I thought I would share a few things I have learned that separate a professional from a hobbyist.

1. Use wood filler for any large gashes in the wood. 
2. Do any necessary repairs including gluing or adding screws to loose wood.
3. Replace or repair any damaged or missing drawer slides. I carry several of the most common ones at Vintage Slides.
4. Don't paint over the hardware. Remove all hardware before painting. If needed, clean the hardware before replacing.
5. Always prep the piece. Remove any wax or oil.  I use TSP, but there are several good cleaners on the market. Always lightly sand to remove loose wood or paint and any dirt. Then scrub clean.
6. Most paint doesn't need a primer underneath. I only use it if I am painting Cherry or Mahogany wood. They tend to bleed through the paint without the primer.
7. Use a high quality furniture paint. It is expensive, but it will stick to the furniture much better and last much longer. I love Fusion Mineral Paint! It even has a built in top coat. And it goes on so smoothly.
8. While painting, catch all drips. They look terrible when dried on the furniture. If you find one later, sand it off and paint over.
9. Put on enough coats of paint so it doesn't look spotty and blotchy. Fusion only needs two coats. The exception is white paint. It always requires more coats. Use a roller when painting with white. I have never been able to get white to look smooth with a brush.
10. If you used a chalk paint, apply a top coat to seal the paint. Most paint takes 30 days to cure. Until then, be gentle.
11. The hardware can be cleaned and reused, or you can change the hardware or paint the hardware.
12. If selling you newly painted piece of furniture, order some tiny makeup containers on Amazon and include some touch up paint for your buyer.

Have fun with it, and don't be afraid to be creative. If it turns out crappy, you can always paint over it!