Some people think they need special communication skills in business. Look around you. There are people who have thriving businesses who barely speak English. Occasionally, this lady would call up and chatter for half an hour or more while both of us struggled to understand one another. The telephone conversations were her way of practicing English. She would attend meetings with other owners and whenever she spoke, everyone would look at each other and say “Huh?” No one was quite sure of what she was saying. She is retired now but she had a very successful massage practice. She didn’t conquer the language but that never stopped her.

Things don’t always get to run smoothly. So now you know….big deal. My partner and I had had very little experience before we started a business… we just knew we didn’t want to work for a boss any longer. What you don’t have, you can get but here are some basics. First be certain that you want to be in this industry. Otherwise, you may undermine yourself.

Don’t rush to make a business decision; it is not a matter of life or death. Learn how to listen to your gut. If something doesn’t feel right, either you don’t have enough information to follow through or it simply isn’t right.

Business is business; never react to it emotionally. If people, especially employees, see an owner overwrought in response to business matters, they will lose respect for them. You can be candid and still be cool.

If you’re one of those people that have a hard time saying “no,” practice vocalizing it now. There are a million ways to say it; “Sorry, that’s not possible”…. “No, that doesn’t feel right” and just plain “No.” Be sympathetic but stand your ground.

Stay ahead of your work load. Don’t put things off till the last minute because you don’t know what might come up.

Decide what your bottom line is. The bottom line is what you should base your business decisions on. Part of that bottom line, if not the entire bottom line, has to be the financial consideration because you need money to keep going. You may have many things you want to accomplish with your business and you can, as long as you remember business runs on finances. Sure, there may some areas in this book that make starting a business sound like a big deal. But think about it…you have probably leased a home, paid utilities, bought something (selling is just the other way around) and dealt with licensing…nothing to it. In fact, starting a business is an opportunity to be creative and have some excitement. You don’t have to think about it right now. Let your subconscious chew on it for a while; bon appetit.