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By no means is this list exhaustive, these are not the only guidelines, just three important ones.

Choose your clients carefully.

I know I know, when beginning a business, it's easy (and sometimes essential) to chase every single client that is willing to give you money….but sometimes difficult clients can take too much time and energy away from you and good clients. And it can impact your revenue when you need it the most, so choose your clients carefully.

Avoid debt and keep operating expenses down.

When you first start out, it's easy to convince yourself that your idea and business model is the best thing since sliced bread, prompting you to borrow money and spend more than you should, to fulfill your ambitions faster...like buying furniture and computers, hiring staff, marketing, renting an office, etc...

In the first few months of your business, take it slow. Buy the bare minimum. See if your product can sell and how much. And if it's your first business, determine whether or not you like being your own boss first, before dumping a lot of money at the idea of it.

Establishing Trust

Saving the best for last, establishing trust with your clients is HUGE! Without trust, you don't have clients and without clients you don't have a business.

• Under-promise and over-deliver. If the client asks you when you will complete your job, tell her Tuesday, then call her Monday saying it's complete. Or say you'll be finished at 1700 and complete the job by 1500. Your client’s time is precious, as is yours, and they will appreciate you looking out for their time...which builds trust.
• Focus on quality, not speed. This is actually more important than over-delivering, because people will remember quality long after speed is forgotten. If they have to call you and complain that the job was not done well, they might choose your competitor because your competitor “might” do a better job, because they “know” you didn't. A quality job builds trust with your client, that you can do a good job.

In Conclusion.

Building a successful business takes time, and you will make mistakes on the way. If you choose your clients carefully, they will be more understanding when you do make a mistake. If you avoid debt and keep operating expenses down, a mistake will be much easier to financially recover from. And if you focus on building trust and honesty with your clients, any mistakes you do make will be much easier to forgive.

Stay frosty people.