"I just want to help people." I simply want to do what I love." These are real statements I recently heard from a massage therapist and an artist who approached me for business help.

The artist I worked with, decided that she just wanted to do her art and not focus on having to make money from it. With that clarity she realized that her art was her passion and business. Making art came first and making money from her art came second.

The massage therapist decided that she wanted to create a health and wellness business so we looked at what she had to do to develop her small practice into a sustainable business. Making money was very important to her.

In a business, the owner takes risks and in return expects a financial return. Without the financial success, helping people or selling products can get old fairly quickly.

Your responsibility as the business owner is to make sure the business has the cash it needs. The goal is to increase the cash coming in and to decrease the cash going out. You are developing your business in ways to create more money streams and more ways to help your customers.

By developing good money health, the easier it will be to express your passion and help the people you want to help. Here are a series of questions that can help you to do a self-assessment of the money arena of your business. There are no right or wrong answers but looking at these questions will alert you to what you need to develop within yourself in order to grow a sustainable business.

1. How well do you pay attention to the cash flow in your business Do you know how much is going in and out?

2.How would you rate your money management? Do you plan ahead or do you fly by the seat of your pants?

3. Do you have enough money or do you struggle? Do you feel stressed around money or do you trust that enough is always coming in?

4. Do you have regular profit and loss statements that you analyze?

5. Do you know much money you want your business to gross this year? Have you written down that figure and do you know what income streams will bring that in?

6. Do you generally meet your money goals, exceed or fall short?

7. Do you have issues around setting prices for your products or services or is it clear and easy?

Notice what your responses were to the above questions. It may help you to know where you need to get some help. Small business is hard work and if you are going to work that hard you certainly deserve to have the money flow as well.