Here are StartRunGrow.com's 42 greatest business tips for you to follow:

1. Advisers - Make sure you talk to other successful people who have already done it. There is no sense in reinventing the wheel and learning by trial and error if you don't need to. Discuss it also with your family, especially your spouse. It's best to get their backing and support because you will need it.
2. Costs - Watch your spending. It's very easy for business costs to "run right into the stratosphere". Even when you start to make money keep an eye on your costs.
3. Capital - Don't start a business unless you have enough money saved up. You need to have enough to start up your business and to run your operation for a 6 month period (at least) until the business starts generating enough income to "fend for itself" and grow. Under-capitalisation by small businesses is one of the biggest causes of failure.
4. Use others - Know your strengths and weaknesses and fill in the gaps with people (such as your advisers or experienced employees) who have expertise in the areas you don't.
5. Court - Try and settle out of court if you can. Whatever your dispute going to court will cost you thousands of dollars for your lawyers as well as a huge amount of stress and heartache let alone loss of time and productivity. Avoid any type of court action if you can. Use negotiation, mediation or arbitration rather than litigation.
6. Next level - Don't depend on your friends and family. They can help you at the start, but they are not usually the people to get you on to the next level because of their lack of experience and skills.
7. Drawings - Try not to draw too much money out for yourself from the business at the beginning. If you take too much pay from your new venture it could impact on your cash reserves and leave the business with cash flow problems. Take out of the business the minimum that you need.
8. Realistic - Keep your feet on the ground. Don't chase blue-sky potential. Be realistic in all you do. Don't show off. Use your head at all times.
9. Good Products - Make sure you have good products and services. You can't have a business unless you are selling something that buyers want.There is no point going into the marketplace if your products and services are not up to scratch as far as quality or function is concerned. There are many competitors out there and it is tough to win, let alone survive.
10. Cash Flow - Watch your cash flow every day. Monitor the cash that comes in and that goes out. Your cash is essential. Once that's gone - you're gone.
11. Enjoy - Make sure you enjoy the business you are in. If you enjoy what you are doing, you will do it a lot better and a lot faster. It has to be something worth getting out of bed for.
12. Motivation - Because you no longer have to account to anyone but yourself, you must be self-motivated. Get out of bed early every day just as if you had to beat the traffic to work.
13. Determination - Unless you are serious and determined to succeed in your business you will find that little will be achieved. Be "dogged" determined and persevere.
14. Confidence - Be confident in your own abilities. If you have confidence in your ideas and skills there is no reason why you cannot succeed, even alongside the big operators. Get ongoing help, if you can, from a successful business friend and your confidence will grow.
15. Focus - Be focused. Don't be distracted. Keep your eye on the ball.
16. Over-deliver - Always under-promise and over-deliver. There's something about doing more for customers than what you had originally promised. It gives your business and you a good name and reputation.
17. Honesty - Keep your integrity. Don't do what many others do that involve cutting corners. Don't hide behind legal agreements. If it's yes then say YES, If it's no then say NO. Make sure your word is your bond. Keep honest and open. Nothing gives you a better nights sleep.
18. Customers - Focus on your customers. Looking after your customers and pleasing them should be your number one priority. Without customers you've got no business.
19. Skills - Make sure you possess the necessary skills to be able to carry out the type of business that you are contemplating or currently in.
20. Experience - Even though it is not critical, possessing a little experience in accounting or business or finance will be a great help.
21. Work - Work Hard. You will need to put in a few more hours at the beginning and for the first year or two. Tell your family and friends about this so they will understand and help you wherever possible.
22. Pay your bills - Always pay your bills on time. Get a good name for it. Be faithful in this area and your suppliers will be able to trust you when you need more credit at certain times.
23. Discount - If you pay early ask for a discount. In fact always ask for a discount when you buy anything. Most will give you a discount for cash. Discounts add up. No one pays the full retail price nowadays anyway.
24. Tax - There are many things you can do to minimise your tax. See a good tax specialist if your accountant doesn't specialise in this area. Never delay your tax payments because penalties from the tax department can be pretty heavy.
