Author: Michele

As a solopreneur, much of your success comes from yourself.  You may be thinking I’ve just stated the obvious – who else could it come from in a one-person business?  It is true that there’s nobody else in a one-person business, but there are some specific business features that must come from yourself when you are solopreneur that typically come from someone or something external to you when you work in a larger organization.

For starters, your motivation has to come solely from yourself.  There’s no boss to report to, no external deadlines to meet and nobody knows if you meet your goals or not unless you deliberately place some accountability partners in your life.  If you aren’t motivated to just get to work and do what needs to be done by yourself, you may not enjoy being a solopreneur.  If you need some external force to help you get things done, having a coach or mastermind group can help but you have to take action and make that happen for yourself.

Second, your schedule is entirely dictated by yourself.  There are no office policies or employee manuals to tell you how to schedule your day or week.  The “office” is always open, so nights and weekends are tempting targets for your work if you aren’t careful.  Over the longer haul, it’s up to you to take a big-picture view of what needs to happen over the week, month and year to keep your business growing and keep you happy.  As a solopreneur, your schedule is complicated.  You’ve got to do the money-making work, but you also have to do all the other jobs such as marketing, administration and paperwork.  If you can’t manage to make and stick to a schedule (and be willing to chuck it out the window when things change!), you may not be able to have a solopreneur business.

Third, it’s up to you to build some structure in your business.  There are no departments, policy manuals, or reports like there would be in a bigger company so it’s easy to end up with absolutely no structure to your business whatsoever.  It’s important to not go overboard and create a rigid, bulky business that loses all the advantages of being a solopreneur but you do need to create some structure in your business.  There are certain maintenance chores that should be done on a regular basis such as looking at some numbers, banking, filing, taxes and license renewals.  You need some structure to make sure these things can and do get done on time.

It takes a distinct type of person to be a solopreneur, and one of the biggest traits is that you are internally motivated.  You can hold yourself accountable and get things done even when nobody is looking.  How does your personality fit with being a solopreneur?  Tell me about it in the comments.

Being a solopreneur is really rewarding and fun if it’s a good fit for your personality.  That’s one of thing I help you explore in my book “Is a Solopreneur Business Right for You?”  If you are thinking of starting a small business and wonder if you could make it as a one-person shop, grab the book here and see if you’d be happy and successful as a solopreneur.

 

 

 

Even though there are millions of solopreneurs in the US and worldwide, some people don’t know that a one-person business is a viable and legitimate way to do business.  Some solo business owners don’t even realize they have a real business!  Because of this, some solopreneurs feel like they have to give the appearance of being bigger than they are.  What are some ways to look big when you aren’t?  Here’s a few:

• Write copy in the third person rather than the first person.  “Michele works with……” sounds like there is at least one other person in the organization because someone has to be writing about Michele.  “I work with…..” makes no bones about the fact that I both do the work and write the copy.
• Use voicemail greetings that convey a substantial physical set up.  For example: “You have reached the offices of Michele Christensen.  For customer service, press 1, members of the media press 2…, etc”  This makes it seem like there are “offices” rather than a laptop on you coffee table, and it make it look like separate departments handle these requests.
• Refer to your team whether you have one or not.

To be clear, these are not necessarily deceitful practices.  A person may like a formal website written in the third person.  They may find it helps their efficiency to have voicemail messages sorted by need.  They may use a team regularly but not have one now.  A business owner may think that it is the best way to communicate with customers.

What I’m saying no to is practices that business owner engage in to deliberately give the impression of being bigger than a one-person operation.  If you are a solopreneur, be clear about it and be proud of it!  If someone wants to do business with a bigger company they may not hire you, but you’ll attract people who do want to do business with you.  If a customer wants a big company and hires you thinking you are bigger than you are, they may be disappointed and feel deceived.  That’s not a way to build a business or a reputation.

There are plenty of people who want to do business with solopreneurs.  There are people who value the attention and accountability they get from solopreneurs.  Some people like not having to deal with a big company or like supporting small business.   Don’t underestimate the value of doing business with YOU!

Have you ever felt pressured to look bigger than you are?  What did you do about it?  Share it in the comments.

Not having to pretend you are something you are not is a big advantage of a solopreneur business.  In my book “Is a Solopreneur Business Right for You?” I cover some of the other advantages and the disadvantages of this model as well.  Check it out here.

