As soon as you talk to friends and associates about going into business there will be no shortage of tips, advice and guidance offered to you. It's important to talk with others who have are experienced in business, especially those who have been successful. Think twice about taking advice from anyone in business without a successful track record. This includes advisers whose advice contradicts that given by highly successful business owners.

During the last eighteen months I have carried out several investigations relating to good governance, compliance and fraud. My work has highlighted how easy it is for public and voluntary bodies to become complacent ‘because they think they have the necessary safeguards and systems in place’.

In order to effectively set new business appointments, it is important to determine the goal of your initial telephone call. Many of you would say that your goal is to close the sale. And that is true—closing is your ultimate goal. Closing, however, is not the goal of your first telephone call. When making introductory calls, your goal is to set the appointment and only to set the appointment.