25. Records - Make sure your records are absolutely fantastic. Keep all your communication and emails. Keep every receipt. Take a copy of all documents. Lose nothing. They will "save your bacon" one day when you have a court case and you just happen to have a copy of that important piece of paper in your files.
26. Hours - Keep to proper hours. If you burn the midnight oil everyone looses out. Your family, your friends, your kids and you. You will not be rested so your performance will suffer the next day.
27. Learn - Get to know a little about business and the principles of finance, sales and profit. Read as much as you can on these subjects. Attend courses. Go to seminars. Learn and learn and learn. You cannot learn enough about business.
28. Staff - Take your time in picking good staff. They will be the biggest asset in your business. Promote only to character. Character is never wrong. Dismiss those who do not work as they will not produce. Reward those who deserve it. Treat staff fairly.
29. Golden Rule - Keep to the golden rule "Do unto others as you would want them to do unto you" - that never fails. And keep a smile on your face. It brightens everyone's day.
30. Accountant - Get a good accountant. Someone who knows "their stuff". They must be prepared to "fight" for you if necessary. They must be able to give you attention. They must not be afraid of the Tax Department. Get someone who specialises in small business. Make sure you can get along - that's critical.
31. Lawyer - Ditto as for Accountant plus they must be aggressive and be able to think on their feet. They must hate to lose. Get someone who can talk in plain language - not in legalese. They have to know all the tricks - legally. And they must be organised and sharp.
32. Partners - Be very careful about who you bring in as partners or shareholders. The wrong people will ruin you. They will betray you and try to take your business from you. Keep control of all situations at all times. Make sure you are the Governing Director in your company and draft a Constitution in your favour before these
    Real Estate Marketing Strategies: Using the Law of Attraction to Create Your Ideal Income in 2006
    Did you know that your thoughts and intentions play a big part in your success in 2006? Not only that, but what you choose to focus on determines what you’ll attract?This article describes the Law of Attraction and why it’s so important to master this Law. By learning how to implement the Law of Attraction you’ll be able to create your Ideal Income In 2006.The 5 steps:Step 1: Get clear on what you don’t want.It sounds strange, doesn’t it to focus on what you don’t want? However, that’s what most of us do all the time, unconsciously. In my 30 years of empowering people to reach their goals, I have discovered that most people are focusing on what they don’t want . So, for example, if they have a pile of bills, they’ll focus on their pile of bills and their lack of money. What do they get ? More of what they are focusing on.Step 2: Get clear on what you do want. For, everything that you don’t want, ask yourself, “So what do I want?” By doing that, you are sending signals to your conscious and subconscious mind to bring you more of what you do want. If money is your concern and there is a big contrast between the money you have and the money you want, put your focus on the money you want.Step 3: Create your desire statement.So after you begin focusing on what you do want, write a paragraph describing what you desire. If it’s about mon
    of court action if you can. Use negotiation, mediation or arbitration rather than litigation.
33. Next level - Don't depend on your friends and family. They can help you at the start, but they are not usually the people to get you on to the next level because of their lack of experience and skills.
34. Drawings - Try not to draw too much money out for yourself from the business at the beginning. If you take too much pay from your new venture it could impact on your cash reserves and leave the business with cash flow problems. Take out of the business the minimum that you need.
35. Realistic - Keep your feet on the ground. Don't chase blue-sky potential. Be realistic in all you do. Don't show off. Use your head at all times.
36. Good Products - Make sure you have good products and services. You can't have a business unless you are selling something that buyers want.There is no point going into the marketplace if your products and services are not up to scratch as far as quality or function is concerned. There are many competitors out there and it is tough to win, let alone survive.
37. Cash Flow - Watch your cash flow every day. Monitor the cash that comes in and that goes out. Your cash is essential. Once that's gone - you're gone.
38. Enjoy - Make sure you enjoy the business you are in. If you enjoy what you are doing, you will do it a lot better and a lot faster. It has to be something worth getting out of bed for.
39. Motivation - Because you no longer have to account to anyone but yourself, you must be self-motivated. Get out of bed early every day just as if you had to beat the traffic to work.
