Starting a business can be a bit of gamble, along with hard work and great clients.  Over the past 20 years we’ve learned a few tricks to keep up our sleeves, and in the words of Kenny Rogers….

You've got to know when to hold 'em

Relationships are the best asset you have in business — with your clients, employees, contractors, and suppliers.  Value them and maintain them.

Know when to fold 'em

Outsource the things you're not good at or don't enjoy.  The job will get done quicker and better than if you try to do it yourself.  Your time is worth it.

Know when to walk away

Take a break.  Whether that's a holiday or a coffee.  And if you work from home, remember to leave the house once in a while.

And know when to run

You can't manage all clients’ expectations.  When you get some unhappy feedback, do your best to fix the issue and reset.  Sometimes it doesn't matter what you do — there's no winning, so cut and run early.

You never count your money while you're sittin' at the table

Know your accounts and protect yourself from fraud.  Options are available at software and banking stages so the work can still be done by someone else, but you still have final approval.

There'll be time for enough for countin' when the dealin's done

Pay your tax, and if you can't, get in touch with IRD (they're not the bad guys you might think they are).  And if you don't want to deal with it, see Know when to fold' em!