You will almost certainly need external advice to support an ISO 9000 certification for your business. This is not just about internal expertise, but about taking an independent, objective view on policies and procedures to support improvement.

A startup business has to be more than an idea when you come to sell it. For most cases, a rule of thumb is to work on building a track record of growth of at least 3 years. You also need to have enough in place to be confident to project future grow

If you want to quickly add a professional edge to a developing business then subcontracting call handling and secretarial support is a good route to take. Costs can be controlled and the risk is minimal.

Being a control freak is a known risk for small business owners. If you want to grow the business you need to step back by delegating more and developing a management team. Procedures and work instructions can also help - paperless is best if you can