Building Relationships - A crucial element of becoming successful is the ability to build and nurture good relationships. Any business, big or small should be built on foundations consisting of these strong building blocks. Simply put, if you want to get on, make sure you come across as a personable and likeable individual. Generally we all prefer to do business with people that we get along with. Remember that as business grows the need to communicate and network will grow also. The care taken to open that first door should be duplicated again and again.

Understanding Tonality - Mastering good tonality is imperative when conducting business. Speech Inflection for example is very common. The inflection or 'lift' refers to the way the last word of every sentence said is quite literally lifted, as though asking a question or looking for approval. This tends to show a distinct lack of confidence. The opposite is more likely to show confidence and control. Make a point of dropping or 'lowering' the last word of every sentence instead of lifting. You'll immediately sound more confident to the person with whom you are speaking as well as to yourself. Try it now, the results are instant!

Listen and Respond - Listen to what is being said and acknowledge. Some people tend to be so hung up on their own pitch (sometimes due to nerves) that they forget to listen to and acknowledge what has been said to them. Jumping straight in with your own patter as soon as it's 'your turn' to speak can seem as though you aren't really listening, or that you don't value what the other person has to say. It can also seem quite rude. It's always a good idea to listen and discuss by acknowledging what's been said, prior to proceeding with your own agenda.

Business Talk - Whilst taking into account the above tips on tonality for example, conduct yourself on the phone as a business person rather than someone that is blatantly selling goods (even if that is what you are doing). Firstly, people don't like being sold to. Secondly, good business minded people will generally make time to listen to bona fide business propositions that they may well derive value from. So, with this in mind, have business conversations with like minded business people - and not selling pitches.

Four walls and a phone - So in fact the phone is likely to be, at least initially the only contact you have with the outside world. Use it wisely. Never address people as mate or buddy - You don't know them, and more importantly in this case they don't know you. Don't tell them that you'll buzz or bell them back! It's slang and not very respectful towards someone that you wish to do business with. Once you've developed a rapport you are better positioned to bend the rules a bit. It's a good rule of thumb, never go down the familiarity breeds contempt path, especially if you don't know someone.

It's not rocket science - At work, in business or Life, feel better when you get it wrong. Maybe even celebrate it. If you don't make mistakes then you may never amount to anything. If you don't learn from mistakes then you may still not amount to anything. No one ever became a success by doing everything right. It's as important to get things wrong as it is to get them right. It's part of the process that ultimately results in success. The point really is that we all make mistakes, and should learn how to appreciate what's good about them.

Think big to be big - I know someone in the casino business that promoted himself by hiring a Rolls Royce to travel to his first meeting. I'm not for one minute suggesting we all hire expensive cars to make ourselves look successful; but here's an example of the way others perceive us according to how we present ourselves. It's human nature to summarily judge a book by its cover. Be aware of this common trait, and be prepared.

It's a marathon not a sprint - Anyone running a marathon will tell you that they plan their race so that they can reach the finish. Starting and running a business is no different. Treat it like a sprint and the chances are you'll run into problems along the way. Take care to plan your growth steadily. Becoming busy really quickly sounds like a dream, but is also the downfall of so many businesses whose cash flow simply sky rockets out of control due to over trading. It's not always possible to see the obstacles that lay around the corner, but good planning will help you avoid the pitfalls.

Dont punch too far above your weight - Use resource already available to you as far as reasonably possible prior to going down the route of employing more staff or paying for outside assistance. Don't buy so much stock that you'll not be able move it. Organic growth is a wise way to go. As your business grows, so expand your resources as necessary to do so. Outside factors are often responsible for affecting revenue which as a result may go down as well as up. The definition of organic growth is to build based on sales output.

Your credit control department - Credit Control is no longer just a department found in big companies. Every business should dedicate time to credit control. This is absolutely crucial. It's a fact that most companies will hang on to your money for as long as possible. I'm referring to multi nationals every bit as much as small start ups. Most will use your money to subsidise their own businesses which will almost always have a bearing, sometimes catastrophic effect on cash flow. Communicating with your debtors accounts departments should be viewed as a compulsory weekly task.

There's more to this than shaking hands - After securing a deal, regardless of what type of business you're in, ensure to cross the T's and dot the I's. It's important to document how you engage with your customers; in terms of levels of service as well as how you pay and get paid. By this I refer to contractual agreements. Various websites offer an array of agreements to suit many scenarios and requirements. They offer examples to be downloaded. They'll have been vetted by legal professionals and many contain footnotes for guidance.

Be the best in your business - at your business - If it’s your own business, you’ll be confident at whatever it is you do. If you employ others, and intend delegating responsibilities, ensure that whatever it is you ask them to do, you can do it better. It’s called knowing your subject matter inside and out. With the exception of legal and accounting matters, it’s your business and up to you to make a point of being the best and most knowledgeable in all aspects of your company