 

 

 

 

One of the great things about being a solopreneur is that you can set up your work schedule in a way that supports you doing your best work.  Not only is this a luxury and a nice benefit, but it’s also an important ingredient to your success.  Working how and when you are at your best will help you deliver great results to your customers and clients with less struggle on your part.

One of the factors to think about is the times of the day during which you work.  When people first transition from a job to a solopreneur business, it’s a big adjustment to learn to schedule your time.  When you work for someone else, you are usually on a schedule set by someone else.  When you have a solopreneur business, you are free to set your own schedule.  It’s a huge benefit, but not as easy at it seems like it should be.  Take a look at how you naturally function during a day: Are you a morning person or a night owl?  When are you sharpest and when can you only complete the easiest of tasks?  Do you get a 3:00 lull like a lot of people?  Start to observe your daily cycles of productivity and see if you can shift your work schedule to take advantage of them.

On a larger scale, you have freedom to work more or less during certain seasons of the year.  You may be able to bundle projects and orders together, work hard for a few months then take it easy for a few.  You might like more free time during the summer, or over the winter holidays.  The variations are endless, but it is nice to know you can create some extra time by planning ahead.

There’s another important element to doing your best work – how do you work best?  Do you need bright light and music?  Does a small office with a closed door keep you focused?  Can you find a creative jolt in the bustle of a coffee shop?  Do you crave company and opt to work somewhere other than home sometimes?  What kind of equipment do you need to do your best?  How do you like your space arranged?  Do you like to be adaptable and work from a variety of places?  Maybe you need to regularly change your environment just to keep from being bored.  Whatever those things are for you, make sure you figure them out and give yourself the gift of as many as possible.

Making sure you do your best work is a responsibility of solopreneur business owners.  Find out more about being a solopreneur, including what you need to know before you decide to take the plunge in my new book “Is a Solopreneur Business Right for You?”  It’s available on Kindle now!

 

 

If you are drawn to a solopreneur business, you might be someone who likes to charge ahead alone.  You like the idea of sinking or soaring all on your own merits.  If it fits your personality, it’s one of the greatest benefits of having a one-person business.  If you thrive by collaboration, you might need to look at another business model or tweak your solopreneur business so you have more collaboration.

Autonomy is great if you like it (and I do!).  I love the idea of getting to work on what I want, when I want and having it all ride on me.  I love not having to “sell” my ideas to anyone before I do them.  The lack of chain-of-command means I can think of something and get right to work on it.

However, there is a down side to autonomy even if you like it.  With nobody to stop you, it’s really easy to wander off in a wrong direction.  An idea can sound great when you think of it at 3:00 in the morning, and can feel great when you work on it at 6:00 in the morning, but without any approval process you can be working on things that aren’t destined to be profitable.  It’s way to easy to spend time on a project that is fun but has no real income potential.  When you work with others, you have a manager to report to, and projects are picked with the company-wide focus in mind.  There is somebody monitoring whether or not a particular project is a good idea or not.

When you work alone you can work on anything you want, and that means you can work on things that are bad ideas.  It’s a big trap for solopreneurs, but there are ways to avoid going too far off the right plan for you.

First, do your homework before taking on a new project.  Do some market research – see what’s selling on your competitors’ websites and ask your potential clients what they want.  Make sure you have at least some evidence that what you are creating will sell.

Second, seek the advice of a mentor.  Even though I love and advocate the solopreneur business model, it’s important to have an objective person to give you opinions and advice.  Often, an outsider will not have your emotional attachment to a project and so they can be more objective.  I do offer this kind of help – if you want more information click here.

Do you enjoy your autonomy?  How do you keep yourself on plan?  Tell me about it in the comments.

(Autonomy is one of the advantages of a solopreneur business.  There are many others, as well as some disadvantages.  If you are thinking of a solopreneur business, grab my Kindle book “Is a Solopreneur Business Right for You?“)

It’s true – it takes a unique personality to run a solopreneur business.  For starters, you have to be willing to do or at least be involved in every aspect of your business.  Even if you want to use outsourced help, you still need to learn enough to supervise the person you hire.  There’s no part of the business you won’t have a hand in once you get rolling.  If you aren’t willing to do something yourself, either learn to run your business without doing it or find someone to do it for you but learn enough to make a good decision first!

This is one of the personality traits of successful solopreneurs I cover in my book “Is a Solopreneur Business Right for You?”  Learn the other personality traits, the pros and the cons in the book.  I lay it all out for your without sugarcoating so you can decide if this is a business model that is a fit for you.  Get the book for your Kindle device or free Kindle desktop reader here:  Is a Solopreneur Business Right for You?

 

Usually I try to write about things you can do right away to improve your solopreneur business.  This post will have things you can do, but it’s a little more revealing of what’s been going on for me lately and my goal is to see if any of this thinking can apply to you.  This post comes on the heels of yesterday’s post, which announced my new book “Is a Solopreneur Business Right for You?”

Earlier this year, I changed my tagline from “Business Strategist for Solopreneurs” to “Speaker, Strategist and Champion for Solopreneurs.”  I thought about it for a while and asked for feedback before making the switch.  It just seemed, well, a little grandiose to me.  Would people really accept that I am as dedicated to advancing solopreneurship as I feel like I am?  Up until this year, I’ve been content just to run my little business, work with clients, build my community and just relish the success I was having.  I started to have feelings of wanting more, of wanting to see more people going out on their own and using this highly accessible business model.  I felt like I wanted to grow a movement!  I still meet people almost every week who have no idea that a solopreneur business is even possible.  That has to change!  I want everyone to know what is possible and that being self-employed doesn’t have to mean having a big company or supervising a big staff.

That’s where the idea for the book came from.  In the book, I help people to explore if they are a good fit for a solopreneur business.  It’s also meant as a way to introduce the concept of a one-person business to people who haven’t heard of it.  I wanted to write a book that would be the first thing people need to join the solopreneur movement.  As part of this strategy, I’ve priced the book to get it into as many people’s hands as possible.  That’s what a champion should do in this case!

Writing and releasing this book has really cemented the champion part of my role for me.  I want to be a driving force and spend my time changing the world by helping people start and run their own solo business.  I’ll be specifically focusing on ways to advance the concept of solopreneurship in the next phase of my business.

My question for you is this: How can you expand what your business is about?  Is there an element of being of service to others or being of greater good than just selling whatever you sell?  Tell me your thoughts in the comments, even if you think this can’t be applied to your business.

 

I’m so excited to share the great news – my new book is now live and available in the Kindle store!

The book is called “Is a Solopreneur Business Right for You?” and it helps people explore that very question.  As you know, I’m passionate about the solopreneur business model and would love to see many more people become solo business owners, but even I have to admit that this model is not a fit for everyone.

If you haven’t started your business or are currently in some other kind of business, this book will help you figure out if you should be considering a solopreneur venture.

My goal for this book was twofold: First, I wanted to help as many people as possible make a good decision about starting their business.  The second reason was that I want to introduce the concept of a one-person company to as many people as possible.  This is part of why I changed my title to include “Champion” for solopreneurs – I want to spread the word and encourage people to see the possibilities of this business model.

In line with these goals, I’ve given the book a can’t miss price, so head on over and check it out: Is a Solopreneur Business Right for You?

If you buy during the launch period, you’ll be invited to a special bonus call for fast action takers (after all, successful solopreneurs take fast action!).  The call will be a live Q&A during which I’ll answer any questions about having a solopreneur business whether you are a seasoned business owner of just thinking of starting out.  We may even get into some coaching if time permits!

Here’s what experts are saying:

“This is a powerful book that will settle the question you may have been tossing around in your head, “Is a solo entrepreneurial business right for me?” There is no blanket wrong or right answer, only what is right for you, and Michele will help you answer that question for yourself in this well written book.”

~Becky Sangha, The Online Video Marketer, www.theonlinevideomarketer.com 
“What a wonderful resource for anyone considering starting a solo-business! Michele Christensen tells it like it is to help those exploring solopreneurship decide if it’s the right business model for them.” 

~ Dawn Mentzer – Dawn Mentzer Freelance Writing at www.dawnmentzer.com and author of “The Insatiable Solopreneur” blog at www.insatiablesolopreneur.com

 

“I myself am a solopreneur and Iwouldn’t have it any other way……….Michele really lays it out for you, what it really is, why do it, the good the bad and the ugly. She gives you the data you need to make a choice. On every page, I was saying to myself, yes, yes, yes, that’s exactly how it is.”

