Many professionals confess that, although their career is moving forward, their time is consumed with or dragged down by unwanted situations, problems, or behaviors. Not overwhelming individually, they have a way of building up until they affect productivity, cause stress, and waste time and energy.

Although you have a handle on your business' operating costs, there may be some hidden expenses that cost you more than money.

You may tolerate business pitfalls — an incompetent staff, poorly defined goals and strategies, lackluster results, weak relationships, or undesirable customers — even when they prevent you from enjoying your business the way you envisioned.

So, why do we tolerate these losses?

''I was apprehensive and didn't know how to confront and eliminate certain issues,'' remembers Sean Stredwick, owner of Rockville-based Sanktuary hair salon, music store, and café. ''I simply accepted there were always going to be problems when running a business, especially with personnel. I realize now that by putting up with certain things, I was actually training people that their unacceptable behavior was okay.''