b5 Apprentice Challenge: 6 actions = the best business advice possible

If this post seems out of place this week then you haven’t been following our b5 Apprentice Challenge. I have to post this today if I intend to stay in the running for (sound of trumpets, roll of drums) an honest-to-goodness b5media T-shirt! Can you think of any better motivation?

And no more team (my team took four out of the first five Challenges <smirk>) it’s me on my own, but you can help by voting for me at Tax Girl (or for the other contestants if you’re mad at me:), my editor-cum-judge’s blog.

The background is that Kay, the intrepid entrepreneur, had a blowout Christmas season thanks to our fabulous advice (details at the first link) and now I need to give her the best business advice I can in 50 words or less.

Obviously, this advice will be of just as much use to all of you as it is to Kay.

So without more ado here’s the best business advice you’ll ever receive (in 43 words)

• Spend less than you make;
• under promise and over deliver;
• never be afraid to ask;
• hire people smarter than you, listen to them and then make your own decision;
• treat your customers the way you want to be treated; and
• plan tactically and strategically

That’s it, practice these six actions every day and I guarantee that your business will flourish!