(In this guide, winners of nearly a dozen Get Started events share their advice and insights on how an aspiring entrepreneur can take those all-important first steps, stay on course, and recover from setbacks: )

Even the most confident and well-prepared business founders can feel a queasy sense of uncertainty as they launch their new company. Any new venture entails risk, and setbacks and unanticipated challenges are an inevitable part of the journey to success. 

But savvy entrepreneurs can mitigate many of the mistakes and headaches they might otherwise have to endure by absorbing the invaluable lessons of those who have gone before them. And a unique set of mentors can be found among the winners of the Get Started series of events, sponsored by Cox Business, that have been held around the U.S. 

These fast-paced pitch competitions give a wide variety of entrepreneurs the opportunity to present their ideas to a panel of experts. Cox created the series as a way to help elevate local entrepreneurs and provide them with cash and resources to get them to the next level.