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1. Get smart before you start or invest in a business.  Have at least a basic understanding of business management, marketing, advertising, sales, law, accounting and finance.  Knowledge is power and applied knowledge is powerful.
2. Always research your business opportunity before making any large financial investments.
3. Know exactly what you are doing and why you are doing it before you take action.  Do not operate on guesswork or blindly trust or count on others to represent your best legal and financial interests.
4. Never sign any documents without legal review first.  When signing contracts always write "subject to attorney's approval" right above your signature, then sign the document. In this way, the contract will not be binding on you if your attorney does not approve the contract or deal.
5. You can form a mastermind group by giving away stock or interest in your business in exchange for the professional services of an attorney and/or accountant.  Always try and keep 51% of the controlling interest in a business. Pack your board of directors in this way and do so on a performance agreement--they perform over time, they get stock.
6. Either you will control chaos or chaos will control you.  Always "think systems" for your business operations and develop them while your business is young or just starting.  Think ahead, create standard operating procedures (SOP's) for each function of your business.  By doing so, you will organize business activity into written SOP's which can be followed by people you hire to do things the way you want.  This is how franchises work, by documented systems.
7. Always prepare a formal type written business plan for any new business idea.  In this way, you will gain a clear perspective of your business and be ready to raise investment capital if you so choose.
8. Always perform thorough research supporting all elements of your business plan, emphasis The Market.
9. Your first goal of a new business is to perform a successful market test to prove sales. By doing so, you are more likely to succeed and save money in the long run.  Successful test results can be used to raise capital with your business plan.
10. Do not over estimate sales and under estimate costs, a common mistake of entrepreneurs.  A good rule of thumb is that costs will be at least 50% of sales revenue.

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• Starting or running a business is one of the largest investments of a lifetime…an investment requiring your time, energy and money to succeed in today’s competitive market.
•  80% of new businesses will fail within the first two years. Why? Failures are primarily due to a lack of business planning and insufficient financial capital coupled with an over estimation of sales and an underestimation of costs. 
• Business start up is the most critical stage of any business. Most new entrepreneurs tend to be large on ideas and small on details and business management. 
• Successful start ups are done methodically, in a controlled manner, not by guesswork. With so much at stake you don’t have time to play games. You don’t have time to waste making costly mistakes. You don’t have time for chaos. You want results fast. Success requires knowledge and experience-it can take years. But not with Smart Books...

Our business kits and books are designed to give you years of experience in only a few hours, overcoming any areas of weakness you may have in business start up, management, marketing, sales and more. Our products bridge the gap between where you are now and where you want to be. It’s chaos or control, success or failure. Which do you choose?  

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