78 Entrepreneurial Tips for Success in a Small Business These success tips represent first hand knowledge and experience which I have gained in my business career spanning over 30 years. To a large extent, small business failures stem from not learning from others mistakes. Instead of reinventing the wheel, just changing the spokes, may be all that is required for a successful idea to take hold.. The challenge is in execution, that is what separates the successes from the failures. These tips are geared to help you do the right things and execute effectively.

1. 78 Entrepreneurial Tips for Success
in a Small Business
By Dennis Zink
Serial Entrepreneur
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Copyright © April, 2013
All rights reserved

2. 1 Cash is king –
Thou Shall Not Run Out Of Cash

3. 2. Don't Reinvent The Wheel
Just Change The Spokes
(practice legit plagiarism)

4. 3. Just say No!
Don't spend money on
what you don't need (ie: fancy cars)

5. 4. Prioritize
Do first things first
and second things never

6. 5. Sometimes the numbers just
don't add up!

7. 6. Don't dig a deep hole
Do what you can yourself

8. 7. Hire only when you must
Need 1 1/2 persons before you hire 1

9. 8. Don't fall in love
with your business, house...
(Love people - not things)

10. 9. Do the business research yourself
You must internalize it

11. 10. Inspect what you expect
from others

12. 11. The boss should be
the top salesman
Stay in touch with clients

13. 12. About right now
is better than exactly wrong later

14. 13. Hire smart
rather than manage tough

15. 14. Do the right thing
Rather than things right

16. 15. Hire for attitude,
train for skills

17. 16. Pull the plug
if and when you know it's not working

18. 17. To solve a problem,
you have to be aware of the problem

19. 18. Count everything,
then figure out if it's worth counting

20. 19. Have your list of essential numbers
and track them constantly

21. 20. Try to improve just a little,
maybe just one thing, every day

22. 21. Bet on the person
with past successes in the industry

23. 22. Try to know
what you don't know

24. 23. Solve the right problems

25. 24. Nobody cares how much you
know, until they know how much
you care – about them

26. 25. Use written goal setting

27. 26. Do a comprehensive Business Plan
Constantly revise & update

28. 27. Think outside the box
and inside the box

29. 28. Network constantly

30. 29. Work on your business,
not in your business

31. 30. Concentrate on the customer,
the rewards will come

32. 31. Pay yourself first
Based on replacement theory

33. 32. You become what you think about

34. 33. Use visualization
to accomplish goals

35. 34. Concentrate on
what you can control

36. 35. Have trusted friends
to bounce ideas off

37. 36. Dig your well
before you’re thirsty

38. 37. Little things mean big things

39. 38. Agreements prevent
disagreements

40. 39. If you can afford to buy your way
out of a problem,
you don’t have a problem

41. 40. Know the competition

42. 41. Quality is whatever is
perceived by the customer

43. 42. Have superior information
Knowledge is power, only if you use it

44. 43. Why be an entrepreneur?
– Survey results:
• 1. Control your lives
• 2. Be your own boss
• 3. I want to prove I can do it
• 4. The desire to create something new
• 5. Money making $

45. 44. Be honest
Especially with yourself

46. 45. Know your subject
Be an expert

47. 46. Prove it for yourself
Don’t listen to others

48. 47. Don’t let ego
affect good business sense

49. 48. Concentrate
It can be done

50. 49. Clean your desk
after every day

51. 50. Remember the 80/20 rule
• 80% of your business
comes from 20% of your
clients

52. 51. Have clearly defined
strategic objectives

53. 52. Analyze the market
and buying decision behavior

54. 53. Analyze the competition’s
strengths & vulnerabilities

55. 54. Identify critical elements
that will influence your success

56. 55. Prioritize chronologically by ROI
(Return on Investment)

57. 56. Initiate immediate decisive action

58. 57. Strategic plans must:
be easy, quick, capable of producing
immediate results

59. 58. Work for yourself

60. 59. Do something you enjoy

61. 60. If you have a specialized education
Use it

62. 61. Find a void or vacuum and fill it

63. 62. Research your ideas carefully

64. 63. Concentrate on what is unique

65. 64. Be aware of the gaps
in your knowledge

66. 65. Make connections
between diverse facts

67. 66. Think convergently
to solve problems (drill down >)
Inside the box

68. 67. Think divergently
to ponder possibilities (< broad based)
outside the box

69. 68. Avoid information overload

70. 69. Experiment with new approaches

71. 70. Recognize a lucky break and use it

72. 71. Expect to work long hours
and make sacrifices

73. 72. Be passionate

74. 73. Publicize your successes

75. 74. Don’t think about making a million

76. 75. Keep employees happy

77. 76. Meet with your competition

78. 77. Keep learning

79. 78. Focus on doing the
three most important things to
succeed (re-evaluate)

80. 79. More to come later