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Marks & Spencer, Goldman Sachs, Hewlett Packard: all hugely successful organisations we are used to buying from, or reading about. We forget that these are the real names of real people; start-ups which were originally founded by two ambitious entrepreneurs.  All achieved success in different eras and sectors; taking different routes to success, but all did so as a double act.

The reason it works is that we are all different. We bring different skills to the party. Nobody (even though many entrepreneurs think they are invincible) is good at everything. The secret for the lone entrepreneur is to find a 'foil': someone who assists by bringing skills to the company which are complementary to your own.

The classic business double act is the 'one builds, one sells' model: one person does the inventing, designing, perfecting, building, delivering, and installing. The other does the talking, marketing, pricing, selling, and billing. It is a typical model which means everyone does what they are best at, and it is a model I have used myself. As a salesperson, I always ask: "Who will be interested? - And who do they know who might also be interested?"; "How can I get to meet them and move things forward?". My long-time friend and business partner, best-selling author Chris West, meanwhile, would immediately question what exactly it is we are offering.  Is it good enough? How can it be better? When must it be ready to meet Mike's (likely over-optimistic) promises? 

Finding and exploiting these differences in character, skills and experience, means that, rather than exposing one person's weaknesses, your business benefits from two individuals' strengths.

There is a price to pay, though. Opposites may attract but they are not always going to get on. Regardless of how well you prepare, arguments will happen, so choose someone that you like and who likes you; you need to be able to resolve any conflicts quickly and move on.  More important still, choose someone you can trust. Furthermore, while difference is at the heart of the partnership dynamic, there are some areas you simply have to agree on for the whole thing to work. You must share a vision: your efforts must be directed towards a common goal.

You will also need equal (or at least fair) input of money, time, responsibility and risk. If it is a genuine partnership, these should be evenly contributed - after all, if one of you is retaining a full-time job and the other working full-time on the business, your 'partnership' soon starts to look rather one-sided.

On the other hand, you may be the sole owner of your business and make the wise move of recruiting a foil as your first employee. That, of course, will not cost you equity in the business; but be sure not to underestimate the value of your foil. This first recruit will be worth bonuses and incentives in spades if they get their job right.

So, where do you find this diametrically opposite yet likeable and trustworthy, kindred spirit? As any good entrepreneur will know; you should always start with your own personal network. Is is a rich well of trustworthy, professional people with whom you have an existing relationship and who know what you are all about. If this reaps no rewards (and nine times out of ten it should), try growing your network before recruiting professionally or searching the many online repositories.  Read sector-specific trade magazines and message boards and attend networking events. My own monthly event, 'Beermat Monday' exists precisely for this purpose; to bring together like-minded entrepreneurs and start-ups to meet, share ideas and expand their networks.

Regardless of how you find your foil, my top tip is to find them before you start your business if at all possible. It is even more important than your 'great' business idea. I have lost count of the number of entrepreneurs I have met with a brilliant idea. Yet I can remember every partnership that made for a great double act. It is very difficult for a late arrival to take on the role of equal partner - at least for a while. All the important decisions that underpin the business - long-term goals, vision etc. - have already been decided, meaning you have to relinquish responsibilities and decision-making to someone with a significant amount of 'catching up' to do. It will feel wrong to you, and alienating to your new partner; who will often feel more like a new shareholder, manager or trouble-shooter. 

Whatever your plans, put the relationship to the test, first. A good foil is, by definition, different. You may never be the best of friends. Equally, if (as so many do), you do choose to go into business with a friend, it may also end up testing your friendship to the limit. So, before registering your business and picking up the branded stationery, make the time to 'date' your new partner first. Work together on a low risk business collaboration - this could be a scaled-down version of your 'real' business or just knocking ideas around in the pub.  You both need to feel comfortable working together; trusting in each other's judgements, and confident in your shared abilities.

Ultimately, the more the partnership can develop organically, the better. Define the company vision and individual responsibilities at the start, and then take pleasure in the differing contributions you can each make. With a little tolerance and trust (and yes, you will need both!), a good foil will rapidly become an invaluable partner.

