More and more people these days are taking the leap into entrepreneurship. Many of them have either lost their jobs as a result of the struggling economy and are now looking to reinvent themselves as business owners, or are just coming out of school to try their hand at entrepreneurship. As someone who followed a similar path some time ago, I've seen what works (and what doesn't work) in terms of getting a business off the ground. Mistakes are unavoidable. But isn't it true that it's those mistakes that we can learn from, that help us get closer to the successes? Consider these five tried and true strategies when starting your own business:

1. Surround yourself with the right people. Starting a business is challenging enough without having nay-sayers around to kill your confidence. So focus on having family and friends around who will encourage and believe in you. It's also smart to have people around that can offer good ideas, resources and expertise to help you grow your business.
2. Do it anyway. Some people fall into the trap of thinking that everything has to be in place and perfect before launching their business: their website, blog, marketing materials, etc. Some people are fearful of moving forward and use it as an excuse. The fact is that these things will probably never be "perfect." The question to ask yourself is - are they good enough to get the business started? These are things that can be improved or created while you're actually running the business.
3. Sell solutions, not the process. When I started my coaching practice, I soon realized that people weren't all that interested in the coaching process. I really wanted to educate prospective clients of the coaching process and share my enthusiasm for it, but the reality is that most people were more interested in the solutions I could provide. In other words, they were more or less saying (without actually verbalizing it), "I don't care HOW you get me there, just get me there."
4. Keep in touch. Networking is extremely important for anyone, whether a business owner or not. And one of the most important elements of networking is following up and keeping in touch with everyone in your network, particularly clients, potential clients and business partners. Building a successful business depends on building solid relationships.
5. Don't try to do everything. Another trap when starting a business is trying to do everything: going to every networking event, attending every teleclass or workshop, subscribing to every newsletter... you get the idea. Maybe at first that's a good approach, just to explore your options. But eventually it will probably be necessary to eliminate at least some of these activities to avoid being overwhelmed and losing focus.

Which of these do you think would work for your own business? Which are you already doing and what's been the result? Using one or more of these strategies will help provide a firm foundation when building your new career as a business owner!