They say when you have a baby, the first year is always the hardest – but what about when you have a startup?
Most parent entrepreneurs will tell you there's very little difference between the two: startups require constant attention, they wake you up at ungodly hours of the morning and strike within you an ever-present fear of doing it wrong. You'll be tired, disorientated, drained and on a day-to-day rollercoaster of emotions.
Did I mention you'll be tired?
But by that same token, being an entrepreneur and having a startup could be the most rewarding thing you ever do. As written in a post on the Startup Chile blog: "If you manage to pull it off successfully, it might be the most beautiful thing you've ever created. It's hard doing it just right, but if you do, it will be worth it."
From finance and fundraising to marketing and management, getting a startup off the ground requires a whole lot more than just a good idea and the right attitude. Like having a baby, it needs nurture, love, direction, attention and a pram-full of help from your support network.
So what should you do to put your company on the right track in its first 12 months? What are the potential pitfalls you should be looking out for?
Join us and a panel of experts from 11am BST on Thursday 17 April to discuss surviving your first year as an entrepreneur. There will be problems, issues and dirty nappies along the way, but we'll be joined by a panel of experts who can offer some advice on cleaning up the mess and going about things the right way in that tricky first year.
Panel
Joe Scarboro, co-founder, 3beards
Former CFO for an oil/shipping company, Joe decided the corporate life wasn't for him and jumped ship. Having previously worked for a tech startup, he was keen to get back into the scene and is now co-founder at 3beards. @joescarboro
Emi Gal, CEO, Brainient
Emi is founder and CEO of ad-tech company Brainient – he previously started two other tech businesses and is one of the founding members of the Digital Catalyst Fund, an early stage venture fund. @emigal
Jeff Lynn, CEO and co-founder, Seedrs
Jeff is CEO and co-founder of Seedrs, one of the world's leading equity crowdfunding platforms – he also serves as founding chairman of the Coalition for a Digital Economy (Coadec) and as a non-executive director of Companies House. @jeffseedrs
Andy Morley, managing director, The Web Design Group
Andy has worked in the web industry since 1999 and is the founder and managing director of The Web Design Group. @Andy_Morley
Jules Coleman, founder, Hassle
A former management consultant turned self-taught coder, Jules is co-founder at Hassle, a London based startup that makes it easy for anyone to book a pre-vetted cleaner online. @julescoleman
Tony Stott, chief executive, Midven Venture Capital
Tony is CEO of Midven, a Birmingham-based venture capital firm with a successful history investing in dynamic, small- and medium-sized businesses. He is a chartered accountant by background and holds a degree in economics with politics from Manchester University. @Midven
Ami Shpiro, founder, Innovation Warehouse
Ami has co-founded and mentored numerous commercial enterprises in a variety of markets, ranging from software systems to property development – in 2009, he founded co-working accelerator Innovation Warehouse. @ashpiro
Jason Goodman, founder and CEO, Albion
Jason founded Albion in 2002 – the company has been central to building some of the world's most famous digital businesses, including eBay, Betfair and Skype. @jasongoodman
Gary Stewart, director, Wayra UK
Gary is the director of Wayra UK, and associate professor and entrepreneur-in-residence at IE Business School – he also founded Noura, a Barcelona based startup that raised over £1.7m in funding. @garystew
This live Q&A is provided by Nominet, sponsors of the Guardian Media Network's Digital Entrepreneur hub
The Nominet Internet Awards are currently open for application – find out more about the awards and how to enter here
