What are the skills needed to run a small business successfully?

Why does success in business make up half of whats needed to successfully run for president?

• It almost goes without saying these days that candidates are making a lot of money but isn't a big business's success based somewhat on being able to put your politics aside and make decisions that make money at the possible or definite detriment of communities, whether regional or national?

• Answer:

  Running a successful business means being able to manage people, and things which can be quite complicated. It doesn't mean you have to do something against the community. In fact, if there is no market for what the business does (i.e. people wanting what the business does) the business would not be a success. Yes, running a business means you must sometimes "put your politics aside." I recall a bike shop owner who said he didn't want any pro-life customers. Hm, why wouldn't he sell bikes to anybody that wanted them and could pay for them? It's not good sense. Running any kind of organization, whether a bike shop or a school or a city, would be relevant experience for somebody who wants to run the country. Anybody who has no executive experience will be at a disadvantage.