Richard Branson, the Virgin Founder was recently asked when the best time to pack in the day job and start your own business was. “Well, there’s no time like the present…” And with more people than ever taking the leap and starting their own businesses we thought we’d put together a handy guide of top tips from our experience and also from some of Britain’s top entrepreneurs to secure your start up success.

What are you passionate about?

Richard Branson says that the most important thing when taking the leap and going it alone is to make sure you are passionate about your own business path. If you love it, you will put your all into it. Remember also to have fun with it and enjoy the beginnings of your venture!

Trust your Instincts

Sam Driver, Director of Thousand Yard Films, said he has made hundreds of decisions that accountants and lawyers disagreed with because he had a feeling it would work. Sometimes the rulebook is only there to be thrown out, go with your gut.

Believe in what you do

Jason Petsch, Commercial Director of GRITIT, pointed out why entrepreneurs need to have self-confidence. This isn’t arrogance, its belief that what you are doing can make a positive difference to peoples lives. If you don’t believe in what you do, who else will?

Differentiate yourself from the competition

Nail your unique selling point. Ask yourself how am I going to be different from the 30,000 other people in the same market place as me. Are you going to be the cheap one, the one with good customer service, the ethical or bespoke one? What’s your hook?

“Just give it a go” – Richard Branson

Richard Branson says he loves seeing people just getting on and building their dreams. They are learning how to run a business on the way and this is the best training you can have. You have to say screw it, let’s do it and give it a go.

And most importantly, don’t panic!

Every year The Apprentice candidates seem to make the same stupid errors series after series, but according to Lord Sugar, they can be forgiven – and so can you. “Even if I woke up Philip Green, Richard Branson and Bill Gates at 6am and said to them, ‘Here’s £100, go and buy a bunch of chickens and some vegetables. I’ve found you a stall on the South Bank of the Thames, and I want you to cook chicken dinners and turn a profit by tonight,’ they’d be lost. So while the contestants look like they make the same mistakes every time, the fact is, they just panic.” In the cut and thrust of business, if you lose your head, mistakes will happen. Learn from them and move on.