In our shirt printing business, the thoughest times we overcome is the 1st three year of business. Seeing a lot of shops open & closed just after a few month, perhaps everything does not worked as planned. I have to admit, seeing these around me a bring a bit of my morale down.

**Do you know almost 50% of small business, fail in their 1st year doing business, and 95% fail within 3 years!** That is the scary part of doing business, but if you do it right,  you may survive.

So these are the few tips that I learned when surviving the phase.

<center>![closed-forever.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmdvvAfZDvayVPatVcE6oCGrTNmJfBPWLqRtuPSA1QdqbY/closed-forever.jpg)</center>
<center> <a href="https://www.creditguard.org/blog/ten-companies-that-went-bankrupt/">Source</a> </center>

**1.  SALES before everything.**
Most of the established business man would agree that Sales is the heart of business. You have to put Sales as top priority, no matter what business you are in. Put daily, monthly target in sales, and try to hit the target.  As the saying go, 
*Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars.* 
When the sales keep coming in, then you may plan other department. 


**2. Maintain CASHFLOW, don't OVERSPEND**
When a passionate business newbie open a shop for the first time, their tend to spend a lot of money, which their haven't earn yet! Some spend thousands in shop renovation and they closed the shop when no sales coming in. 

When first starting the business, the owner must know how to balance the in and out of the money, all the transaction must be recorded, and the most important is, saperate business account with personal account!
The key is, always find a way to maximize the earning, and minimize the spending, and never forget to invest on necessary stuff that would bring more money in. 


**3. Hire the RIGHT PEOPLE**
As a business owner, we have to know how to delegate our works. Because we are only a human being, we may know everything but can we do everything? Do we have the time?
So, it is important to hire a staff. 

Firstly, ask your self, what job that you consume most of your time? For example, I use to spend hours on t-shirt printing, so, all I need to do is just hire and train people to do the job! Will they do the job better than me? of course yes! because they spent more time and focusing just to do one job, and same with other department, such as sales, and so on. It definately will help the company growth. 

But never hire people just because you like the person, or just want to make your company look bigger with more staffs.
Only hire when needed.


**4. Promote Your Company As A Brands.**
Company branding is an asset of a business startup. It's is important to have a Logo, Moto, or specific Color theme for your company. With brand concept, it is easy to market because it will stuck in the mind of the customer. For example McDonalds, everytime you see the yellow archs, it you know what is it rightaway!

The company with clear brand is more trustworthy than just selling without clear brand. When the customer trust your company, they will become a loyal customer that will keep coming, and spread out the company name by words. 

Besides, a clear company Brands will inspired the employee, they will somehow feel proud to work with the company as it look bigger even though it just started.


**5. MAKE A GOOD IMPRESSION**
In the earlier stage of doing business, it is really important to making a good impression. 
For example, of you open a restaurant, make sure you hire the best cook, serve the customer like a king. When they really satisfy with the food, they will recommend to other people, and keep coming. But when you spoil their first impression, it is hard for them to come again, and they might talk bad about you restaurant.
Make a proper SOP for the staff, look good, keep making a good impression and the customer will keep coming.


Hopefully these tips will bring some positive outcome for anywone who just started open their business, or anywone who still surviving like ours do. Business is a though world, but it's good the fail and learn than giving up.