Brought to you by Bank of Ireland Business Startup Package

Starting a business can be tricky.

You can have the capital, the idea, and the brains but it still takes a lot of graft and hard work. When starting out a new business you can learn a lot from the people who went before you. Here are some of the pearls of wisdom we have learned from entrepreneurs throughout the years. Your first idea might not be your best It's hard to believe but sometimes the burning idea that gets you started won't be the idea that sets up your business. We can all become precious with our original business plans but sometimes there is no harm in exploring new avenues if something is not working. Some of the greatest entrepreneurs had to settle for their plan B. Henry Ford went bankrupt twice before creating the Ford car company which made him $199 billion. Talk about a turnaround! It can be lonely YouTube co-founder and former CEO Chad Hurley once said, ''To some extent being an entrepreneur is a lonely journey.'' And he couldn't have been more right. Get ready for long days, unsociable hours and lots of work. Entrepreneurs starting out often find that not many people can relate to the stress, excitement, and drive they feel about their business meaning it can be a lonely time. You're going to work harder than you ever have before Becoming successful in business (and most things in life) will take a lot of work and dedication. When you're starting out you will have to work long days, nights, weekends, even over holidays to get it off the ground. Jack Dorsey CEO of Square and founder of Twitter famously worked 8 hour days at both companies 6 days a week to make sure things were running smoothly. It will take longer than you think Nothing will happen overnight. Starting your own business means months, sometimes years of hard work before you start to see results. Steve Jobs only really made a name for himself after the Mackintosh was invented which was a whole eight years after Apple Inc. was founded. You need to make yourself a priority Starting your own business means you won't have set wages, weekends off, or annual leave. You need to make sure you look after yourself and factor in some down time into your schedule. If you can't take care of yourself you won't be able to take care of anything else so always put yourself first. The article is brought to you by Bank of Ireland Business Startup Package Bank of Ireland's business startup package gives new businesses everything they need to grow. With no account transaction or maintenance fees for 24months, a domain name and web page hosting free for 12months, a free listing on the Golden pages and a one-hour free session with a professional service (accountant or solicitor) you will be well on your way to business success in no time.