As you’re starting up, you’re always thinking about strategy and branding. Good branding will highlight your uniqueness and (hopefully) put you before your competitors in the eyes of customers. But don’t forget that it’s good strategy that will actually ensure you can take on the competition and win.

The next time you’re about to go into a competition-induced freak out, remember these tips on how to come out on top:

Finding the best city to base your business in is no small decision. You want affordable, of course, but you also need access to brains, talent and capital. Most importantly if you’re an entrepreneur, you want to be in the mix with other smart and dynamic people who can help you grow your business.

So where to locate? No city has it all. But some offer much more than others. We list seven of the best cities for start-ups below.

If there’s one person who has revolutionized the concept of the low-cost technology startup — businesses that can go from concept to minimum viable product straight from their bedroom or garage — it’s Paul Graham.

Through YCombinator, the innovative investment fund designed to give entrepreneurs the mentoring they need to live the dream on a small budget, Graham has shown there is a clear path for entrepreneurship on the Web that doesn’t necessarily require millions of dollars.

Three weeks ago we announced an exciting (and fun) challenge with our friends over at KISSmetrics.   For this challenge, we would identify 3 start-ups who have never used KISSmetrics and who do not have a phone number on their site.  We launched this phone number challenge to test our hypothesis:

People feel more comfortable with brands that they can put a face behind.  Even though you might purchase a product exclusively online, having a phone number on your site and the ability to talk to a real person (who cares) in turn makes you feel more comfortable taking out your wallet (or recommending someone else to) for this brand.

Besides the opportunity to put on a spiffy outfit and walk around like you’ve got the next big thing in your pocket, conferences for entrepreneurs and small business owners can be a great resource.

Network with other cool people, get advice on your business strategies, or just walk around knocking yourself in head thinking “Why didn’t I think of that?!”