Taking the leap into starting a business can be a scary thing for anybody. It comes with risks, stresses, and responsibility of taking on the world while being responsible for a company and workforce.
Imagine taking on this responsibility, but alone. This is the life of a solopreneur. The difference between a solopreneur and an entrepreneur is when you are a solopreneur, you do it all yourself. This means doing the operational side of the business, such a contracts to managing marketing campaigns, such as advertising and literally everything in between.
3 Things You Must Do to Succeed As a New Solopreneur
While the business of being a solopreneur can seem overwhelming, there are different tactics you can employ in order to run a most efficient level. Today, we are going to look at some ways we can succeed and thrive on our solopreneur’s journey.
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Don’t Get Too Big, Too Quick
This may seem like a ridiculous thing, but hear me out. The whole premise behind being a solopreneur is to do everything by yourself. It is doing everything alone that grants you certain privileges. By taking on contracts that are potentially too big for you to handle right out of the gate, you run the risk or producing insufficient service and deliverables. This can quickly damage your reputation.
One of the most important things you have to begin with is your brand, your reputation. Your advertising will likely take place face to face 70% of the time as you attempt to win contracts from clients. This is what will set you apart from every other business out there.
You being a solopreneur grants you the opportunity to give your business a face, not just a logo. You have the chance to be personal with your clients and offer them a service they will just not be able to get anywhere else. This is actually one of the benefits you can offer as a solopreneur. No red tape, easy communication methods, and personal attention.
Clients don’t want to be trapped into long contracts by faceless corporations; they, in fact, want and expect personalization.
[Tweet “You being a solopreneur grants you the opportunity to give your business a face, not just a logo. Use this as a benefit when pitching clients. “]
Build A Great Digital Presence
Having a significant digital presence is essential for anyone starting up on their own. The height of this should be an incredible website. Most people should avoid building their own website. This is something you cannot afford to get wrong, so bringing in a digital marketing agency will be a significant first step.
Your website will act as the front door to your office. As you are all on your own, the site should explain clearly and concisely everything your client may need to know. Having this will hopefully reduce the number of tire kicker inquiries, and thus help to streamline your service a little more.
Another thing you should consider is a diverted digital phone line that doesn’t carry your personal number. You could even give a toll-free number that automatically diverts to your cell phone.
Finally, as part of your digital presence, you should use a physical address for your business. Most solopreneurs will not want to use their home address for this. Instead, you can opt for a virtual physical address. A physical address will help to demonstrate the legitimacy of your company. You can even purchase a mailbox nearby where your rerouted postal mail can be delivered.
All being said, you should take the time necessary to set up your digital presence. It is an essential part of your brand and will define you as a real business.
Outsourcing
Just because there is only you on the journey does not mean you shouldn’t take advantage of outsourcing.
Outsourcing can save you so much time and money in the long run, and give you the flexibility you need to scale your business. Outsourcing should come into play as your business starts to expand.
One of the to-do’s many solopreneurs will want to outsource is telephone calls. You may even require a customer management system. CRM systems can be managed by third parties, and you can access via your handheld device. This will enable you to have access to customer records on the move.
Although outsourcing can add an expense to your solo venture. It can also free your time up to be better spent with clients or developing the important sides to your business.
Outsourcing can also help you maintain the most crucial thing when it comes to your solo run business. That is, taking care of yourself. You should be carving out time to step away from the company, and finding time to relax. Unfortunately, burning yourself out will only result in your business failing.
[Tweet “Solopreneurs need to outsource tasks to avoid burnout. There is no rule that says you have to do everything yourself!”]
Just because you wear the title of solopreneur, does not mean you have to run your business in a silo. Build a robust presence online so that you can use digital marketing platforms to grow your business. Next, take on clients and projects that are a good fit for you, and incorporate project management systems into your business so that you can work smarter, not harder. Finally, outsource those parts of running the business that are not your specialty. From inbox and calendar management, to email marketing and graphic design, there are numeorus tasks that you can outsource to maximize your productivity.
So, if you take just a few of these steps, and remember to take some time out for you, your venture may just be the next great success story.
Ciao,
Miss Kemya