~ Lisa Catarineau, Buzz Accelerator, buzzaccelerator.com

 

One of the traits I continue to develop as I spend more time as a solopreneur is self-discipline.  It’s really important to be able to keep yourself on track when you work primarily alone.  There’s nobody else to impose deadlines, and for many projects nobody will even know if you make your deadline.  There’s no boss to sign your timesheet and nobody but your bill collectors care how much you get done.

That’s why it is absolutely critical that you can be disciplined with your time and hold yourself accountable if you want to make it as a solopreneur.  There’s a bunch of ways that being disciplined helps every entrepreneur, but here are 3 areas where it helps especially greatly for solopreneurs:

1. You need some tolerance of boring tasks.  Yes, everyone loves to talk about how great self-employment is because you can work from home in your pajamas, blah, blah, blah but the dirty secret that nobody talks about is that you have some boring things that you have to do as well!  If you can’t handle some boredom from time to time, you might not be a good candidate for a solopreneur business.  Some tasks that you find boring may be able to be outsourced or eliminated but you will probably have to tolerate at least some boredom.
2. You’ve got to finish your projects.  Entrepreneurs love to start new projects – they’re just so exciting and full of potential.  However, most projects produce no tangible results until they are completely done, but before they get completely done they get tedious.  The novelty has worn off but the payoff is a ways down the road.  This is where it is hardest to keep chugging away.  It’s where the temptation to quit and get on the rush of a new project is greatest, but it’s also almost the worst place to quit (the worst would be right before you finish).  You have to be able to power through the rough spots and finish your projects in order to be successful and get things accomplished.
3. You’ve got to schedule yourself and keep to it.  It’s easy to let things just run over a few minutes here and there, and by the end of the day you’ve spent hours more than you wanted to with nothing to show for it.  As a solopreneur, your day often has no natural boundaries so it’s up to you to create and stick to them.  You’ve got to have the discipline both to actually make a schedule for yourself and then to stick to it.

Discipline is an important component to success in any endeavor, but it’s especially important for solopreneurs because we have to have it come from ourselves.  How has your self discipline helped you succeed in your solopreneur business?

 

 

 

Opening a separate bank account is a step that a lot of solopreneurs miss in setting up their business.  Especially in the early days when there aren’t too many transactions, it seems to make perfect sense to use your personal account for business use.  I admit, I did this early on.  I just didn’t see the point of a separate bank account when I had so few payments per month and some of them were through Paypal.

I used a spreadsheet to keep track of income and expenses before I had a dedicated bank account.  While it did the job, it made my taxes much harder than they had to be.  I had to go back and categorize everything according to the categories on the tax forms by hand.  I also had  to record everything twice – once in the account and again on my spreadsheet.  I had to be extra careful to remember to add income and expenses to my spreadsheet.

Perhaps the biggest drawback to any pieced together system for banking is lack of information to run your business.  There’s no way to see which services are making money.  There’s no way to see what you are spending money on.  You can’t tell who your biggest customers are or get any meaningful information to help you make better business decisions.

It’s almost impossible to get things right on the first try in your business.  Success is a process of trying new things, measuring if they work and making changes.  If you can’t even measure the most basic thing in your business – what is changing your bank balance – you’ve got almost no way to course correct.

If you don’t already have a dedicated bank account, open one now.  You’ve got over two months until the new calendar year, and if you do it now you’ll be able to have your entire next year with your dedicated bank account.  It may not help you this year, but next year will be much easier in terms of gathering data and filling out your taxes.

There are a few other benefits of a dedicated bank account.  You can customize the name that appears on your checks, which may help you look more credible to people you pay.  Having a dedicated bank account may also help you feel more like a “real” business.  When you work at home, by yourself and do everything yourself it can be hard to feel legitimate.  A separate bank account also helps you maintain some separation of your personal life and your business live which is a constant challenge for solopreneurs.  A final advantage is that you can link a bookkeeping software to your dedicated business account making it easy to run reports and see where you are making and spending money.

I cover this in a lot more detail in my system for setting up a solopreneur business “The ABC’s of a Successful Solopreneur Business.”  The system lays out everything you need to do to get your business set up properly in a step by step manner.  Get more information on the system including some great bonuses here: The ABC’s of a Successful Solopreneur Business.

Do you have a dedicated bank account for your solopreneur business?  If not, how do you manage your finances?  Tell me about it in the comments.