Bryan Clayton, CEO and Founder of GreenPal and small-business mentor, gives his five best ideas for entrepreneurs and small-business owners:

1. Bake in your marketing strategies from the earliest days of your business and plan on getting your solution out to your customers.
    
2. Spend time experimenting with marketing techniques, from organic SEO to social media channels, and figure out what works best for you.
    
3. Be honest: are people willing to pay for what you’re doing? Are they coming back for more?
    
4. Be impressive to potential mentors: show them your hustle and how far you’ve come!
    
5. Tune into passive mentorships like YouTube channels and (ahem) podcasts for key insights from your favourite thought leaders. Only take advice from folks who have been where you’re going!