One of the most daunting tasks for most small business owners is creating a business plan. Sitting down, staring at a blank page or computer screen is never easy, and even less so when you are creating a document that will govern, to some degree, the path of your business for the next few years.

Starting a business can be one of the most exciting and rewarding things to do in life. It will take many years of enormous sacrifice, thus entering into the process of starting up should be a serious endeavor.

If you own a mobile device then you've probably heard of tech giant HTC Corp., the Taiwanese maker of tablets and smartphones such as the HTC Incredible, Thunderbolt and Evo 4G. You may be less familiar with Cher Wang, the 53-year-old woman who co-founded the company in 1997.

J. K. Rowling is the English writer who has authored all seven beloved Harry Potter novels. Her rise to fame and fortune is inspiring. As of June, 2011, she has sold over 450 million books that have been translated into 67 languages.

Born on January 29, 1954 in Kosciusko, Mississippi, Oprah Winfrey lived with her grandmother on a farm until she was six years old. From the age of 6 to 13, she lived in Milwaukee with her mother. At 13, claiming abuse, she ran away from her mother’s home.

The Walt Disney Company, which reported more than $38 billion in revenue in 2010, was started by a high-school dropout who loved to draw and had a passion for learning. Walt Disney founded an empire on fantasy and risk taking.

Steve Jobs' impact on your life cannot be overestimated. His innovations have likely touched nearly every aspect -- computers, movies, music and mobile. As a communications coach, I learned from Jobs that a presentation can, indeed, inspire. For entrepreneurs, Jobs' greatest legacy is the set of principles that drove his success.

When it comes to happiness, Tony Hsieh has made it his mission to deliver. As Zappos CEO, he built an online footwear and clothing retailer that has become for some a gold standard for customer service and company culture.

Have you ever heard the name Richard Branson? He is most famous for being Founder of the Virgin Group of companies, which cover a multitude of different businesses that are difficult to put under one class.

As the late Stephen Covey taught in his runaway bestseller, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, cultivating good habits is essential to an entrepreneur’s success. New habits are hard to master, but learning how we turn intention into reality can make the process much easier.

As a business leader, you are mired in the everyday details of your company's success. You're worried about your bottom line, your sales goals, or your next board meeting. Amid the chaos, it's easy to forget that intangibles -- like your beliefs -- play an important role in your success.

Fear and self-doubt plague all of us. To the degree you can overcome your insecurities, you will experience freedom to be yourself and reach your full potential as an entrepreneur. The most important thing to understand is that everyone experiences these scary emotions to some degree, regardless of how confident and self-assured people may seem.

Mad Men's Don Draper is exceptionally good at saving a deal gone sour. When a client dislikes an ad campaign, the fictional ad exec can weave the perfect tale to change their minds. His storytelling ability is a gift that no one else at his agency has. To become a successful business leader, identify your own strengths and talents and foster them.

Use these six steps to set a course for achieving your goals.
It's pointless in my view to worry about time management and balance. I'm not interested in balance. I am interested in abundance in every area. I don't want to sacrifice one in favor of another.

Like professional athletes, entrepreneurs must train and prepare themselves mentally, physically and emotionally. Yet unlike athletes, entrepreneurs don’t get to relax during the off season. They have to be on every day. That pressure to perform is even higher for young entrepreneurs who are constantly forced to prove themselves before customers, investors and employees.