Click here to listen to Mike being interviewed about this topic >

Click here to listen to Mike being interviewed about this topic >

Recruiting staff for a business can be a double-edged sword. The success that has led to your recruitment need is tempered by the fear of having to let go, along with the unfamiliar challenge of getting the right person. When this new recruit is a salesperson, the "wide boys in even wider ties" stereotype springs to mind, making the whole process even more daunting. After all, it is their job to make a great impression; so they are going to tell you what you want to hear, soften you up and then negotiate hard over the contract.

Do not be disheartened. In some respects, recruiting a salesperson should be the one of the more straightforward appointments you will ever make, as you already know what kind of person you are looking for: someone that you like and your customers will like. Put yourself in your customers' shoes: product knowledge, charisma, appearance and great time-management are the sorts of skills you should seek out.

Also, it is easy to measure the performance of salespeople. Either they bring in the bacon (in which case you keep them on); or they do not… in which case you must give them short shrift.

Even so, particularly for new businesses, you want to make the right appointment, first time. There is lots of advice out there on how to spot a good salesperson, but be wary of falling for the stereotypes.  Simply looking for someone who is 'hungry' and 'results-driven' completely ignores the specific requirements of your business and customers. In our book, "Sales on a Beermat", I divide salespeople into three categories:

• The Hunter - Charismatic, confident and great talkers, these are the phone-burners and shoe-leather stompers who develop new business.
• The Farmer - Helpful, accommodating and not too overbearing - these are the people who develop longer-term relationships and encourage repeat business; they are often called Account Managers.
• The Sales Manager - Process-driven, logical and analytical, this is the person who analyses spreadsheets, measures the progress of a sales team and spots opportunities and problems early.

It is likely that you will recruit these types in descending order from the top; and at progressively later stages of the growth of your business. The hunter will bring in clients for the farmer to develop and build a relationship with; and eventually, between the two of them, you will hopefully have enough business to warrant a sales manager. Whichever you are recruiting, no one is better placed than you to make that decision.

The hunter and farmer especially are representing you and your business to your customers, so trust your own gut instincts. Ask yourself:

• Who do you instinctively like?
• How do you like to be sold to? How would you like your service to be sold to you?
• What sales techniques for you?
• And, since when you started out you probably did all the sales, what skills have you learned that you want to see in your potential candidates

Once you have considered these questions, you will be well prepared to interview them - rather than the other way round.

Incidentally, one typical mistake for entrepreneurs when interviewing candidates is to spend a whole hour doing the talking. You are, after all, used to preaching about how wonderful your business is. You must resist this temptation: hold back, open your ears, and let the candidate explain clearly how they intend to sell on your behalf. 

Avoid 'typical' questions; good salespeople are prepared and will have a stock of rehearsed answers that will give you little true insight. Base your questions firmly on your exact business needs, and dig deep in order to discover the extent of their existing customer network, their motivations and drivers, and personal situation.

A salesperson's commercial network, if suitable, can deliver a ready-made, receptive client base for your business; this low-hanging fruit offers a low cost of sale and a quick source of new business leads. Knowing their motivations, meanwhile, will help establish which type of salesperson they are and whether they are likely to fit in with your business. You will spend many hours in the trenches with your salesperson, so there needs to be a good cultural match. You will also need a self-starter, so make it clear that they will need to hit the ground running; if you encounter candidates who need full-time mentoring, move on.

If all goes well, you will move to pay negotiations (they are salespeople after all). Deciding how much you should offer is down to the market rate, what you can realistically afford and what they are truly worth to your business.

More important, though, is decidinghowyou will pay them.

Salespeople deal with the blunt end of the business. They cannot hide from customer complaints as other staff often can. However, a culture in which salespeople earn wild commissions but other members of staff have no incentive to exceed expectations is often counterproductive.

I am particularly wary of commission-only sales contracts. These look low-risk; and suggest that the salesperson will be massively incentivised to work. In my experience, the risks are actually far higher. It encourages a mercenary culture which serves to breed resentment; a hit and run mentality which completely ignores any long term goals and eventually alienates your clients too. It often leads to sales staff bringing in deals with no thought as to how the rest of the company will physically deliver the service.

I therefore advise extending incentives to all of your employees. Incentivising all staff based on the business' overall performance gives everyone a shared goal; encouraging team spirit, a positive atmosphere, and mutual consideration for clients and one another.

