Promotional pens certainly do a great job for a business but the human element is vital too. Here is Jerry Kaplan, a highly successful entrepreneur, giving his 5 tips for creating a successful business.

This is all simple stuff but how easy it is to sidestep these things and thus put ourselves and business in a danger they need not be.

1. Have clear goals. Very clear vision of what you want to achieve and where you want your business to go, it is never enough just to set off and hope. Write down your plan and look at it often.

2. Letting your ego run wild. Especially younger entrepreneurs can suffer from this one, from my lofty 60+ years and with two successful businesses behind me, I can just about afford to say that. Go into business to help others, solve their problems and sell things they really need – absolutely not to show how great you are.

3. Just doing it for the money. Sounds a bit odd this one, we all want our business to make money of course, but if that is your only aim you will likely fail. Businesses that set out to help other people have a wider remit than pure money making aims, they encompass more and get more assistance along the way.

4. Don’t hire people like you. Wow, that is a tough one but true nontheless. We do tend to hire people who are like us, we recognise them in a way and feel comfortable with them. However we should be hiring people we need and if we don’t like them, tough, as long as they do a good job and fill in the gaps of what we can do, then grab them fast. You can get along with people you would not socialise with if they are helping you to your goal.

5. Time to let go? When is that I wonder? Well there comes a time when your business start up grows and the skills you needed to set it up and nurture it are absolutely not the same ones you will need to keep running it. I found this the hard way with business number one, I found that not only did I hate the day to day running of it, but I wasn’t much good at it either. Your skills may have got you where you are but be sure to step aside for people who are great at running a business, they probably would be no use at starting and building one. Be realistic in your self assessment and try to end up as Vice President in your own company doing what you love and let others take the credit and run it for you.

I hope these five tips will help you focus on what to do and where to aim in your business.