- Have a clear business plan which is also flexible
- Build the skills to run a business by practising them before you start up
- Be obsessive about looking after your customers and continually improving your business
If the business equivalent of Simon Cowell came across your company, would he think it had the X-factor? Chris Barling examines the key drivers behind a successful business.
For every business that succeeds, there are many more that fail. While some people attribute this to luck, some people seem to be lucky over and over again.
Dragons' Den judges James Caan and Deborah Meaden and social entrepreneur Karen Darby are some of the successful entrepreneurs who feature in our exclusive videos. 
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