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 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.
33. 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.
34. Passion - Be passionate about what you do. You have God-given abilities and they'll show through in your passion. Keep you
    Financing A Business For Expansion
    A start up business is often funded by one or more of personal savings, loans from relatives or use of credit card debt. These sources are used first because they are usually readily available. Family loans are often available at no or low interest cost and repayments are usually very flexible.However these sources of business finance have shortcomings. Personal savings and family loans are usually limited in amount. While it is possible to extend credit card limits, the cost of credit card debt is high, with interest rates between 10% and 19% pa. Record keeping for income tax purposes is also more complicated if the same credit card is used for both business and personal expenses.So, while the initial sources of finance help establish a business, at some point the proprietors may have a need to expand their business. High demand for a product may require investment in more stock or in a manufacturing capability. Extending the business to a wider market may entail additional advertising. High growth in a service business can lead to employing (additional) staff. Any of these reasons for business expansion requires additional funds. The limitations or expense of start up finance makes it unsuitable for business expansion.A sometimes overlooked source of additional finance is borrowing or extending a loan against property. Many business owners are also home owners. While the home usually still has a mort
    > - 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.
35. 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.
36. 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.
37. 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.
38. 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.
39. 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.
40. 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.
41. 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.
42. 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.
43. Focus - Be focused. Don't be distracted. Keep your eye on the ball.
44. 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.
45. 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.
46. 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.
47. 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.
48. Experience - Even though it is not critical, possessing a little experience in accounting or business or finance will be a great help.
49. 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.
50. 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.
51. 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.
52. 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.
53. 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.
54. 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.
55. 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.
56. 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.
57. 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.
58. 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.
59. 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.
60. 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.
61. 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.
62. Passion - Be passionate about what you do. You have God-given abilities and they'll show through in your passion. Keep yo
    Increase Your Profits by Switching to Daytime Cleaning
    Traditionally, janitorial staffs clean buildings after business hours. But some businesses are realizing a substantial cost savings by allowing cleaning staff to work during daytime hours. Daytime cleaning may require the purchase of quieter vacuums and other specialized equipment; however, the minor up-front investment that is needed can lead to huge paybacks for your cleaning company!Daytime cleaning may not be suitable for all of your buildings. However, it is worth looking at the advantages of daytime cleaning to see if it is suitable for any of the locations that your business is responsible to clean.1. Reduced employee turnover rates. Most people prefer to work day shifts. This is because of several factors including better access to transportation, and having the evenings to spend with family. As well as keeping employees on staff longer, offering daytime shifts makes recruitment for new employees easier.2. There can be a substantial cost savings by allowing janitorial staff to clean during the day. Businesses may be paying day porters, maintenance personnel, or even property managers to stock restrooms. This can be eliminated if your crews are allowed to clean and restock supplies during daytime hours. Added cost savings result as lights do not have to be turned on at night for the nighttime cleaning crew. Large buildings have been able to save several thousand dollars in electricity costs b
    little will be achieved. Be "dogged" determined and persevere.
63. 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.
64. Focus - Be focused. Don't be distracted. Keep your eye on the ball.
65. 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.
66. 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.
67. 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.
68. 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.
69. Experience - Even though it is not critical, possessing a little experience in accounting or business or finance will be a great help.
70. 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.
71. 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.
72. 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.
73. 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.
74. 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.
75. 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.
76. 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.
77. 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.
78. 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.
79. 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.
80. 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.
81. 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.
82. 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.
83. Passion - Be passionate about what you do. You have God-given abilities and they'll show through in your passion. Keep yo
    Registered Office - Your Business Requires One
    For those who wish to open a new business or run a limited company, Registered office is a stepping stone. This is a mandatory requirement for all kinds of businesses. Although your registered office need not be the place from where you run your business, it should be in a place that has a valid address. You can have such an office in UK, Wales or Scotland.A registered office is the address you have to register with the Companies House. This address is entered in the public records as well.The address also needs to be displayed in front of the office on the company signboard. And also the products of the company should have this address on it. the company letterhead must containAll the official correspondence is carried out at this official address. For example, the mails from government offices to the company are addressed to your official address.All the mails from Companies Home are sent to this address. The company secretary is supposed to respond to these mails as and when necessary. Any change in office must be informed to the Companies house.registered office can be a very beneficial proposition for your business. This is so because if you manage to get a registered office in a commercial and a famous area, your visibility is higher and your target customers will come to know o
    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.
84. 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.
85. 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.
86. 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.
87. 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.
88. 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.
89. 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.
90. 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.
91. 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.
92. 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.
93. 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.
94. 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.
95. Passion - Be passionate about what you do. You have God-given abilities and they'll show through in your passion. Keep yo
    Top 5 Low Cost Ways To Get More Sales Leads And Sell More Without Cold Calling
    Cold calling may now be outdated. People have become defensive to cold calls and not many respond to them anymore. Cold calling is now about rejection, getting rejected call after call until many salespeople, especially B2B salespeople, just get fed up and quit. There are other methods of generating business leads without cold calling, and many of them inexpensive and not too time consuming.Here is my list of getting more sales leads and selling more without cold calling:1. Create a website and advertise it. In this day and age, there is no reason why a business professional or entrepreneur should not have a website. Not having a budget for it is no excuse as you can, now, create your own website for under $100. For example, you can buy a domain name and website building software on godaddy.com for under $100, and that comes with easy to use website templates that anybody can use to build their own website. And, advertising is now cheap and easy as well. You can buy first page listings on google.com through Goggle AdWords. For example, if you were a commercial insurance broker in Portland you can buy a listing on Google for just 5 cents a click for the search phrase “Portland business insurance.” This means it would cost just 5 cents for each visitor Google brings to your website.2. A new online sales lead generation website is trade-pals.com. Here, it is free to create a professional business profile
    - 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.
96. 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.
97. 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.
98. 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.
99. 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.
100. 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.
101. 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.
102. 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.
103. 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.
104. 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".
105. 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.
106. Joy - Keep happy inside. Go with the proverb "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine".
107. 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.
108. 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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