Many people that have chosen to pursue their dreams through a business also sacrifice many other things. A lot of entrepreneurs do not get to have a social life in the beginning years, their finances tend to be up and down, support from peers is scarce and every free moment is put into the business. It becomes their life!

Although dedication to building the business is important, to be truly successful an entrepreneur must find balance. In this issue we are going to interview several entrepreneurs and ask the simple question….How do you balance work with everything else going on in your life? Balance is important and it actually makes entrepreneurs more successful.

We are going to explore balance in this issue from several perspectives of entrepreneurs in different life situations. We are going to talk to married entrepreneurs, entrepreneurs with children, older entrepreneurs and many with obligations outside of the demands of business. We hope this issue helps you find the balance!

How do you ensure that you have a job in this economic recession? Are you uncertain about your career? Are you worried about your finances and your future? These questions are on the minds of many Americans with the rising home prices, failing banks, threatened retirement savings, and unemployment rates on the rise.

It seems like businesses are laying off people at an alarming rate and people are losing their homes as a result. The stock market seems to be declining everyday and financial planners are scared to make recommendations. Many businesses are on the brink of filing chapter 11. It seems like life in America is in decline. What can be done?

All of these challenges, although they are intimidating, simply present opportunities. When life throws you a curve ball hit a home run! Go after your dreams!

In the book, Friedman “explains how the flattening of the world happened at the dawn of the twenty-first century; what it means to countries, companies, communities, and individuals; and how governments and societies can, and must, adapt,” as described on his website.

He covers globalization and the impact it is having on the world and business. Globalization is often referred to as the process of unifying people of the world into a single society. The end result is economic, technological, social and political ideas that become more normalized over time.

Globalization has created opportunities for businesses to interact with each other across the globe. The internet has become the gateway. Outsourcing is now very prominent. Outsourcing involves subcontracting a process, product or service to a third-party company. Outsourcing is often the result of companies downsizing or making decisions to produce the same goods at lower cost through finding a cheaper alternative across the globe.

Globalization and outsourcing are making an impact on the world. It is important to understand what they are and how these two terms have changed the very nature of the way we conduct business.

Business owners! These individuals typically begin the season researching ways to increase their profit margin and bottom line through innovative marketing schemes and product releases. During the holiday season, many business owners tend to forget about giving. The holidays should be about more than just turkeys and presents under the tree though.

At Liberate Magazine, we wanted to remind people of the tremendous impact that can be made through giving during the holidays and all year. We found businesses for this issue that we felt were leading the way to impact the communities they serve. These businesses are designed specifically for community development and community advocacy.

We hope these stories will encourage you to reach out through the venue of entrepreneurship to help lift somebody else up, revitalize your community, and commit to a philosophy of philanthropy especially during the holiday season.