“Put your oxygen mask on first before you help someone else with theirs.” What great advice. It struck me the other day when I heard this statement how much this applies to entrepreneurs. Put your oxygen mask on first – take care of yourself. Women especially have a hard time with this, but on a plane it could be life-saving advice. In your business, it is crucial as well and could save you and your business.

In interviewing Paul Silber for my book, he shared just how important taking care of his own needs were to building his business. He is the founder of InVitro Technologies which he recently sold to Celsis. In the first couple of years building his business, he did not take a vacation. Consequently, he came close to burning out. When he finally starting taking time for himself, he found that he came up with his best ideas – his biggest strategic ah-has – when he wasn’t working. So if you are always working, how can you come up with those killer thoughts that you need to propel your business?

If you don’t have your own oxygen mask on, you are not in a position to help someone else with theirs. If no one can breathe, your business dies.