Do at least one thing that makes you uncomfortable every day. Maybe it's making a dozen cold calls to drum up some business. Maybe it's clearing up clutter in your office. Maybe it's giving a presentation to a new client.

Successful people force themselves to do things unsuccessful people don't do.

(No one said this was supposed to be easy.)

6. Market your business every day: repetition counts

Marketing your business never stops. Your prospects will need to hear your message many times before they remember your name.

You'll need to get in touch with current clients consistently too.

7. Trust your intuition

Always go with your gut instinct. In fact, make it a rule that you never sign an agreement without sleeping on it first.

If you're thinking that you don't have intuition, you do. Everyone does. To access your intuition, start paying more attention to feelings in your body as you go through your day. The tightness in your belly, crick in your neck, and pain at back of your eyeballs are trying to tell you something.

Your intuition lives in your body. It's your (un)common sense. Pay attention to it.

8. Trust your dreams

You can access your intuition about your health, other people, and life situations more easily if you pay attention to your dreams.

You don't need to become a New Age flake, but if your dreams consistently feature floods, fires and earthquakes, it may be wise to pay attention to warnings you're being given.

Consider your dreams your early-warning radar.

9. Don't buy into limitation

How are you limiting yourself?

We all place limits on ourselves. What would you do if you knew, absolutely, without any doubt at all, that you could not fail?

Write down five things you would do if you knew you couldn't fail. Can you turn them into goals and make plans to achieve them?

10. Stay passionate

If you're not passionate about your business, you might as well be working in a regular job.

So if you've lost your passion, get it back. Do some thinking and writing. Write down answers to following questions:

Why are you working in your own business? What do you hope to achieve? Where will your business be next year, and in five years? What are you grateful for? What can you offer others? What do you love?

(The writing part is important.)

***Resource box: if using, please include***

When your words sound good, you sound good. Author and copywriter Angela Booth crafts words for your business --- words to sell, educate or persuade. Free ezines: http://www.digital-e.biz/

Working in your own business is basically no different from working for someone else, but you'll have a stricter boss.

If you're working for someone else, moonlighting in your own business for a year or two is ideal. Your primary employment keeps wolf from door, so you'll be able to relax because your bills will get paid. However, it's vital that you treat your moonlighting efforts as if you were working in a second job.

That is, you need to show up on time, you need to put in a set number of hours, you need to work when you've got a headache, when you're not in mood, when you'd rather be watching TV or going to movies or taking your children to soccer practice.

=> You need courage

Many people want to start their own business. Few actually do it. And fewer still stick with it for more than a year or two.

Starting and running your own business takes courage. You need to believe in yourself. How do you get that belief?

You get it by being scared, and doing what you need to do anyway. Courage isn't being fearless, it's acting in spite of your fear.

=> You need to shut up

DO NOT talk about what you're going to do, or are doing. Everyone, from your family and friends to most casual of acquaintances will take immense pleasure in telling you why your business won't work. They'll tell you in extreme detail, too.

Take attitude that if they're not funding your business, their opinions and advice are irrelevant.

None of these people mean to hurt you or your new business, but they will. Why? Because explaining yourself and your plans takes energy. You can put that energy to much better use in by quietly working in your business.

If you need advice, talk to someone who's SUCCESSFULLY doing what you want to do. You may need to pay for their advice. If so, look on it as money well spent.

Good luck, and remember that today is day. You'll never get a better day to start your business.

***Resource box: if using, please include***

Veteran multi-published author and copywriter Angela Booth crafts words for your business --- words to sell, educate or persuade. E-books and e-courses on Web site. FREE ezines for writers and small biz: http://www.digital-e.biz/