I don’t work for my business. My business works for me.

My friend sent me this bit of inspiration today and I thought it was a great way to start the week.

'Slow and steady wins the race.' It's not glamorous, but it's true. The tragedy is that most people never even get in the race, and many of those who do hope that success comes easily and swiftly. When it doesn't, they're out of the race, before it really begins. What they don't realize is that the decision to be unstoppable is never made just once. It is made moment by moment, again and again.

Whirlpool's fourth annual Mother of Invention Grant Program launches today, coinciding with the 100th anniversary of Mother’s Day.

From now until July 31, moms with business, service or product ideas can enter to win support for their entrepreneurial visions. The contest provides seed money and consultation to moms to turn their invention, business or service ideas into full-fledged businesses. Contest winners receive:

* A $20,000 grant for the grand prize winner
* $24,000 in grant money for the four runners-up
* Home appliance prizes
* Invitation to business boot camp where winners will receive guidance from Whirlpool and industry experts

New this year is a category focused on moms who create an environmentally friendly product/service or use natural/recycled materials to create their invention.

Mamapreneurs are innovative, hard-working, creative, resourceful women. If you're one of them and think you have a great idea to share with the world--go for it!

And happy Mother's Day!

As a small business owner, there are many reasons to network; one of them is that you just never know who you’re going to meet. To be in the right place at the right time to meet the right people takes more than sheer luck—you have to get out and try to make it happen.

When asked in an interview how aspiring screenwriters should keep going after their “big break,” Diablo Cody, the writer of “Juno,” recommended networking and staying visible. Talking with everyone about your work wherever you go, she said, is the start. Being part of the industry network even if nothing seems to happen is the key. Eventually, something will. Being “discovered” isn’t an accident, she insists. Yes, the real break happens with luck, she acknowledged, but you improve your chances of being that lucky if you stay out in front of people.

Getting to know people, whether through your church, children’s school, neighborhood, trade associations, volunteer or sports activities, can lead you to exciting opportunities.

I can change course if my business goes in a direction I no longer like.

Oh, I'm so sad at this news. Just yesterday morning our local news source quoted the President and CEO of Nau, Inc. saying that the company was closing in on its capital raising goals and was poised to take off.

Then later that afternoon, the company announced instead that it is closing its doors. I just read the news in my morning's paper, but apparently it was put up online yesterday at World Changing.

For those of you who haven't heard of Nau, they were a Portland start-up that manufactured eco-friendly clothing and deployed a radical business model of sustainability. From their corporate charter to their employment practices to the low carbon-footprint of their retail locations, the company was committed to living and breathing environmental leadership.

The bold founders of the company dreamed big, acted big and enacted big goals, successfully garnering international attention for their efforts and more than $35 million in venture capital investments.

But it wasn't enough.

And the news is a heavy dose of reality to those of us starting businesses of our own. It's a humbling reminder that included in the reality of starting up a small business is the looming possibility of not making it. And if a heavily financed company led by top-level executives from companies such as Patagonia and Nike can crash and burn...what about the rest of us?

Chills.

In March, I met Nau CEO Chris Van Dyke after he delivered an inspiring keynote address to kick off the Shop 08 Conference for retailers. His belief in the utter rightness of companies to protect the community, employees and the Earth was practically tangible. His belief that it is possible for companies to be committed to profitability as well as to a social bottom line was sincere.

I believe in those things, too, and I know that with the closure with Nau, the passion, beliefs, goals and visions of the founders and employees don't disappear. They will find their way back into the market soon.

The answers to my business questions are out there. I can find out what I need to know.

When the going gets tough, I’m tough enough to keep going.