Succeeding as a Solopreneur: 10 Quick Tips You Shouldn’t Ignore
Being your own boss has its perks. I mean who wouldn’t want to be in control of their hours and live life to the fullest while running a profitable business. The Solopreneurial World is full of ups and downs, one-minute customers are blowing up your phone with orders and the next you’re wondering if you should pack up and return to your 9–5.
I’ve been there before and I can tell you that the instability can be discouraging but the reward when you succeed is enormous. That is one reason to hang in there when the challenges get tough. Below I’ve put together few tips I wished I had known before starting my business. If you’re reading this perhaps you’re a beginner or you’ve recently hit a roadblock and you want things to change, whatever category you belong to, I’m sure you’ll find these tips helpful.
Create realistic long and short-term goals by writing down your mission and being straightforward about what you hope to achieve as a solopreneur. You need to be realistic with yourself because most likely, you will be handling most tasks by yourself.
Ok, so let’s begin the list.
1. Your business plan should serve as a guideline for every other activity down the line, hence why this tip comes as number one. You need to have definite, precise, clearly set goals, otherwise you are not going to realize the maximum potential that lies within you.
2. You matter as much as your clients do. It’s a common saying in business that the customer comes first or that the “customer is always right”, however, as a solopreneur you have to set the terms and boundaries when it comes to your relationship with customers. You decide the customers you would work with and those you’ll let go of. A difficult or unappreciative customer can double the hassle for you.
3. Set the hours you’ll like to work and once those hours are over, shut down your device and attend to your personal affairs. If you have close family and friends, spend as much time with them as possible. Avoid working on vacations or retreats. You’re at your best when you’re well-rested and a good place emotionally.
4. Strive for excellence even as a beginner. As a solopreneur running your business from the comfort of your bed, with your cellphone and laptop you might feel invisible in the saturated business world. I mean, who would notice that slight grammatical error in your website or the mismatched color combination on your last Instagram post? Well, I have news for you, people do notice, even if they don’t at first, they would eventually. It doesn’t matter if you have 20 customers right now or 200, from the beginning you have to show these folks you are here to make an impact.
5. Be Unique. There are probably a hundred or more other businesses doing the same thing that you do, you need to create a plan on how to stand out amongst others. Why should a customer buy from you and not from business C or B? Create your brand’s voice and persona. Try providing valuable service to a small group of people at first, when people trust you and can testify of the quality you provide, your customer base would increase with time. Word of mouth they say is the best advert, let your standard do the talking. You have a better chance of succeeding while serving a smaller group than when you want to carry everyone along, all at once.
6. Take your online representation seriously. What’s the first thing you do when you hear of a new product? I can assure you most people open their web browser, type in a name and within a few seconds, they’ve decided whether to patronize you or not. With the quantity of content poured into the internet daily, making an impression is more difficult now than ever. According to the social media platform you use, organize your content feed in such a way that prospective customers would immediately feel confident in you at a glance.
7. Work with influencers, get your product out there in front of people. Breathe life into your social media accounts, create campaigns, challenges, giveaways, polls, post relatable memes, reply to comments, listen to what your audience want and try to give it to them.
8. Take Advantage of tools to make your work easier, you should take full advantage of the numerous online tools available to business owners. Not only would this help you complete tasks in a shorter period, but you can also get more work done while staying organized simultaneously. Stay up to date with the latest applications and software, try out different ones till you find the most suitable for you.
9. Never Stop Learning. Let’s face it, handling all aspects of your business all by yourself has certainly driven you bunkers at some point. This isn’t because you’re clueless or lazy, it takes a lot to run a successful business with a team, let alone a one-man house. Thankfully with the help of social media, most of the basic knowledge you would need is just one click away. Watch YouTube videos, take courses to ramp up your skills, and get you prepared for challenges you would encounter. Learning shouldn’t just be about business technicalities, listen to your customers, understand their behavior and needs, watch your competition closely, and learn from them. Be alert about the changes in your field of business and revamp your business style to blend with current trends.
10. Join a network that helps you connect with real individuals that have been in your shoes and probably faced the same problems you might be facing. By joining a community, you can learn from both the success and failure of other solopreneurs, you might even find mentors to guide you. I get it, you intend on running your business alone but at the end of the day, we are all humans and there’s no harm in leaning on each other’s shoulders or asking for help when you need it.
Final thoughts on succeeding as a solopreneur. Succeeding and eventually turning in profit in your small business won’t happen in a day, it might take weeks or months before actual results and profits start to pour in. Managing your expectations is crucial in the beginning and with consistency, success would not be farfetched.
In case you need help, join the Air10x community, tailored for specifically for solopreneurs. Sure, joining a regular business group on Facebook is fine but there’s no better way of getting the support you need than relating with a more niched down crowd. Don’t take my word for it, sign up today at air10x.com and experience first-hand, the real power of a supportive community. Every month we have 50 free seats for solopreneurs as a first come, first served basis. Check it out at www.air10x.com.
As the Irish saying goes, “in togetherness as a team, castles are built”. No matter how many books you read or how many business seminars you attend, you’re never fully prepared for the real-life problems you’re going to face once your business goes live.
