Nobody told me when I was a kid how much harder it was going to be to make friends when I got older. Changing jobs and moving to new cities, I always felt like I had to start all over again.

The same is true as you start your business. Sure you have friends from former jobs and other positions, but they may or may not necessarily travel in the same circles that you're moving in now that you're a business owner. And so it's time for you to go out and make new friends.

Get out there and start networking and don't just look for customers. When you go to the next Chamber of Commerce event what you're really looking for are peers, other people in your industry and maybe even a few competitors. These are people that you'll be able to talk to about your industry and about your world.

It's a great way to learn and share best practices. Don't limit your networking to in-person, there are great opportunities online to join discussion groups and industry forums.