Article by Werner van Rooyen (TradeWorld Leads and Tenders and How2Tender.com) Many people dream of starting their own businesses. There are many people who actually go out and start their own businesses and then fail dismally. There are horrific statistics of how many start-up businesses fail within the first two years. Some say as many as 80% of all start-ups fail within the first two years, and of the remaining 20%, another 80% fail in the following three years. The four businesses that survive the first five years will most probably be successful and exist for some time. The question is, why do so many businesses fail? There is no straightforward answer. What we need to focus on, is what to do to make your business sustainable. You want to ensure your business survives the first two years in order for you to build up a reputation as reliable and sustainable, enabling you to respond to that large tender that will provide you with financial independence. There are many factors that one needs to consider when starting your own business and here are five rules that you need to adhere to when doing so: