TechAlliance Venture Services and the Pierre L. Morrissette Institute for Entrepreneurship recently kicked-off the 4th annual instalment of Entrepreneur 1.0 (E1.0), also known as “the ultimate business boot camp.”

A ten-week course designed to help entrepreneurs get off on the right foot, E1.0 takes participants through key challenges that can affect the planning stages of a business. Everything from communications and networking to cash flow management is covered in this intensive module-based program.

October 6th marked the first day for E1.0, and participants took part in the introductory module, “The Evolution of a Business and Your Plan.”

Between tweeting about the topic at-hand, Eric Janssen (twitter alias @IveyMIFE), a lecturer from The Richard Ivey School of Business, took note of some of speaker Dr. Wayne Danter’s key points. One stood out to me, but I encourage you to read Janssen’s full re-cap of the session for more tips from Danter and from Stewart Thornill, the executive director of the Pierre L. Morrissette Institute for Entrepreneurship.

Danter pointed out that it’s better not to work with people who only tell you what you want to hear. This is extremely important as it’s difficult not to be swayed by yes men. Who doesn’t like to have their ideas and concepts ratified by praise? Unfortunately, yes-men won’t challenge you to think outside the box or point out where there are areas for improvement in your plan. Entrepreneurs, and truly all those in business, need to remember that, although it might be difficult to hear at the time, the brutal truth is what can help a new product or service take flight.

Make sure to read Janssen’s regular blogs and tweets about Entrepreneur 1.0 for more suggestions on how to get your new business marching on the right path.