Starting up a small business can be difficult. Countless hours spent worrying over the smallest detail could be commonplace, which could in turn lead you to become erratic and make small - but crucial - mistakes. However, here are two tips to help you stay on top of your stresses and keep your head above water. Start with a solid business plan All too often people think that all they need is a great idea and the motivation to make it happen in order for investors and clients to be swept up in their passions and begin throwing money into their venture. Unfortunately, idealism like this doesn't pay off often. It's important for start ups to have a strong backbone - a solid business plan. These plans serve two purposes. Firstly, it's to help you keep an overarching goal in your mind. Staying on the right track and remaining realistic and motivated will help you to reach your goals. The second use of a solid business plan is to help turn investors and customers onto your business. If you have a strong, succinct plan for your venture, you could find yourself gaining support much easier and faster than simply throwing yourself head first into the fray. Maintain cashflow from day one While this may seem pedantic, especially if you're dealing with miniscule amounts of start up money to begin with, keeping track of your cashflow from the get go is the best way to ensure your economic well being remains on track for incremental growth. One way of doing this is to invest in great software. Having the right tools at your disposal will make the growth of your business far more streamlined and simple to achieve in the long run. For example, the CashManager range of products from Accomplish could do wonders for your small business by providing a great platform for keeping your incoming and outgoing transactions simple, clear and easy to review.