There are lots of tips out there for would-be entrepreneurs that I’ve found to be very specific, usually discussing the nitty-gritty of building a business or how to finance one. But how about some simple generic advice for those of us who are just contemplating on getting our feet wet in the realm of self-employment? Well I decided to compile some of these pointers that personally resonated with me, as a new entrepreneur, and which struck a chord with me as I watch my spouse and his partner labor to get their startup off the ground.

I got some of these tips from this great speech by Jerry Kaplan, a serial entrepreneur who’s been at the helm of GO Corporation, Onsale, Inc. (an online auction company) and Egghead.com, a computer software retail company.