If you want to start a business, here is a list of things needed to know before launching a business. You always hear about the important things that entrepreneurs should 'do' in order to become successful. But today we will share the things you should never do to start a business or running a business successfully.

The seven things you should never do when starting a business. Hopefully they’ll help you avoid some of the common mistakes most of us make, and help you work towards greater business success.

1. Don’t try to be someone you are not

This is a mistake many people make, particularly in the world of blogging. They see someone who has developed a successful blog and, either through admiration or envy, attempt to copy their voice or style themselves.

This is a sure-fire way of failing at the first hurdle. What makes you special is quite simply you. Don’t try to be somebody you are not. You can’t imitate another person. You won’t be able to keep it up and you’ll come across as false because there are people who will realize what you are doing. You’re setting yourself up to fail.

Look at the flip-side though – you are unique! Nobody out there can anyone ever imitate you. If you want to be successful, develop your own style and your own voice and stick to being you.

2. Don’t be afraid to try new things

It’s a fact of life – sometimes things will work out, and sometimes they won’t. But the reality is that unless you try you will never, ever know.

Sp never be afraid to try new ideas, and never worry about experimenting. The worst that will happen is that an idea won’t take off. But what if it does? Don’t ever leave yourself wondering ‘what if?’

3. Don’t see failure as a negative

Treat everything you do as part of your learning curve. It isn’t just the things that go right that can teach us lessons. Sometimes the most valuable ones come from the mistakes we make and the things which just didn’t work out.

We can learn a great deal about spotting how those mistakes occurred, the results of them and how we ourselves dealt with them. Okay, so it might be disheartening when things don’t go to plan but look at it this way, the more experience you have of both good and bad, the more prepared you are next time.

4. Don’t get discouraged

Running a company isn’t a goal -- it’s a long, winding road. Enjoy the process! Unless your goal is to cash out, and you’ve got some built-in exit strategy, chances are you want a long-term entrepreneurial career. You will have ups, and you will have downs -- possibly in the same week or even day. You will gain amazing clients and lose others for reasons fair and unfair. That’s all part of having a business.

I’ve yet to encounter a single business owner who’s reached some grand, stable plateau beyond failure, disappointment and doubt. We all experience it. Instead of discouragement, focus on becoming more resilient, on learning how to handle stress productively. 

5. Don’t underestimate yourself

Following on from the first point, never underestimate yourself or what you are capable of. Believe in your plans and your ideas. If you don’t believe in yourself, how will you ever convince anyone else to?

6. Don’t be a slave to yourself

This is something I personally struggle with, so I’m writing this for me as much as for you.

I always thought that working for myself would mean I could choose my hours and work accordingly. But the reality is very different! I have discovered that it’s so easy to be caught up with plans and to-do lists that it becomes harder and harder to switch my brain off. Some days it almost feels like I’m bordering on obsession!

When this happens, switch everything off. Shut down computers, turn off phones and put the kettle on and give yourself space and time to breathe. Which brings me nicely to my next, and final point…

7. Don't try to do everything yourself

I started my first company with $500 -- barely enough to cover the costs of incorporation. So, right away, I developed an addiction to doing everything myself. My partner was only capable, willing and able to do so much, and I found myself doing a lot of admin tasks I never anticipated. Those tasks came with learning curves, and they took up valuable time and energy -- energy that could have been directed at helping the business grow.

I didn’t make this mistake twice. With my second, far more successful attempt, I contracted my business half just a couple of months in. Although my expenses grew, now I could focus on doing better work as well as devote time to business development. Both actions helped to grow the company far quicker than my former money-saving attempts at being my own bookkeeper.

So, resist the urge to cover all the ground alone. Saving financial resources is important, but don't let your task list undermine your big goals. 

The most successful people have often done something new and different, often in the face of adversity and lack of support, in order to break the mould. Don’t be afraid to go against the majority, and to walk to the beat of your own drum. After all, only dead fish go with the flow!