A base-plus-commission structure certainly gets my vote. It offers stability and encourages loyalty. You are implicitly acknowledging your salesperson's administrative duties and long term strategic input as well as their tireless search for opportunity.

The final question I often get asked is the ideal length of a probationary period. This really does depend on the nature of your business, but generally runs from one to three months. So long as you make your expectations clear from the outset and agree upon specific goals, the exact period is of less importance. 

Your salesperson is going to be the "new you": the face of your growing business. While you need to find the most competent person for the job, ideally with the network, wage expectations and motivations to match, do not lose sight of the most important, and often least emphasised factor. You are looking for someone who accurately conveys the heart and soul the business; and that is something which money can't buy.

Click here to listen to Mike being interviewed about this topic >

Listen to: "I have lots of business ideas! Which do I pick?" >

It is always easy to be wise after the event, with twenty-twenty hindsight. Predicting the future, though, is another story. I am reminded of that apocryphal sign: "Palm reading cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances". Even top economists cannot agree on even the biggest aspects of our economic future: are we set for a speedy recovery, or will be in the economic doldrums for a whole 'lost decade'?

The facts are fairly easy. A recession is defined as two successive quarters of 'negative growth'. Over the last year and a half, the economy has fluctuated between quarters of positive and negative growth.  This pattern has given free rein to politicians, the media and just about anyone with a public opinion on the matter to proclaim the recession as ending/continuing/worsening/improving - delete as appropriate. Some say that our current 'anaemic but positive' growth trend is flattered by the Olympics and Jubilee - it is simply too easy to find arguments to point either way.

Worse still, even if the statisticians come up trumps, it is of little use to the business owner. A quarter of a percent here and there on global or national numbers will be of no use in working out the future of your own business, or indeed whether it is a good time to open a new venture.

I think it is more useful to consign the macroeconomic numbers to the bin. As an entrepreneur, I simply refuse to be dissuaded: I look for the green shoots wherever I can, by talking to real people running real businesses. I meet business owners all the time (I mentor several business owners every month), and all of them have different tales to tell of both challenges and opportunities. What unites them is an unfailing commitment to making their particular business work.

One industry, whilst hardly a statistically sound example, offering a better benchmark than most is recruitment. The recruitment industry serves other businesses, and when times are tough and those other businesses are cutting back, recruitment services take an exponential nose dive. Similarly, when confidence begins to return, the recruitment industry wakes up with a vengeance. It is an excellent bellwether of economic confidence. I happen to have spoken to a number of recruitment agencies recently, and indications are good: a definite upturn in certain sectors seems to support the science.

This is of course great news, but as an entrepreneur, I still think we need to avoid the question of recession in the first place. Asking when the recession will end is unproductive; it suggests that our hands are tied until then. A better re-phrasing would be 'Can I succeed despite these conditions?' To which the answer is a resounding 'Yes'.

I have spoken before about the many different kinds of entrepreneur but there are some core characteristics which the successful ones all share.  A positive outlook, the desire to spot an opportunity in any situation and a yearning to change the status quo would all make the list. In the words of strike-it-rich author Robert Kiyosaki, (not someone I always agree with, but the quote is worth a mention), 'This crisis is the biggest opportunity in the history of the world'.

It is hyperbole, but it is also right: there are advantages to starting up in a recession. Everything is cheaper: rent, equipment, premises and services can all be bought for knock-down rates. Furthermore - and I cannot overstate the importance of surrounding yourself with great people -  in a market where big international companies are laying off staff, ever more top-quality people are becoming available in the job market. They are willing to travel further, work harder and for less money than their previous expectations might have allowed.  And you have the agility of the startup on your side: you can make decisions on a sixpence, outfoxing bigger companies which are struggling with their legacy systems and infrastructure.

