Since you're a returning player I'll assume you already know most of what you are doing. But here's some advice based on my experiences;
To get far in this game, you need to aim to be making a substantial financial profit each week for several seasons. Being careful with my weekly player salaries and how I spent my money was how I managed to make it to the ABBL within 10 seasons of signing up. Of course, some very lucky breaks going my way, like drafting an 18yo HoF and getting the GDP right in the Division II play-offs (thanks Coach Regan!) helped a lot too, but playing the financial game correctly is the best way to quickly rise through the ranks in my opinion.
Only once you're making a good profit each week can you start to put a proper training scheme in place for your team. You can afford to make some trade-offs between finances and training along the way, such as paying extra for an Exceptional trainer if you have an U21 NT prospect or two, but don't let training consume you at the expense of profits and results. Advanced-Superior trainers will usually suffice, and you don't need 3 top-tier prospects either.
As I discovered through my Utopia team, the first few seasons can be a bit boring since your players suck and you don't have money to throw around either. My only advice is to tough your way through the building your team up period and the game will reward you later...
Last edited by Jay (OTT) at 03/28/2015 04:32:35