Today’s twenty and thirty somethings are an amazingly ambitious bunch. A number of surveys reveal that between half and two thirds of young adults hope to launch their own business. If you’re one of them, good for you, read on! Here’s what you need to know before starting your own start-up.

1. Do embrace your passion

Steve Jobs famously said, “If you’re not passionate enough from the start, you’ll never stick it out.” He is proof that youthful energy and persistence (if applied smartly) can take you miles farther than that extra year of work experience. So if you are truly passionate about turning your start-up idea and dreams of independence into reality, then go for it! After all, every successful start-up has in common a founder who can inspire and excite others.

2. Great minds don’t always think alike

Scared of telling people your great idea in case they pinch it? Don’t be. Statistically, someone is far less likely to steal your genius plan than to help you along the way to success. Serial entrepreneurs recommend that you talk to dozens of people. Others will give you a different perspective and invaluable feedback; they will challenge you with questions and points that you hadn’t considered, and will help you develop the seed of an idea into a workable concept.

3. Don’t miss a chance to mingle

Now that the recession is confined to history books, start-up accelerators and incubators are popping up in pretty much every vibrant global city, and they are on the hunt for the high-flying graduates and business leaders of tomorrow. They give entrepreneurs access to incredible resources, investors, business events, and other brilliant minds to bounce your creative ideas off. So take advantage.

4. Do be honest with yourself

Fact: you’re not perfect. Although confidence is great, arrogance could set you back. Start-up founders need to be brutally honest about their own strengths and weaknesses. Once you identity these, you can hire great people who complement you, and have the talents and skills you lack. Your first hires will be the most important members in your winning team and will help you to define the start-up’s mission and spirit.

5. Plan before you do

Taking a clear business plan out of your head and putting it down on paper will catapult you steps ahead. Commit to bite-sized targets and set out how and when you will achieve them. This will keep you focused and effective during the early execution stage of your start-up. Clear targets and a shared sense of purpose will also help you to attract those capable and ambitious whizz kids who love a challenge … even if you can’t pay them as much as big corporate firms.

6. Don’t fear change

What’s more important than a clear business plan? Your willingness to adapt it. Remember that your vision and goals should guide you but never tie you down. Every business founder says that they learn hundreds of invaluable lessons from their team, their customers, and their mistakes. The ones who succeed are the ones who are flexible and act on what they’ve learnt. Be bold enough to make changes and innovate to meet your customers’ expectations.

You can love or hate her. You may resent the fact that her far-too-revealing photos are forced upon you everywhere you look online. Or perhaps you secretly indulge in weekends of continuous episodes of Keeping Up with the Kardashians.

But one thing that none of us can do is deny the reality that Kim Kardashian is among the world’s most recognized brands and high-earning businesswomen. Here we break down the top 5 factors behind Kim’s rather insane success.

1) That sex tape

Most women would rather live out their days on a remote, scorpion-infested island with only the cast of Jersey Shore for company than leak their sex tape for the rest of the world to see. But Kim is no shy wallflower. The stunt helped to thrust her into the limelight in the same year as the Kardashian clan bagged their own TV reality show. And once you’ve flashed it all once, why not twice? Kim released several risqué photos this year which were published pretty much everywhere on the Internet. While we’re certainly not endorsing her antics, Kim’s confidence and willingness to take risks are valuable lessons for any brand craving press coverage.

2) #Selfies #Belfies

Yes, she’s narcissistic and obsessed with Photoshop. Kim probably takes more selfies every day than Russell Brand swears in an hour, and the girl practically invented the belfie. But here’s a crazier fact: she has an incredible 27 million followers on both Instagram and Twitter who want to see everything she posts. Who can argue with stats like that? Kim is a social media guru who understands exactly what her target audience wants. Not only does she portray a carefully crafted, glamorous image of herself, but she has also perfected the balance between allowing fans a private glimpse into her world and teasingly concealing enough information to keep their attention.

3) The perfect partner in crime

The conventional wisdom that you should marry for love and for a man’s good-hearted qualities don’t necessarily apply in Beverly Hills. Maybe Kim really loves Kanye. Maybe the rumours that it’s all a business deal are true. Yet regardless of the romantic reality, there’s no doubting that Kim’s public image has hugely benefitted from her third marriage and holy celeb union with one of America’s hottest rappers. As well as selling 21 million albums, Kanye also happens to be an entrepreneur and fashion icon in his own right, and has made Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people alive. The publicity that this superpower couple has gained from supporting each other’s business ventures must be worth more than even the combined value of their designer closets.

4) Forward planning

Is there any forgivable reason a devoted parent would name their first child after a direction on the compass? Unlike mere mortals who may shudder at the thought of school bullies, Kim clearly sees value in blessing her child with an attention grabbing name. Along with a carefully managed number of baby pictures after the birth and a selection of matching outfits, Kim proved that she’s more than happy to share the tabloid headlines with her baby girl. Her strategy is already paying off. North West has become an essential part of the Kardashian-West brand and has enhanced mommy’s relatability and human appeal. It may not be long until North is following in her family’s footsteps and filling gossip columns with scandalous stories of teenage rebellion and heartbreak.

5) No pain, no gain

This celeb is no stranger to hard work. And we’re not just talking about botox, laser, surgery, and several hours every day in the make-up chair. Even before she became the highest earning reality star in history, Kim was an ambitious go-getter who worked at her father’s music marketing firm in high school and later in retail and as a stylist. She now owns a chain of shops and fashion lines with her sisters, stars on the family TV show, charges a crazy amount of money to advertise various products, has produced her own book and computer game, and still manages to look paparazzi-ready every time she leaves the mansion. You certainly don’t have to love her to accept that Kim Kardashian is one multi-tasking, modern businesswoman.