This blog in written by, for, and about entrepreneurs, and entrepreneurs, more than most, need to be positive thinkers.

We should always be stressing that the glass is half full, without being blind to the fact that it is also half empty.

On that principle, we ought to balance last week’s list of common mistakes on start up with a list of things that a business can do to give itself an edge even before operations begin:

1   Research, research, research – the best advantage you can give yourself;

2   Think carefully about what research reveals – avoid unnecessary surprises;

3   Talk to potential customers before start up, and, if at all possible, get firm orders before trading starts;

4   Put administrative and financial systems in place that can cope with growth – it may seem ridiculous in the early days to have a system with seven figure order numbers, but it may save having to change the whole system later;

5   Negotiate lines of credit before you need them, even if it seems you will never need them – no new business was ever overcapitalised;

6   Whether or not you have a formal business plan, make sure your purpose, objectives, and strategy are clear in your own mind;

7   Focus on securing the part of the market that is most realistic for you before you go on to pursue your dreams of world conquest;

8   Make sure in advance that your chains of command and your basic operating systems are clear to all;

9   Organise other aspects of your life so that you are able to concentrate on your business during the crucial early stages; and

10   The expense of a formal launch is usually best avoided, but if you decide yours is one of the few businesses that really needs one, it is false economy to do it on the cheap – you have to splash out if you want to make any impact at all.