What to Do–and Not Do–as a Startup

These seven lessons will help keep you on track during the early stages of your business.

Wouldn’t it be great if someone could give you a "to do" list when you were ready to start your company that would guarantee your success? Even better, what about a "to don’t" list of things to avoid at all costs?

Through experience, I’ve found there are no shortcuts to launching a business–you have to do your homework to understand your customers, competitors, market conditions and risks. But there are some principles I’ve found to be very effective for growing both my company and my clients’ businesses whether they are startups or Fortune 500 corporations, whether they sell consumer products, professional services or technology products.

Even though we are all start from different places, these seven lessons have certainly served me well over the years:

By Paige Arnof-Fenn

Full List: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/0,4621,320574,00.html