40. Determination - Unless you are serious and determined to succeed in your business you will find that little will be achieved. Be "dogged" determined and persevere.
41. Confidence - Be confident in your own abilities. If you have confidence in your ideas and skills there is no reason why you cannot succeed, even alongside the big operators. Get ongoing help, if you can, from a successful business friend and your confidence will grow.
42. Focus - Be focused. Don't be distracted. Keep your eye on the ball.
43. Over-deliver - Always under-promise and over-deliver. There's something about doing more for customers than what you had originally promised. It gives your business and you a good name and reputation.
44. Honesty - Keep your integrity. Don't do what many others do that involve cutting corners. Don't hide behind legal agreements. If it's yes then say YES, If it's no then say NO. Make sure your word is your bond. Keep honest and open. Nothing gives you a better nights sleep.
45. Customers - Focus on your customers. Looking after your customers and pleasing them should be your number one priority. Without customers you've got no business.
46. Skills - Make sure you possess the necessary skills to be able to carry out the type of business that you are contemplating or currently in.
47. Experience - Even though it is not critical, possessing a little experience in accounting or business or finance will be a great help.
48. Work - Work Hard. You will need to put in a few more hours at the beginning and for the first year or two. Tell your family and friends about this so they will understand and help you wherever possible.
49. Pay your bills - Always pay your bills on time. Get a good name for it. Be faithful in this area and your suppliers will be able to trust you when you need more credit at certain times.
50. Discount - If you pay early ask for a discount. In fact always ask for a discount when you buy anything. Most will give you a discount for cash. Discounts add up. No one pays the full retail price nowadays anyway.
51. Tax - There are many things you can do to minimise your tax. See a good tax specialist if your accountant doesn't specialise in this area. Never delay your tax payments because penalties from the tax department can be pretty heavy.
52. Records - Make sure your records are absolutely fantastic. Keep all your communication and emails. Keep every receipt. Take a copy of all documents. Lose nothing. They will "save your bacon" one day when you have a court case and you just happen to have a copy of that important piece of paper in your files.
53. Hours - Keep to proper hours. If you burn the midnight oil everyone looses out. Your family, your friends, your kids and you. You will not be rested so your performance will suffer the next day.
54. Learn - Get to know a little about business and the principles of finance, sales and profit. Read as much as you can on these subjects. Attend courses. Go to seminars. Learn and learn and learn. You cannot learn enough about business.
55. Staff - Take your time in picking good staff. They will be the biggest asset in your business. Promote only to character. Character is never wrong. Dismiss those who do not work as they will not produce. Reward those who deserve it. Treat staff fairly.
56. Golden Rule - Keep to the golden rule "Do unto others as you would want them to do unto you" - that never fails. And keep a smile on your face. It brightens everyone's day.
57. Accountant - Get a good accountant. Someone who knows "their stuff". They must be prepared to "fight" for you if necessary. They must be able to give you attention. They must not be afraid of the Tax Department. Get someone who specialises in small business. Make sure you can get along - that's critical.
58. Lawyer - Ditto as for Accountant plus they must be aggressive and be able to think on their feet. They must hate to lose. Get someone who can talk in plain language - not in legalese. They have to know all the tricks - legally. And they must be organised and sharp.
59. Partners - Be very careful about who you bring in as partners or shareholders. The wrong people will ruin you. They will betray you and try to take your business from you. Keep control of all situations at all times. Make sure you are the Governing Director in your company and draft a Constitution in your favour before these
    Why Your Company Needs An E-Mail Policy
    Everyone at the office thought that using the company e-mail system to share jokes and funny stories was great fun. That is, until one offended employee decided to sue his employer for having helped to create a hostile work environment.Employee access to E-mail and the Internet can help to streamline communication among employees, and between employees and customers. But, just like conversations or information communicated on paper, E-mail messages have the power to create significant liability issues for employers who fail to adequately supervise how the medium is being used.Here are just a few of the risks that unregulated access to E-mail and the Internet can create:Loss Of Proprietary Company Information: Most business owners are extremely careful about the distribution of hard copies of company confidential information, and take great pains to ensure that such materials are kept secure. But, an ill-intentioned employee can easily attach electronic copies of confidential materials to outgoing e-mails, all from the comfort and convenience of their own computer terminal.Wrongful Access To Proprietary Information Of Others: Just as your proprietary information can easily slip into the hands of others, so too can employees tap into the confidential information of other companies, or misuse their copyrighted or trademarked properties. Such actions can place your company in the direct path
    nyone but yourself, you must be self-motivated. Get out of bed early every day just as if you had to beat the traffic to work.
