The first step to starting a business is to have goals. You might have a brilliant business idea, but it will amount to nothing if you don't have goals or dreams.

The first step to starting a business is to have goals. You might have a brilliant business idea, but it will amount to nothing if you don't have goals or dreams.

You must also have a plan.

Piet van Coller, founder of Biltong Den, says owning a successful business starts with having a dream, a goal and a plan.

All this must be accompanied by a picture of the business in your mind. That picture must resonate in your mind until the dream is realised.

Once you have a picture in your mind, start colouring it with bright colours. Until it comes to life, meditate about it every day. You must make planning your business a habit.

Van Coller says everyone has ideas, but the problem is that they are trapped in shackles in the mind. Those shackles need to be broken before you can achieve anything. This you can do by adopting a positive attitude.

He says anyone who wants to succeed in business must adopt the ABC of life: A for attitude (a positive attitude); B for belief (believe in your ideas) and C for commitment (be committed to your dream).

Van Coller says no motivational speaker can make you succeed if you don't have a positive spirit. Your success depends on you more than anything else.

Motivational speakers can't give you the motivation you can give yourself.

Learn to adapt. Always be one step ahead in anything that you do because this will help you to plan properly. Recite positive things to yourself. But most important, you need to get up and work.