Sometimes the very time you need to sit down and think long-term about how to improve your business is what is hardest to come by when you're the boss. Between putting out fires and going after new business, it's hard to take a step back and plan improvements that will streamline operations, improve benefits for your employees, and keep you in compliance with all the regulations that impact your business.

But now it's midsummer, and the pace has slowed just a bit. Perhaps you've even grabbed the chance to take a week off. You have time to think, perhaps pick up a business book to read on the beach, or surf the Net. We've assembled some resources you may want to check out while you're in this long-range planning mode. Let us know if you found them helpful. And take some time this month to pat yourself on the back—small businesses like yours generate almost half of the nation's GDP.