Mistakes? Not me. All right, all right. I’ve made a few. More importantly, I’ve seen it all. And in my experience, if you can avoid these whoppers, your success is almost guaranteed.

10. Trying To Get Rich Quick
Most overnight successes take 15 to 20 years to achieve. Success takes time, perseverance and a little bit of luck. If you go in expecting to get rich by breakfast, you’re in for one long night. You may be willing to pull an all-nighter, but were you expecting it to take two decades? Give your business time to grow. Prepare for the long haul, keep it steady, and then act surprised when you become the next overnight sensation. It might take 15 years, but your success will surely last more than 15 minutes.

9. Assuming No Competition
Even if you have the latest, greatest, never-been-done-before approach to something, you’ve got competition. That’s right, bucko. Your genius idea may be top secret, but you’ve got bigger problems. Competition is more than just the direct, obvious competitors. Competition is also all the available alternatives. What else could the consumer do instead of using your product or service? Walk away, that’s what! The customer almost always has the option of saying “no.” What could be more serious competition than that?

8. Being a Weak Leader
Even if you would rather focus on tasks than manage your team, the success of your company is contingent on you being a strong, effective leader. Weak leaders are not cut out for the entrepreneurial life; they’re better off taking orders and punching a clock. Leading your team does not mean being a dictator or a bully, nor does it mean being everyone’s best buddy. A strong leader sets the goals for the company and communicates the course constantly. Most importantly, a strong leader inspires the team to get there.

7. Being All Business All the Time
If you haven’t seen your main squeeze in weeks, can’t remember your last meal, and haven’t seen the sun in days, you’re making a huge mistake. Many entrepreneurs put their personal lives on hold to focus exclusively on their business, to the detriment of both. No question your business needs your full attention and effort, but only in short spurts. Just like a peak athlete, you need to have a proper healthy diet, get enough rest, and take breaks. Balance your personal and business life and you will actually do better in both.

6. Setting Pie-In-The-Sky Financial Goals
Quick. List five billionaires who showed up at your last party. What? No billionaires? Look, if all business plans came true, being a billionaire would be nothing extraordinary, a dime a dozen. Many entrepreneurs go into a new venture planning astronomical returns. Yet, most never even get the business off the ground. Unrealistic goals not only hurt your credibility, but can also be an emotional drain – if the pie is too high in the sky, you’re going to give up reaching for it. Set Specific, Measurable, Accountability, Realistic, and Time specific (SMART) goals to ensure continual progress; chances of being an overnight success (albeit in 15 to 20 years) are much greater!

5. Missing The (Rallying) Point
There is a reason why employees leave high paying corporate jobs to go to start ups, and it sure ain’t the money. People cut and run because they are driven to serve an important purpose. Many businesses never define their real purpose for existence and continually attract a mix of employees who are seeking success in different ways. Clarify the purpose of your company, beyond just making money, and you set the stage for attracting like-minded employees. A team focused on the same goal is a very powerful force, one that brings home the bacon, and the dream.

4. Cutting Price
What are you, an entrepreneur or a price-slashing ninja warrior? When business is tough many entrepreneurs cut prices hoping to attract more customers. So. Wrong. Most customers are willing to buy more expensive items because of the greater quality or the better convenience. During tough times, often an increase in price, coupled with improvements in quality or convenience can bring the customers in droves. Price slashing is a dangerous game, even for ninjas like you.

3. Mixing Marketing Messages
Mix your drinks, mix it up with your friends, but whatever you do, don’t send mixed marketing messages. You never know where, when or how a new prospect is going to hear about your business. If you have a mixed bag of messages out there, prospects will have an unclear expectation of what you offer. You will never get a second chance to make a first impression, so make sure it’s consistent across the board. Save the mixing for Friday night!

2. Being Shady
Cover-ups are so yesterday. Setting aside the ethical concerns, in the vast anonymous world that is the Internet, nothing can be kept secret. One minute you’re screwing up, and the next minute ten strangers are blogging about it. If your business tries to cover up a mistake, it is just a matter of time before the word leaks and you are labeled as a liar – on Twitter! That’s not good for business. Be the one to break your own bad news and you just may be perceived as honest and trustworthy. Besides, you’ll get all the traffic!

1. Trying To Do It All
I hate to break it to you, but you can’t do it all. The greatest mistake entrepreneurs make is trying to go solo on all fronts. Most people have one or two innate talents, and a bunch of other so-so skills. Identify your inner rock star and then focus on those qualities to the fullest. As for the other tasks, surround yourself with people who are strong where you are not. Great companies are built on the foundation of exploiting a few strengths, not on trying to be masters of everything. You’re good, but you’re not that good.