Entrepreneur.com’s article, “5 Tips for Surviving Your Startup’s First Year” by Carol Tice, offers great advice to help any new business navigate the murky waters of their beginnings.

1. Talk to customers. Find out what people are looking for. Not just products, but prices, packages, deals, etc.

2. Choose your location carefully. This is more than just your physical location. These days, your cyber presence is key.

3. Keep expenses down. This is a no-brainer, but the ways to keep expenses down are not. Sometimes going it alone until you’re turning a profit is the way to go, even if that means spending 80 hours a week at your salon.

4. Plan for problems. If something can go wrong, it will go wrong. The best way to avoid a disaster is to be prepared for it – make a list of all the things that could possibly cost you big your first year and find the best ways to resolve them before they happen.

5. Analyze how it’s going. This is harder than it sounds, since many startups don’t have the free time of larger, more established businesses. But this is essential to your growing business to ensure you’re heading in the direction you want. Don’t feel like you’ve failed if you have to change direction multiple times either – you’re taking control and making sure your salon is getting into a natural rhythm.

To read the full article on Entrepreneur.com, please click here.