Ask any entrepreneur and you’ll get the same answer: starting a business is hard.

The first year in business is toughest, then all of the hard work, blood, sweat and tears begin paying off. But how do you make it through that first year?

1) Be passionate about your product

Your products or services are the reason you’re starting your business in the first place – that unique, life changing benefit that your business adds to the world. If you think that statement is far-fetched, then so will everyone else.

You must start out as and continue to be the most passionate person about your business. Why?

• Passionate people are infectious.
• Your passion and determination will be what drives you to overcome obstacles
• Passion will keep you innovating and improving you product / service.
• And at the very least passion will get you up early and fuel you.

2) Learn your customers

Once you have a great product that you are passionate about you need to know who to sell it to. Customers don’t know that they want your product until you tell them. Henry Ford famously said: “˜If I had asked people what they wanted they would have said faster horses.’

Henry Ford knew what his customers needed more than they did – that’s the key to selling.

3) Stay Focused

Like most entrepreneurs, you dream of taking over the world, right? But it takes time. What you need at the start is focus to help you make each little decision. So make a business plan and stick to it!

4) Finding the right people

Only having one founder is reported to be the number one reason why most start-ups die. You need hard working, positive, trust worthy, can do staff behind you. They’ll need to catch your vision so that they can drive the business with you to success.

If you do these things, I’m not promising it will be easy, because it won’t be – but you will make it through year one with a strong base to build up from.