It is important to recognise and understand what drives value. Your brand and reputation are invaluable when they are working well but they can be destroyed in an instant.

Find your point of difference and create a niche position. Where there is lots of competition, you need to stand out. However, be careful. Niche is good but make sure it does not unduly limit your markets and customers.

Reflecting on lessons learned from the Facebook IPO, there are many examples where emotion and sentiment were drivers of value. It was a hard lesson for many but ultimately profitability and cash flow emerged as key drivers of value. Value is all about the future not the past.

Understanding the importance of stability, growth and earnings potential will really increase the value of your business.