Politicians on both sides of the aisle laud small businesses as the “backbone” of our economy. They love photo-ops in front of main street coffee shops, small manufacturing facilities, and family-owned hardware stores. But, while they love to publicly pledge support of America’s small businesses, our politicians are sometimes more talk than action. Meaningful new policy to help small businesses grow and prosper rarely comes to fruition.

Much goes into running a successful startup, but in simplest terms, managing one is an exercise in fast, smart decision-making. Every day brings new choices, big and small. However, some decisions are more critical. These inflection points can have a profound impact on the trajectory of a company’s long-term success.