Here are Steve Jobs’ 12 rules of success for your reading pleasure. Steve Jobs has certainly proved how effective these rules can be and he is a man worth listening to when it comes to success.

1 Do what you love to do. Find your true passion. Do what you love to do a make a difference! The only way to do great work is to love what you do.

2 Be different. Think different. “Better be a pirate than to join the navy.”

3 Do your best. Do your best at every job. No sleep! Success generates more success. So be hungry for it. Hire good people with passion for excellence.

4 Make SWOT analysis. As soon as you join/start a company, make a list of strengths and weaknesses of yourself and your company on a piece of paper. Don’t hesitate in throwing bad apples out of the company.

5 Be entrepreneurial. Look for the next big thing. Find a set of ideas that need to be quickly and decisively acted upon and jump through that window. Sometimes the first step is the hardest one. Just take it! Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.

6 Start small, think big. Don’t worry about too many things at once. Take a handful of simple things to begin with, and then progress to more complex ones. Think about not just tomorrow, but the future. “I want to put a ding in the universe,” reveal Steve Jobs his dream.

7 Strive to become a market leader. Own and control the primary technology in everything you do. If there’s a better technology available, use it no matter if anyone else is not using it. Be the first, and make it an industry standard.

8 Focus on the outcome. People judge you by your performance, so focus on the outcome. Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected.
Advertise. If they don’t know it, they won’t buy your product.

9 Ask for feedback. Ask for feedback from people with diverse backgrounds. Each one will tell you one useful thing. If you’re at the top of the chain, sometimes people won’t give you honest feedback because they’re afraid. In this case, disguise yourself, or get feedback from other sources. Focus on those who will use your product – listen to your customers first.

10 Innovate. Innovation distinguishes a leader from a follower. Delegate, let other top executives do 50% of your routine work to be able to spend 50% your time on the new stuff. Say no to 1,000 things to make sure you don’t get on the wrong track or try to do too much. Concentrate on really important creations and radical innovation. Hire people who want to make the best things in the world. You need a very product-oriented culture, even in a technology company. Lots of companies have tons of great engineers and smart people. But ultimately, there needs to be some gravitational force that pulls it all together.

11 Learn from failures. Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is best to admit them quickly, and get on with improving your other innovations.

12 Learn continually. There’s always “one more thing” to learn! Cross-pollinate ideas with others both within and outside your company. Learn from customers, competitors and partners. If you partner with someone whom you don’t like, learn to like them – praise them and benefit from them. Learn to criticize your enemies openly, but honestly.

1.  Open a separate bank account

It is very important to separate your personal bank account from your business bank account.  This will help you keep track of your expenses and available balance. You can try signing-up for an online account to get higher interest rates.  Check out HSBC Direct or ING Direct.

2.  Track your expenses (and income)

This is a must for everyone.  Whether it’s for your personal use, or freelance activities, you have to track your spending to see where your money is going (and coming from).  I keep a notepad and write my daily expenses (and income) .  There are several online finance programs that you can use, like Mint and Wesabe…you can also set it up on a calendar in your computer.  Whatever works for you.

3.  Keep your receipts

By keeping your receipts, you can deduct all legitimate deductions come tax time.  It will also save you a lot of headaches.

4.  Save all contracts or purchase orders and related correspondence

It is always better to be safe than sorry.  I have heard a lot of stories about freelancers who were not paid for their services, and small business owners selling their designs/products to stores that didn’t pay them.  It’s best to keep some form of evidence so that you can chase after in the event that this scenario happens. Knock on wood.

5.  Send an invoice A.S.A.P.

Many freelancers fail to invoice quickly.  I would suggest to send out the invoice as soon as you’re done with the project.  This will help get your payment faster.  And when it comes to payment terms – try putting “To be paid immediately“, or if you’re feeling a bit lenient, write “To be paid within 30 days of invoice date.”