I was recently attending a conference with several successful entrepreneurs.
The topic was the newest ideas for start up businesses.
While there were some interesting ideas batted around in the seminars, it was the conversations I had with these successful businessmen afterwards that I found the most interesting.
Their experience was varied but they all had very similar advice to give to those just starting out.
The number one tip mentioned was to love what you do.
You must have the drive and passion to build the best business you can if you want a high level of success.
It is not enough to simply hope that things will go well.
You must be willing to do whatever it takes to prove yourself to your customers, your business associates and even those close to you in life.
Another common tip was having a business plan.
Only one of the entrepreneurs I spoke with had ever started a company without a business plan - but it was the only business of his that failed! They couldn't stress this enough - you must know what you're getting into before you get started.
Having benchmarks to achieve is a great way to stay motivated and on task and they don't believe they could have been successful without it.
The common theme among all of these successful entrepreneurs was not just their drive or their business sense.
Every one of them was confident.
You might think that financial success begets confidence but it's actually the opposite.
If you don't believe in yourself and your company, why should anyone else?