There is a caveat. This opportunity only exists if you are willing to work harder, think faster and be better than the competition. Recession is the Darwinian 'natural selection' of the business world. In troubled times, a bad business idea becomes worse, because it will lose more money, more quickly. A good idea, meanwhile, has to be really good to make it through to fruition. That requires discipline:

• Focus on your core offering and hone it until your niche is crystal clear. Do not try to cover inadequacy with more layers of extra services: get your main service right until you are delivering right at the top of your game.
• Look after your existing client list. Chasing new business can be costly (generally it costs six times as much to find new clients as to service existing ones); so give your top clients unstintingly magnificent service.
• Pick at least two of these three: be local, reliable and nice.  If you are round the corner, move heaven and earth to deliver great service and become a dependable source of knowledge and inspiration, you will rapidly earn an enviable reputation.
• Do not cut back on marketing. It is not expendable during a recession, rather, it is vital. Now, more than ever, you need to be shouting about what you can do and the wonderful way you do it. With minimal budgets, be creative, innovative and brave - all attributes that would also appear on the list of successful entrepreneur characteristics. Jamie Murray Wells, the founder of online glasses service 'Glasses Direct' (and an expert guerrilla marketer) once sent a flock of sheep into a branch of Specsavers with placards saying 'Don't get fleeced'. That might not be quite your cup of tea, but it earned Jamie bags of press exposure for only pennies. It also gave him the support of the public - us Brits love a David who challenges a Goliath.

A recession forces you to exceed your own expectations. New businesses with a little cash, an entrepreneurial spirit and an emphasis on marketing a well-defined product or service are best placed to turn frugality into a genuine business opportunity.

Click here to listen to Mike being interviewed about this topic >

Lennon & McCartney, Jagger & Richards and Kermit & Miss Piggy: what do they all have in common? Well aside from (bizarrely) all scoring number-one albums, they are excellent examples of diametrically different characters forming hugely successful partnerships. All three have also proved very lucrative businesses; and in business, partnerships are good. They provide complementary skills, personalities and outlooks whilst halving the start-up costs, workload and pressure.

Unfortunately, these differences will inevitably lead to conflict at some stage, too. It is almost guaranteed that two driven individuals with different ways of working and large amounts of time and money at stake will argue over how to run their business.

Picture this: your business is doing well, those difficult early stages are a fading memory, it is making money, attracting new custom and growing steadily. Yet businesses can grow in a number of ways; so which direction do you choose?

Now picture the opposite: your business is failing, you are both putting in more money than you had imagined, the hours are getting longer and the rewards smaller. How do you turn things around - or even worse, which of you is to blame?

In all likelihood, it is neither of you. Both these scenarios offer ample opportunity for squabbling, and a ruckus is practically guaranteed at some stage (this is why big companies have boards of directors and a host of external experts to remove emotion from the equation).

The parallels with a marriage are easy to draw. In the beginning, you both get on well, complementing each other's abilities and make a great partnership. By the time divorce proceedings begin, each is blaming the other with everything largely reduced to a dispute over money and assets. The danger in both cases is playing the blame game while ignoring the actual outcome; in this case, the failure of your business.

Yet, as with marriage, divorce is not inevitable. Some couples just seem to ride out the rough times without raising their voices at one another. Marriage guidance counsellors always promote the value of communication, and that is not a bad place to start. Hold regular board meetings, even if it is just the two of you, away from the office and its day-to-day troubles. Put together a formal agenda, so that both sides can have time to prepare approaches to problematic situations, without feeling ambushed. This sort of preparation, with a good dose of courtesy and mutual respect will make arguments healthy and productive, rather than lunging between crisis and resentment.

If you find that you have counted to ten more times than a Hide-and-Seek enthusiast, what can you do about it? To use the marriage analogy again, you need to agree on as many contingencies as possible before you begin (just like a Pre-nuptial agreement). Write them down beforehand, or during your 'honeymoon period' - those balmy days when everything is still new and exciting.  Better still, agree upon a third party mediator whom you both like, trust and respect, to be the guardian of your agreement and most likely marriage guidance counsellor, too. This eliminates any 're-interpretation' of the agreement and provides a crucial degree of objectivity.

If you are reading this too late and it is a repair job you are after, then you need to get some advice. However, be wary of the source: friends and family are the easiest option, but having your best interests at heart often means telling you what you want to hear rather than what you need to hear. Speak to a mentor if you have one, or a contact with no strong personal connection to either you or your partner and ask their professional advice. The best route, perhaps surprisingly, is that of the HR Consultant. One of my sponsors, Park City Consulting, has had a lot of success in this area by providing impartial and professional mediation services. If you are both willing to listen and ultimately accept the decision you are paying for, then this can potentially save your business.

