3) People cannot survive five or six months of negative cash flow.

It is a known fact that most businesses -- including network marketing plans - take many months to begin to pay off. This creates a great deal of difficulty for most people, who really can't afford to wait that long.

So take blinders off, and be discriminating when you are looking at business opportunities. Don't be afraid to look past 'hype' and take a deep look at real numbers - how hard will you have to work, and for how long, before paycheques are worth more than paper they're written on? And speaking of paycheques ...

4) People are driven by MONEY, when they really need to be driven by a MISSION.

We can move mountains when motivated by a real passion for things more noble than money. The passion to help others, for example, produces energy and creativity of greatness. We've heard expression, and it has repeatedly proven true in business - 'do what you love.' The money WILL inevitably follow very closely behind.

Find out what YOUR passion is. What MISSION will drive you to greatest heights in business? Don't settle for anything less, and you WILL reap rewards that are sure to be result!

This may sound strange, but some people still have not learned that a business must profit to survive. Some in business world price their offering so low that no amount of volume will make up for it. Successful businesses price their product or service based on realistic business projections, not hopes or dreams.

BUSINESSES BUILD COMMUNITY

When you become a customer of a successful business you know that you have value to them. They communicate this to you. They have learned perhaps hardest lesson of all; it costs much more to CREATE a customer than to KEEP a customer. Some create a community of users and powerfully cater to needs of their community.

THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT

An unhappy customer will tell far more people about their unhappiness than will satisfied customers share their satisfaction. Prevent problems with customers by staying in contact and responding to requests. If push comes to shove, customer wins, every time. Does it work?

Ask Wal-Mart.

So, how did you do? If you are a little rusty on some of basics remember that you can change that today. If you are missing one or more of these foundational principles, examine yourself and your business today to see how you can build on success of others and carve out your place in world of business.