60. Determination - Unless you are serious and determined to succeed in your business you will find that little will be achieved. Be "dogged" determined and persevere.
61. Confidence - Be confident in your own abilities. If you have confidence in your ideas and skills there is no reason why you cannot succeed, even alongside the big operators. Get ongoing help, if you can, from a successful business friend and your confidence will grow.
62. Focus - Be focused. Don't be distracted. Keep your eye on the ball.
63. Over-deliver - Always under-promise and over-deliver. There's something about doing more for customers than what you had originally promised. It gives your business and you a good name and reputation.
64. Honesty - Keep your integrity. Don't do what many others do that involve cutting corners. Don't hide behind legal agreements. If it's yes then say YES, If it's no then say NO. Make sure your word is your bond. Keep honest and open. Nothing gives you a better nights sleep.
65. Customers - Focus on your customers. Looking after your customers and pleasing them should be your number one priority. Without customers you've got no business.
66. Skills - Make sure you possess the necessary skills to be able to carry out the type of business that you are contemplating or currently in.
67. Experience - Even though it is not critical, possessing a little experience in accounting or business or finance will be a great help.
68. Work - Work Hard. You will need to put in a few more hours at the beginning and for the first year or two. Tell your family and friends about this so they will understand and help you wherever possible.
69. Pay your bills - Always pay your bills on time. Get a good name for it. Be faithful in this area and your suppliers will be able to trust you when you need more credit at certain times.
70. Discount - If you pay early ask for a discount. In fact always ask for a discount when you buy anything. Most will give you a discount for cash. Discounts add up. No one pays the full retail price nowadays anyway.
71. Tax - There are many things you can do to minimise your tax. See a good tax specialist if your accountant doesn't specialise in this area. Never delay your tax payments because penalties from the tax department can be pretty heavy.
72. Records - Make sure your records are absolutely fantastic. Keep all your communication and emails. Keep every receipt. Take a copy of all documents. Lose nothing. They will "save your bacon" one day when you have a court case and you just happen to have a copy of that important piece of paper in your files.
73. Hours - Keep to proper hours. If you burn the midnight oil everyone looses out. Your family, your friends, your kids and you. You will not be rested so your performance will suffer the next day.
74. Learn - Get to know a little about business and the principles of finance, sales and profit. Read as much as you can on these subjects. Attend courses. Go to seminars. Learn and learn and learn. You cannot learn enough about business.
75. Staff - Take your time in picking good staff. They will be the biggest asset in your business. Promote only to character. Character is never wrong. Dismiss those who do not work as they will not produce. Reward those who deserve it. Treat staff fairly.
76. Golden Rule - Keep to the golden rule "Do unto others as you would want them to do unto you" - that never fails. And keep a smile on your face. It brightens everyone's day.
77. Accountant - Get a good accountant. Someone who knows "their stuff". They must be prepared to "fight" for you if necessary. They must be able to give you attention. They must not be afraid of the Tax Department. Get someone who specialises in small business. Make sure you can get along - that's critical.
78. Lawyer - Ditto as for Accountant plus they must be aggressive and be able to think on their feet. They must hate to lose. Get someone who can talk in plain language - not in legalese. They have to know all the tricks - legally. And they must be organised and sharp.
79. Partners - Be very careful about who you bring in as partners or shareholders. The wrong people will ruin you. They will betray you and try to take your business from you. Keep control of all situations at all times. Make sure you are the Governing Director in your company and draft a Constitution in your favour before these
    Small Business Plan - Are You Financially Ready?