It is worth remembering that the best approach here is to take a step back and be honest with yourself. Professional services of any sort inevitably have a price tag attached; so a rational and calm discussion, whilst harder, will be cheaper. Everyone can be stubborn in the moment, but good business practice demands flexibility, compromise and an ability to see the long-term.

Either way, a clear head and some impartial advice will allow you to remove yourself from the situation and think in terms of outcomes. There are outcomes for everyone involved; you, your partner, the business not to mention your customers.

Finally, sometimes you simply need to know when to quit. Opposing views with no sign of compromise and a dismal dislike of each other all point towards the dissolution of the partnership. It does happen; and it is not the end of your career. When packing up your stuff, make sure to leave your grievances behind; as I evangelise in our book, 'The Beermat Entrepreneur' - the best revenge is a happy life. So take a gleaming new idea, learn from the experience and go and execute it exactly how you want to. After all, even if you have lost money on this venture, there is something nobody can take away from you second time around; and that is your experience.

Click here to listen to Mike being interviewed about this topic >

It is important to research your prospects carefully, identifying the right person in the company that theoretically should be interested in your products and services. If you do not have the skill or time to find these e-mail addresses, a reputable telemarketing company can do this task for you, without their attempting to do any selling on your behalf at this stage.

Then, the skill is in composing a very short initial e-mail. Most people think that the more features that are crowded into this first-e-mail, the better; in fact, the exact opposite is true. I always recommend a four-line e-mail, which is designed specifically to raise some interest for an initial fifteen-minute meeting.

The first line is the most important and should be specifically tailored for each individual client. It should suggest the specific problem that you can solve, such as improving their revenues or reducing costs. 

The next line should be a simple premise of what you do; how you have acknowledged expertise in helping customers solve that problem. People are generally sceptical about sales pitches, so your third line should feature some proof, such as a similar customer you have worked with, who could potentially provide a reference.

The final line should suggest a short meeting at a specific time and date. Ideally, they will be able to agree immediately; if they are interested but cannot make that specific date, they might suggest another. 

This type of 'Magic E-mail' (as I call it) is inexpensive and unobtrusive. If they are not interested at that particular time, they will delete the e-mail and swiftly forget you. People who have used this approach tell me the response rate is much higher than for more traditional methods.

It has the added advantage of significantly reducing your unanswered voicemail messages and the curt, dismissive customer replies that are often endemic to cold calling.

Congratulations! If your business is in a position to consider tendering for public sector work then you are obviously doing something right.  After all, tenders are big business. The public sector procures on average £220bn on work, goods and services each year. What's more, there are thousands of tenders on offer, so, in the early stages at least, there is plenty of opportunity.

Public sector organisations also prove very good customers, chiefly because they have to be. Everything is done by the book, from drawing up a contract to paying you in good time; as they are hugely accountable if they do not. This good custom extends to inviting all their friends to the party too: the herd instinct is strong in government procurement, so if you gain a reputation with one council, authority, agency or quango; then chances are, others will follow.

So, why isn't everybody doing it? What is the catch?

Well, you need to be aware of what you are getting into. There is a lot of work involved in the tendering process. It may take a few applications before you become good enough at it - and fast enough - to warrant the effort. To be honest, my top tip here is to avoid tenders for as long as possible. Most organisations have thresholds (sometimes £5000, sometimes £25000 - there is no set rule), below which a formal tendering process is not required. Work within that threshold for as long as possible in order to establish a track record and reputation. Only then should you raise your head above the parapet and compete with the big boys.

Tendering is hard for several reasons. Most obviously, it is new to you. Tendering is worlds away from the face-to-face meetings in informal settings that characterise most startup businesses. The price for the comfort and reliability of public sector contracts is relentless box-ticking and documentation. It drains the one resource no entrepreneur can afford: time. Tendering is a long, formal and complicated process; it demands patience, itself not a quality often associated with entrepreneurs, and paperwork of sometimes draconian proportions.

Do not waste time pretending to be something you are not: if hundred-page documents are not your thing, find yourself a partner (not a consultant!) whose strengths complement your skills. Often your finance expert will have exactly the precision and insight to help on these documents.

