"Be productive, be persistent and be patient when staring a company. Tell somebody, everybody and anybody about your product or service.'' -- Beatrice Louissaint, President and CEO of the Florida Regional Minority Business Council

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1. If it was easy, everybody would be successful at it. It is going to be HARD! 2. Just because it will be hard does not mean it should not be FUN. Have fun at it, or get a job. 3. Build a team. You can NOT do it alone. 4. Be very, very good at something. So good that people will gladly pay you to do it. 5. Know what you are not good at and get help in those areas. 6. Don't believe the hype (late night infomercials, no money down, work 2 hours a day and such). There is and never was any "free lunch.'' 7. Lastly, know how to do something and doing it are very different things. Not everyone is cut out to do the entrepreneurial thing. Be honest with yourself, your financial and personal situation before starting a business. -- Rafael Cruz, Regional Director for the Small Business Development Center in Broward County

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"The most important thing for an entrepreneur is to make sure they are passionate about the business they are starting. The process of starting and running a business is so trying and sometimes you might not think it's worth it, but if you are really passionate about what you are doing, that alone can keep you going.'' -- Jennifer Herskowitz, 2008 winner for her Allergy-Free Shop

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"When pitching your new business idea to potential investors, make sure to explain your business in terms of the problem you are solving for your customers. If you are not solving a real problem for real customers, you will have a hard time raising real money.'' -- Melissa Krinzman, founder and managing director of Venture Architects

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"Everyone looking for money must have a business plan , executive summary and financials. Each of these items will cause the entrepreneur to think out their business idea and refine it many times, but it is a necessary and valuable first step in forming a business.'' -- Barbara Boxer, founder of the Women Angels in Miami, Milwaukee and Chicago

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"Follow your dream but keep yourself rooted in reality. It takes hard work, determination and thoroughness, in all aspects of a venture from conceptualization of the idea to capitalization, selecting people, creating a business plan and creating a form of ownership.'' -- Randolph A. Pohlman, dean of the h. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship at Nova Southeastern University in Davie

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"Do you think you have a bright idea for a new product? Last year 448,003 applications were filed with the U.S. Patent Office by people who felt the same way as you do. Some of these no doubt will be future Xeroxes and Googles, making you rich and famous. Unfortunately, the vast majority will stay in a drawer and never come to see the light of day. Why? The overwhelming reason businesses fail or never get started is lack of capital.

The second reason is failure to develop a Business Plan that can be presented to potential equity investors. Most budding entrepreneurs will not even know who to approach for capital needs. And you will need lots of it. In fact, the better the product or service, the more capital that will be required. As in anything one does in life, make sure you do your homework properly. Creating the product is only the first step and only a small step in the ladder of success.'' -- Fernando Capablanca, President and CEO of Union Credit Bank in Miami

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