Every start-up company is unique, but they will encounter many of the same challenges and obstacles.  I have worked with many types of entrepreneurs in the start-up stage.  Based on my work with these entrepreneurs, the five following things emerged as those that every start-up must consider.

Follow the Advice of those who have gone ahead of you and it can save you time, money, and hardship when getting your business off the ground.  Early stage start-ups need to address critical aspects of the business including structure, documentation, intellectual property, terms, and focus.

​There is an overwhelming amount of literature on habits.  Every author seems to have a different perspective, but most seem to agree that habits cannot be “broken.”  Rather, they must be replaced.
A lot of people have the habit of multitasking, checking social media, and becoming distracted.  If this is you, read on!
 
As I have mentioned before, most people can get 80% of their work done using only 20% of their efforts.  For instance, I have to read a dense section on wills and trusts law this morning.  This reading will take me about one hour.  However, before I replaced my social media/multitasking habit with deep, productive work habits, the reading might have taken me three hours.  I might have read five pages, checked Facebook, texted a friend, read another page, browsed my inbox, etc.

​Even with a legal degree, I am guilty of clicking agree to user terms or a privacy policy without reading all the terms.  I bet you are guilty of this too.  Just because you are guilty of clicking agree once, does not mean you should do it when you are signing a contract that obligates you to something big or is for big bucks (whatever big bucks may be in your world).  Smarten up, and read the rest of this blog!