If you are anything like me, they will also help you to work out your "cost of sale". The cost of sale is the amount of effort required to make a sale in a particular situation. Tenders have a high cost of sale. If it takes three months of form-filling on eight different tenders to achieve one small piece of work, then the cost of sale has been too high. Unfortunately, it is very hard to judge this cost early on - hence my advice to stay below the tendering radar for as long as possible.

To make matters worse, you will not be the only one who has spotted the opportunity. Tenders are highly competitive because they are widely advertised (yes - it is more accountability for value to the public purse).

When competition is high, the first casualty is often price. Particularly as you will have to quote 'blind', it is very tempting in tender situations to slash the price tag, as there will not be any room for negotiation. Cutting prices is never advisable; and it is no different here. Competing on price is a game for people with deep pockets; and as a small business, it is not one you should play. Instead, you should look to compete on quality and service. Luckily, whilst price will always matter, most public sector tender processes judge each applicant on a set of clearly defined parameters (for example, experience, fiscal competence, reporting, etc.) and price will only be one of several factors. It may not even appear at all: the focus is most likely to be on 'value for money'; a combination of price and quality.

As we have discussed above, applying for tenders is all about knuckling down to a process. Fail to jump through any of the hoops and it's back to square one. Bidding can be a multi-phase process, too, traditionally including:

• Pre-Qualification (where you are asked to prove your financial resilience, experience etc.)
• If successful, you will receive an ITT (Invitation to Tender), your formal 'go ahead' to join the party.
• Once you have familiarised yourself with the evaluation criteria, terms and conditions and deadlines involved, you are free to submit your proposal - often in a document whose format is defined by the commissioning agency.
• Most providers will have questions; the answers to which are then fed back to all applicants. This is probably the most vital stage if you are new to tendering; as it presentsthegolden opportunity to get advice and tips from the horse's mouth - take full advantage of it.
• The award.

You will be happy to know that finding tenders is simpler than applying for them. As I said earlier, tenders are widely advertised.  On top of this, there are plenty of dedicated publications and websites. The Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) and its partner website Tenders Electronic Daily (TED) are seen as the primary source for large tender opportunities. Do not be put off as a small business though; tenders are advertised by their 'Total potential value' meaning that a tender worth £40,000 a year and running for three years will therefore appear somewhat misleadingly at £120,000.

Furthermore, if you do not get the work, follow up on those tenders won by a large contractor, as sub-contracting parts of commissions is entirely common practice.

Smaller contracts are generally harder to find - you can start at Business Link. Many organisations have their own contract tendering portals, for example Public Contracts Scotland has a wealth of Scottish tenders for which you may be eligible to apply.

All of the above will be helpful, but regular readers will know that I, as a salesman, believe above all in personal relationships. You cannot bribe public sector procurement departments with hearty lunches in the hope of influencing them, or their tendering decisions. But relationship-building is never completely off the table. Do you have any contacts at the organisation or know anyone that might? If not, find out who you need to speak to and make your introduction - even if it is just to ask a question or two. This works best when it is pre-emptive, i.e. you are working on the relationship before there is a specific opportunity to talk about. At worst, if you are courteous and professional, your name may well filter round the organisation. At best, you will have acquired an internal evangelist. That evangelist will put you on the agenda, even if unofficially; and will be a great source of news and insight on opportunities, budgets and timescales.

If you can play by their rules, be patient and offer value for money, tendering can be worth while. If you have an evangelist on your side, that could tip the 'cost of sale' scales in your favour. If not, stay under the key threshold as long as you can to avoid wasted time and effort. 

Click here to listen to Mike talk about "Sources of Finance" >

   Click here to listen to Mike being interviewed about this topic >

I have been made redundant -  more than once in fact. What's more, so have many of my associates and business partners: people whom I like, trust and respect. Many have gone on to be very successful entrepreneurs. Clearly, redundancy does not mean you are automatically incapable of business acumen.

Those success stories all share one trait: not the bitter memory of clearing their desks, but the ability not to take the experience personally. You must draw a line underneath it as soon as possible. No one is begrudging you a brief wallow; in fact a short holiday to reflect, recharge the batteries and try some new and different experiences is often just the tonic. On your return, talk to friends, family or even a counsellor if you feel it will help; gaining others' perspectives will help you see things more objectively. 