    If you are planning to quit from your paycheck job in order to prepare a business plan and go into business, it is important to ask yourself whether you are financially ready for it.Running out of money is a very serious problem that you must consider in your business plan as many new business owners come across it. It can be so serious as to cause the business to fail and the owners to just give up the idea of being their own bosses and go back to a paycheck job. Thus, before you take the plunge, make sure you have enough cash or will be able to raise whatever you need when you need it.How much money would someone like you need to leave your job and go into business? Working this out is not as easy as it may first appear to be in your business plan; in addition to the money that you need to start your business, you will also need to set aside some funds to support yourself and your dependents until the business is able to generate enough income. Estimating when this is going to happen is far from easy.Many aspiring entrepreneurs fail to take the plunge as they think that; they 'do not have enough capital'. They think that they must have this certain amount of money (rather large, usually) before they can do it.Well, this is not true. Yes, you do need some capital to start a business, but how much you need will depend on the business you intend to go into, how you are going to run it and t
    possessing a little experience in accounting or business or finance will be a great help.
80. Work - Work Hard. You will need to put in a few more hours at the beginning and for the first year or two. Tell your family and friends about this so they will understand and help you wherever possible.
81. Pay your bills - Always pay your bills on time. Get a good name for it. Be faithful in this area and your suppliers will be able to trust you when you need more credit at certain times.
82. Discount - If you pay early ask for a discount. In fact always ask for a discount when you buy anything. Most will give you a discount for cash. Discounts add up. No one pays the full retail price nowadays anyway.
83. Tax - There are many things you can do to minimise your tax. See a good tax specialist if your accountant doesn't specialise in this area. Never delay your tax payments because penalties from the tax department can be pretty heavy.
84. Records - Make sure your records are absolutely fantastic. Keep all your communication and emails. Keep every receipt. Take a copy of all documents. Lose nothing. They will "save your bacon" one day when you have a court case and you just happen to have a copy of that important piece of paper in your files.
85. Hours - Keep to proper hours. If you burn the midnight oil everyone looses out. Your family, your friends, your kids and you. You will not be rested so your performance will suffer the next day.
86. Learn - Get to know a little about business and the principles of finance, sales and profit. Read as much as you can on these subjects. Attend courses. Go to seminars. Learn and learn and learn. You cannot learn enough about business.
87. Staff - Take your time in picking good staff. They will be the biggest asset in your business. Promote only to character. Character is never wrong. Dismiss those who do not work as they will not produce. Reward those who deserve it. Treat staff fairly.
88. Golden Rule - Keep to the golden rule "Do unto others as you would want them to do unto you" - that never fails. And keep a smile on your face. It brightens everyone's day.
89. Accountant - Get a good accountant. Someone who knows "their stuff". They must be prepared to "fight" for you if necessary. They must be able to give you attention. They must not be afraid of the Tax Department. Get someone who specialises in small business. Make sure you can get along - that's critical.
90. Lawyer - Ditto as for Accountant plus they must be aggressive and be able to think on their feet. They must hate to lose. Get someone who can talk in plain language - not in legalese. They have to know all the tricks - legally. And they must be organised and sharp.
91. Partners - Be very careful about who you bring in as partners or shareholders. The wrong people will ruin you. They will betray you and try to take your business from you. Keep control of all situations at all times. Make sure you are the Governing Director in your company and draft a Constitution in your favour before these
    Friendships Getting in the Way of Selling
    Developing relationships with your prospect is important but if you are constantly making friends and not selling anything then perhaps you are worrying about your diminishing commission pay checks and you need to think about time management with whom you are dealing with.It is fine to have friends and yes the people you meet in business can become personal friends, but if you are going around making friends all the time with everyone you meet but are not moving the sales process along you will not make any money or sales and then who will want you as a friend, as you will be a leach who never has the money to pay for anything. Gee whiz, who needs any more friends like that?Please if you are going to do sales do sales and being friends is nice indeed, but there is a time for work and a time for play. You need to listen to the prospect and make sure your products and services are indeed what they are looking for.You need to make sure that they are interested in what you are selling and move the sales process forward. If not and you decide they are indeed great people and you just want to be friends then do it.But either way you have an obligation to your company and yourself to move the sales process forward or move on and stop wasting everyone’s time. Please consider this in 2006.
    and the principles of finance, sales and profit. Read as much as you can on these subjects. Attend courses. Go to seminars. Learn and learn and learn. You cannot learn enough about business.
