever in a down economy. Especially when shoppers are now open to the idea of visiting your competition, unless you provided them with a shopping experience previously, that they don't want to trade. The more loyal your customers are, the better positioned you are to survive a downturn.

June 6th marks a personal milestone for me: It's my company, NKPR's, 10th year anniversary! As we blow out the birthday candles and look forward to the next 10 years, I can't help but pause and take stock. I've learned many things specific to my industry, there are some observations I can share that apply to anybody in any business.