Sam is an expert in a particular emerging technology. Spurred on by the growth predictions for the technology, he decided to mortgage his house, resign from his job and set up his own business. Sales were slow to build and he couldn’t quite understand why until a friend in the pub told him: ‘People aren’t interested in the technical argument,’ his friend told him, ‘they simply want you to say it’ll work and focus on the cost saving.’

Moral: Don’t tell your prospect things they don’t really want to know. Let them make the running and once they seem satisfied, shut up! People buy you first and your product or service second

No matter what anyone tells you, hiring your first employee is the most traumatic growth spurt any business can experience. When life’s that frantic, your inclination is not to be a tough negotiator in those recruitment interviews; Electrician Chris was a pushover when he simply ran out of hours in the day. He took on Jason, with whom he'd worked before and agreed to all Jason's demands - then later realised Jason was earning more than he was.

Moral: Take time to do the sums before hiring your first employee. Make sure you can afford it, want to grow and not simply start turning work away and recognise that supervising someone new will take up your time.