It’s becoming so hard to find the right job nowadays. Competition is tougher. Sometimes, the job is good, but the pay, well, not so, or the pay is great but the job itself burns you out.
More and more people are jumping into solopreneurship, and why not? After all, this seems to be the only way for you to be able to work on a business that you love. Plus you get to have the perks of work-life balance and never having to deal with office politics.
Being a solopreneur is different from running a business with a team. From conceptualizing, setting up, starting, scaling and growing your business from the ground up, you’re a one-man team running it and you’re completely in control.
If you’re just starting on your solopreneur dreams, here’s a list of must-do’s that you can follow to succeed:
1. Do something you love
This is always the first step on the road to success for any business. A lot of successful solopreneurs build a business on something that they love. Why? It’s because it’s so much easier to sustain the business when your heart is in it. It’s easy to celebrate over successes but it’s hard to keep going when you lose if you’re not passionate about your business. Build a business that makes you feel fulfilled.
2. Make clear goals
Aside from passion, define a purpose. Why do you want to do it? When you’re clear on your goals and the things that matter to you, it will be easier to channel that to what you will be offering and people will see that better. Passion and purpose work hand in hand.
3. Learn to be accountable
There can be no one else more accountable in your business than you. Whether you lose or win, that’s all on you. If it’s a loss, learn from it. If it’s a win, reward yourself and try to replicate.
4. Don’t limit yourself
You’re an expert on something, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be more. You’re running a business on your own, so it pays to grab every opportunity you can to learn. Be open to learning other aspects of the business. Build your skills. Attend workshops. No one can stop you to gain more than what you already can do.
5. Technology is your best friend
Technology is there to make our lives easier. Use it to your advantage. You can now automate emails for outreach. You can create a chatbot for basic customer service. Keep hard copies of your files, but keep them in a cloud, too, so they’re safer from getting lost. Use online scheduling. Put apps on your phone that can help you access work wherever you are even without your laptop or PC. There are so many technology tools that you can use to make running your business easier.
6. Have a support system
You’ve already gone solo, but it’s ok to find people outside your business to support you during struggles and to celebrate with you during success. Solopreneurship, as with any business will not always be smooth sailing, so have people you can count on to give you advice or even just a pat on the back or a listening ear.
7. Remember: work-life balance
Successful solopreneurs know when to take a rest, too. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Sometimes, when you’re too passionate, you spend so much time on it and get so hurt when things don’t go with your expectations. Passion can easily turn into hate, so make sure that you take care of yourself too. You are a solopreneur. You control your time. You can work anywhere and anytime you want. Do something good for your soul too.
