If you are feeling unsettled and nervous about the future of your business, you aren’t alone. Many small-business owners were feeling the effects of the slowing economy long before terrorists hijacked four jets and crashed them into the World Trade Center, Pentagon and into a rural Pennsylvania field.

Rather than fretting over all the bad things happening, spend time reviewing your business operations and personal achievements as this dramatic year draws to a close. There are no right and wrong answers. I wrote this column to stimulate thought and to give you a gentle push in a more positive direction. Grab a pen or pencil to make some notes to be mulled over later.

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Review:

Think about all the positive things that have happened to you and your business this year. No matter how bad things may be right now, there had to be some good things that happened earlier this year. Did you land a few new clients? Form a strategic alliance? Sell a lagging division? Hire a few great people?

Focus on one good thing, and try to recreate the feelings you felt at the time. If you are having a really tough time coming up with something significant, pick a small thing.

Reconnect:

This is a good time to reconnect with business colleagues and associates you have lost touch with. When things are hopping, we tend to neglect relationships or take them for granted. Flip through your Rolodex and make a few calls every day to people you haven’t spoken with in a while. If you are told your colleagues are no longer with the company, ask for new contact information. Checking in with former colleagues may result in new business opportunities.

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Redirect:

If things are falling apart, you have nothing to lose by reinventing yourself, your products and services. Make some radical changes that you might have been reluctant to make in better times. Spend some money on a cool new business card; pay a designer to update your Web site with some great graphics and compelling content.

Register to attend a conference or trade show you have been trying to get to for years. (Many meetings that were postponed after Sept. 11 have been rescheduled by now.)

A friend who owns a successful land development consulting firm said every year she planned to attend her industry’s national conference, but something always came up.

This year, after losing a major client and separating from her husband of 20 years, she made plans to attend and booked her flight to Boston.

“I needed to get out of town and make some new connections,” she said. “Going to the conference was the perfect thing to do, personally and professionally.”

Rethink:

If things aren’t going well this year and have been in a downhill slide for a while, it may be time to make a dramatic change. Maybe you’ve outgrown your business without realizing exactly what was happening. If you are a true serial entrepreneur, you may be bored because the thrill is gone. Now may be a good time to sell out, close down or hand the business over to a valued manager who may be able to pay you over time. You may want to reconsider that merger you turned down a few years ago. As far as I know, we get only one chance at life, and life is too short to be miserable.

If you’ve already had one mid-life crisis, it’s OK to have another one. Don’t do anything rash, but consider your options and discuss your feelings with your spouse or significant other. Look into all kinds of alternatives. If you sell your house and your business, can you pay off all your debts and retire early? Have you always wanted to move to a different state? Take an extended trip around the country or the world? Buy a franchise for a product you love? Move to a small town?

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Revive:

Many entrepreneurs put the health of their business before their personal health. If you are feeling exhausted and unhealthy, your body is telling you to slow down. Book yourself into a resort or spa for a week. Rent a car and check into a motel near a national park to explore the area. Take a long road trip with a friend or relative.

(My husband and daughter are planning to drive from New York to Los Angeles later this month and can’t wait to get into the car.)

Someone famous said “a change is as good as a rest,” and I believe it.

A dramatic change in scenery can be just the thing you need to regain your enthusiasm for life and business. If you can’t get away right now, shop for new shoes and clothes, get a haircut, a facial and a manicure. Get a massage. Go dancing at a local nightclub. Take a yoga class, or learn to meditate.

Regroup:

Review the notes you’ve made while reading this column, and figure out what you can or cannot do before the end of the year. Making changes is scary, and most of us prefer to do nothing rather than take a leap into the unknown.

But doing nothing is not an option. You have to put one foot in front of the other and move slowly in a new direction if things are not going well. Nothing is worse than living a life filled with regret.

Balanced Internet Use

Men and women are using the Internet for business purposes at about the same rate, according the findings of a new survey from the Center for Women’s Business Research, formerly the National Foundation for Women Business Owners. The group’s most recent survey, “Online and In Focus: How Women and Men Business Owners Use the Internet,” funded by Wells Fargo Bank, found that women tend to use it more for business development and marketing.

Jane Applegate is the author of “201 Great Ideas for Your Small Business,” and is CEO of SBTV.com, a multimedia site providing small-business resources. She can be contacted via e-mail at [email protected], or by mail at P.O. Box 768, Pelham, NY 10803.