Most experienced players build additional space yard space stations around their home worlds. These extra shipyards can crank out some extra ships, but at about half the speed of the home world. When you do run low on resources you can mothball the extra shipyards and use them later on.
They also design colonizers that take 2 turns to build on the home planet ship yard. This can require design your race with a boosted shipyard rate. These slower colonizers are great for the home system. Small planets are good for extra research, radioactives, units, and planet shipyards.
SATs placed in worm holes can be a good early defense, especially against a missle using race.
Try building armed small transports instead of escorts. Include 3 sat layers and 3 cargo for required 150 cargo space. Then add Cap Missle (CSM) or Depleted Uranium Cannon(DUC).
For an explorer Version drop the weapons and add fuel. Carry SATs to recon neighbor systems. If an enemy kills your SAT, so what, at least you know their weapon loadout.
generally good early game research:
Larger ships, DUC3, Point Defense,
Also try this strategy site:
http://home.earthlink.net/~petemmer/
I'll email the Dubious strategy guide. I can not remember where I down loaded it from