Why do we need legally binding agreements? Many business owners think that if their partner is a trusted friend or family member, they can skip the formalities. Yet, when a crisis occurs, people find it difficult to remember what was agreed upon with a handshake years ago. As the saying goes, “Time kills deals.”

For many, the two most intimidating of the eight business fundamentals are financial and legal. Business owners get stuck in a pattern of doing things the way they’ve always done them, with the attitude of “good enough is good enough.” Couple that with the desire to avoid the expense of talking to an attorney or a CPA, and after a while you are routinely stepping over a dollar to pick up a dime, as the old saying goes.

There are huge opportunities to continue to improve efficiency in the way your business operates. Yet business owners are often unable to see past the way they’ve “always done things.”

Where are your important documents when you need them? One good rule of business (and life) is to expect the unexpected. Through the normal life of a company, there will be times when you must have important documents close at hand due to something unexpected.

More often than not, business owners simply assume that the legal side of their business is rolling along marvelously. Yet, there are several areas that typically need attention—not just good old intentions. Legal issues warrant your time and focus because they can make or break your endeavor. When you take informed steps to protect your business, you concurrently increase its value.

Sleeplessness, caused by the inability to turn off the mind, is one of the most common side effects of business ownership. In my many years of helping entrepreneurs perform at a higher level, I’ve observed that a number of shared issues repeatedly make their way into the conversation as reasons for tossing and turning once the lights go out. Here are five questions I hear over and over again:

As our decade comes to a close, take a moment to pause and reflect on the past, prior to making new resolutions and setting goals. Acknowledge how you overcame obstacles and give yourself a pat on the back for the progress you have made. At the same time, recognize that self-imposed roadblocks make up a large portion of the hurdles faced by each of us. Were these the roadblocks that stopped you from achieving more? You may have been super busy, but what did you really accomplish?