Small-business finance is, and has always been, a confidence game. For those with dreams of growing a thriving professional practice in the health field, you need to know one very important thing: Financiers only give or lend money to those who have earned their trust.

Your chances of funding a professional practice post grad-school is much higher if you have taken the time during your training to put the vitality into your personal and professional relationships. How do you do that? Make an effort to form reciprocal relationships with your peers and mentors. Vital, collegial relationships are so important to aspiring professionals.

The friendships you make during your training for your career will form a network for associations that can get your practice off to a strong start. Don’t look at it as simply self-aggrandizement. That’s the wrong approach. It’s more akin to cultivating a network of peer support. Make an effort to carry those professional school associations into your career plans over the long haul.

Newly minted professional school graduates have credentials, but they may not have an expert understanding of how to grow a professional practice. That’s where a mentor or even a partner can really come into play. Seek one out. Here’s four other suggestions for building your professional practice.

1. Personal demeanor. Body language may be a fun topic for parlor games, but the truth is that a large part of our interpersonal relationships are driven by those subtle signals. When you are seeking financing for your business or searching for a partner in your practice, be aware of your posture and presentation. It’s worth spending a few minutes in front of a mirror to see how you are coming across to the other person. Practice your delivery several times.
2. Pro-forma statements. You can exude all the confidence in the world, but if you don’t have the numbers to back it up, all we can say is ‘good luck!’ Yes, your amazing personality will carry you pretty far, but do the math, too.
3. Reliable communication. Let’s say you’ve got an interested backer or potential business partner willing to explore a partnership. Don’t blow it with a disappearing act just when financing for your concept is in the offing. Quick replies to queries for clarification on your business expansion plans are crucial to your financing efforts.
4. Have a backup plan. Line up several alternatives for ensuring sufficient liquidity for your practice so that grand-opening day isn’t delayed. You’ll also need cash reserves for marketing. Give it your best estimate and then double that amount. So many businesses underfund the marketing plan, but that’s the key factor in a startup’s success.

Follow these four tips and you’re on your way to achieving your small business dream.

Have you just received an unexpected personal tax bill as the result of an audit? One of the main themes in the history of the U.S. that has defined our jurisprudence is the concept of innocent until proven guilty. That’s true for tax audits, too.

While violations of tax laws occasionally turn into criminal cases, in the vast majority of instances an audit is a rather straightforward affair. Even so, discretion should be exercised during an audit conducted to examine your deductions. Here are a few tips to keep in mind if you’ve received a notice your personal tax return will be audited.

Don’t be defensive, but don’t be overly ingratiating either. Adopt a business-like demeanor. You do have rights, including the option to decline hosting a personal visit to your home or workplace. Also, you may elect to present evidence supporting your claim in the form of a photo or video.

Of course, this is presuming it’s a run-of-the-mill audit. If there’s any hint you may be the subject of a criminal investigation for tax evasion, you should immediately retain a personal attorney. However, the vast majority of IRS inquiries are usually resolved via mail.

Tempers can run hot when large amounts of money are at stake in an audit, but losing your temper will only aggravate the situation all the more. You likely wouldn’t let loose with a burst of profanity if you got bad news from your doctor (although some might). Take a few slow deep breaths, and remember your rights under the law to dispute any findings in an audit. If you blow your top and rage at the IRS agent, you have only made your case all the weaker. Don’t trigger a potential vendetta by treating the agent poorly. He or she is just doing their job.

Keep quiet unless responding to an inquiry. It’s funny (or maybe not) how many folks will start rattling off justifications for this or that deduction when the agent may not even be looking at that particular issue. Be quiet and respectful. Answer questions politely and succinctly.

The most important tip for surviving a personal audit is to have good recordkeeping. It’s all too easy to lose track of receipts for your deductions, and without proof, the IRS will likely not allow that write-off should you be audited. Consider improving your tax-deduction recordkeeping, which could make going through an audit a much easier process.