I am constantly asked if there is a blueprint for entrepreneurial success and I always say, ‘No, there isn’t’. Every venture is unique. Each has its own opportunities and own particular problems to solve and hurdles to overcome. There isn’t a single path to success – there are many. Nor are all entrepreneurs cast from the same mould.

Having said that, I do believe that there is a mindset that many entrepreneurs share, and exploring this mindset is one of my main purposes in this book. Put in a nutshell, the entrepreneurial mind is founded on that least common of commodities – common sense. Common sense involves knowing how to go about asking basic questions and anticipating challenges. It involves learning how to deal with inevitable setbacks and disappointments. And it tells you when you need to forge ahead and when you should cut your losses. It’s not the easiest thing to acquire, but it is a skill you can hone and develop. The fact is that true entrepreneurs never stop learning from their own successes and failures – and from one another.

At the same time, of course, there are many very basic do’s and don’ts in business, and so I have also set out to offer some practical advice on everything from setting up and running a business to selling it on. After all, there are some fundamental mistakes that you just don’t need to make and I hope that once you’ve read what I have to say, you never will.