IT'S AN INSIDE JOB – External success reflects the internal. If you work on your internal, life is a whole lot more enjoyable and your business will most likely thrive in more ways than you think. Stop focusing so much on the external and it will all work out.

FOCUS ON SUSTAINABILITY WITHIN YOUR BUSINESS – Not just sustainability in the environment sense – although that is important. Plan for growth but don’t necessarily aspire for growth. There's nothing wrong with having an incredible small business that provides you with a wonderful lifestyle and a great income. Bigger doesn't necessarily mean better or mean that you're going to make more money. It's often a lot more work for a lot less gain.

THINK ABOUT WHY YOU'RE STARTING A BUSINESS – Who needs your product? Who needs your services? Why are you doing it? This comes back to the first tip – don’t just do it to make money, or to be recognised. I think that's a big one. And that comes back to Little Bird being a ‘values’ business. Businesses that are values-based can create quite a different society. We need more people doing business with values and integrity at the heart of what they’re doing and in doing so provide the community with something positive.

ENJOY WHAT YOU'RE DOING – If you’re new to this, you’re in for a wild ride. Enjoy it, soak it all in and realise that this is one of the best experiences and hardest experiences you'll ever have. I didn’t celebrate the small achievements I made along the way and that may be one of my biggest regrets. This is probably one of the best and hardest experiences you’ll ever have.