With your head clear, you are now in a position to think about what to do next.  Starting a business in the recession can seem like a risky proposition. Entrepreneurs, though, are generally optimists, and should see in the recession an exciting opportunity to take advantage of cheap resources and labour. If you have some cash - which, coming straight from a redundancy, may very well be the case - that can add up to a perfect recipe.

I mentioned optimism there. This sort of market is often seen as the preserve of the extrovert; the confident, talkative charismatic type who can charm their way around the pitfalls. It is a valid observation; indeed, I would place myself in this group along with the majority of client-facing entrepreneurs I have met. However, introverts are not excluded. I have been asked countless times whether there is a "right sort of person" to start a business. There is certainly a typical person, but never a right one. Being shy can be a very positive thing; you are probably very good at following procedures and getting the job done, in much the same way extroverts enjoy making sales. A strong partnership will harness both of these strengths whilst compensating for each individual's weaknesses. Whichever category you fall into, be sure to seek out the opposite for a commercial marriage made in heaven.

Whether introvert or extrovert, a positive frame of mind is vital when starting a business off the back of a redundancy.  Redundancy is not your fault, but you need to remember that what you make of it is completely down to you. Take the time to reflect upon events, because business is a mighty challenge, not for the faint-hearted, and you will need all your reserves of strength and focus to triumph.

Still with us? Good. It is time to decide what your new business is going to do. You may want to use your expertise to set up in the area with which you are familiar; others use redundancy as an opportunity to pursue a passion in another - usually diametrically opposed - area.  Redundancy may be painful but it sure does focus the mind. Ask yourself:

• What do I do (i.e. very generally what am I good at)?
• What am I interested in?
• What else could I do with the skills I have?

Now to my most important piece of advice. Once you have identified what you are going to do,the almost universal error is to leap straight into thinking abouthowyou will do it: will you need a van, what hours to work, the colour of your letterhead etc.

Instead, the question that matters is 'who?' Who might be your customers, and who might be able to lend a hand or give you a leg up. You are still on the drawing board, you need to make sure there is a market for your nascent business, and the people you already know are the most valuable resource at your disposal in these early stages.

Dig out your address book, get on LinkedIn, contact ex-colleagues you got on with and speak to friends and family. Your personal network is a rich seam of professional people with whom you already have a good relationship and who could therefore be people you can sell to, buy from, work with or simply speak to for advice.

In particular, speak to potential customers who you already know - or ex-customers at your previous job (even if you are contractually unable to poach them). Ask them for their advice in your new start-up, and, if appropriate, whether they are happy to become your first clients. If they are brimming with experience and goodwill, turn them into mentors. As regular readers will know, I am a huge advocate of mentors; but customer mentors are even better as they are evangelists, sounding boards, mentors and customers all rolled into one.

I cannot over-stress this: these people with whom you surround yourself may be the difference between success and struggling.

Once these 'who' questions have been answered, you can finally concern yourself with 'how' you will provide your product or service. If your business is still viable after cursory examination from real people, then, trust me, you will find a way to answer to this one.

Incidentally, do not rush to set your business up 'officially'. At some point, you will be required by Companies House, HMRC and the rest to jump through hoops backwards whilst signing forms but there is no need to put yourself through this any sooner than you have to. Test the waters first and make sure your service is workable and profitable. You have around three months' grace from your first transaction before officialdom starts knocking on your door, so get going first and worry about the admin later.

Similarly, do not get into debt (which requires negotiation with the bank) if you can help it during these tentative transitional weeks. If appropriate, for example (this is often the case with services), ask for 50% upfront and the rest on completion. That may well mean you do not have to hock yourself to get going. Again, it's a learning process: if you can't make it work with a generous upfront payment, then you don't have a business and you should go back to the drawing board. If it does all work out, then it looks like you might already be in business!

   Click here to listen to Mike being interviewed about this topic >

Around 40 attended and it was a great morning.

If you didn't make it, don't worry, the next class is on Thursday 13th December.

You can register today for just £69 inc. VAT.