Life as a “Solopreneur” can be as satisfying as it is overwhelming. Though you’re essentially in charge of your own life, in many ways you’re not. Deadlines, closing deals and financial pressures can all be a burden for many running their own business. However, there are an abundance of upsides to being s solopreneur, which is why many choose this as a viable career path.
So, here are 6 factors every solopreneur should be ready for:
- A Hectic Schedule
If you think you had a hectic schedule at your 9-5 job, then think again. As a solopreneur, you’ll need to get your schedule in order to make sure you don’t miss anything crucial. This type of career can turn you into a workaholic, causing you to be up at all hours of the day and night. But, as well as accounting for meetings, emails and work time, you should also make sure you include downtime to relax.
- Lack Of Sleep
If you’re considering becoming a solopreneur, then you should absolutely prepare yourself for a lack of sleep! It can be hard to rest, especially when you have so many ideas running around your mind that you need to let out. However, you should remember that you are the most important part of the company, if you aren’t at the top of your game – then neither is your business. Lack of sleep is almost inevitable but try to fight it and get a great nights sleep where possible.
- Financial Insecurity
No doubt you’ll be spending a lot of money promoting your business, whether that’s through businesses friends have recommended, or by old-school marketing methods. These kinds of outgoings can really add up, and for many solopreneurs the biggest struggle is cash flow. The first few months you may not even make any income whatsoever. You need to figure out how you’re going to survive on little to no income for a while. Security is essential for every solopreneur having data recovery software, alarms and cameras installed in your workplace will give you peace of mind, along with good insurance to protect you if you’re unable to work.
- Outsourcing work
You may need to outsource some work, but this doesn’t make you any less of a solopreneur. It simply means that you’re acknowledging that you need some help managing your workload. At first, it may be difficult handing away some of the control, but eventually you’ll see it’s a helpful way to ensure all work gets done, while taking some of the stress away from you. Delegating certain tasks allows you to spend time on the things that truly matter. IOS app development has paved the way to creating apps that help organise work and you can even find places to outsource to with websites and apps.
- Maintaining Good Working Relationships
One of the most important factors of being a solopreneur is learning to maintain good working relationships. Whether your business is a service to clients or a product to customers, it’s vital that you make yourself available to the stakeholders in your business. Take some time out of your schedule to meet up for a coffee or even just catch up with a quick phone call. Having a business solicitor that can give you advice on any areas of uncertainty will always help to and give you extra confidence in business decisions.
- Feeling Isolated
Feeling lonely and isolated is something that many solopreneurs can relate to. You need to be comfortable with your own company, after all, you’ll be spending a lot of time by yourself. Though you’ll be talking to other people and networking, you’re still the only one responsible for the business’ success. One way to combat this is to make sure you meet with friends and family regularly, escaping the work bubble at least once a week.