92. Staff - Take your time in picking good staff. They will be the biggest asset in your business. Promote only to character. Character is never wrong. Dismiss those who do not work as they will not produce. Reward those who deserve it. Treat staff fairly.
93. Golden Rule - Keep to the golden rule "Do unto others as you would want them to do unto you" - that never fails. And keep a smile on your face. It brightens everyone's day.
94. Accountant - Get a good accountant. Someone who knows "their stuff". They must be prepared to "fight" for you if necessary. They must be able to give you attention. They must not be afraid of the Tax Department. Get someone who specialises in small business. Make sure you can get along - that's critical.
95. Lawyer - Ditto as for Accountant plus they must be aggressive and be able to think on their feet. They must hate to lose. Get someone who can talk in plain language - not in legalese. They have to know all the tricks - legally. And they must be organised and sharp.
96. Partners - Be very careful about who you bring in as partners or shareholders. The wrong people will ruin you. They will betray you and try to take your business from you. Keep control of all situations at all times. Make sure you are the Governing Director in your company and draft a Constitution in your favour before these people come in. Retain majority shareholding and keep directorship within your family or trusted associates. Make no one a director or partner unless they are totally loyal to you.
97. Spouse - Don't leave your spouse or partner out of things. Men need to know that their wives have a special ability to see the details which they often miss. Woman's intuition? It's there and it works. Ladies, your man is great at seeing the big picture. Best working as a team.
98. Passion - Be passionate about what you do. You have God-given abilities and they'll show through in your passion. Keep your passion. When nothing else gets you through, passion will.
99. Live - Make sure you make a life and not just a living. Having a business should be long-term. It should be the investment for your retirement and an inheritance for your children and grandchildren. It has to be something that creates a life for you, not just a living.
100. Stress - Watch out for worry and stress. Keep a calm attitude. Try being laid back. Learn how to relax. Take care of yourself. If the business loses you it loses its most valuable asset. Tomorrow's another day remember.
101. Goals - Don't ever forget why you went into business in the first place. Now and then check up on yourself. What were your original goals? Are you still on track? Do your goals still excite you? If business no longer does it for you then it may be time for a change.
102. Health - Keep yourself healthy and fit. Lose weight if you need to. Work in an early walk or gym session daily. Don't diet but develop better eating habits and lifestyle. Shortcuts don't work. Get to bed before 10 so you can get in at least 7-8 hrs sleep. Make changes that would be with you forever. "There's no change if there's no change".
103. Rise Early - Start the day early. Get up before dawn while the family are still asleep. Wash your face, grab a "cuppa" and enjoy the morning. Have a quiet time for yourself and reflect on things. Be thankful for the new day. Rising early helps you to take control. Your mind is clear in the morning. Before 6 am is good. There's something about getting up early.
104. Joy - Keep happy inside. Go with the proverb "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine".
105. Family - Don't lose your family in your effort to get ahead. When you have become a millionaire it's not your money that will bring you happiness - it will be your family. Keep close to your kids. Be their rock. They need a secure hideout. Be the one person they know will always stand for them when no one else will give them a prayer. Love and respect your wife (or husband or partner) above all others. He or she is your greatest business ally. Value your family. Make sure they are there for you when you've reached the top by making sure you are there for them during your climb. Remember, No Business is worth it.
106. Never Quit - If you fall or have fallen get up again. Don't stay down. Bounce back. Look up. "Two men looked out of prison bars - one saw mud the other saw stars". It depends where you look, up or down. No matter what you have gone through there will always be hope. Without hope life is hopeless. Never give up - ever.

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