Have you seen “solopreneurship” trending in your LinkedIn newsfeed? A solopreneur is different from a typical entrepreneur, and below we’ll get into if it’s the right move for you this year. (Hint: you don’t necessarily have to go on the journey all alone to succeed.)
What makes a good solopreneur candidate? Solopreneurs tend to be self-sufficient. It’s a given they have a knack for entrepreneurism. They tend to have excitement to not only solve a specific problem in the marketplace but are good at selling their solution to potential clients too. So what’s the big difference between a solopreneur and an entrepreneur? One major difference between the two is the scale to which you want to grow your business. In addition to having one main solution for your customers, you don’t plan on adding a fleet of additional services or W-2 employees to manage the day-to-day. Solopreneurs want to be all-in and hands-on in their company throughout its entirety.
Let’s discuss the main draws of solopreneurship. See if you find yourself saying, “that’s me!” as you read on.
You are entrepreneurially minded.
This is the foundation of all solopreneurs. You like the idea of being your own boss and forging your own path in your life and your career. Maybe you majored in business but didn’t quite fit in with the corporate-minded classmates who clamored to go to every business fair or mock interview. You knew you wanted something different from the “safe” route of climbing your way up through a major firm. There’s nothing wrong with that direction, of course, but you sought something a bit more volatile – a tad more risky.
If you’re a personality test aficionado, you might have been categorized as an INTJ, ENTP, ENTJ, or an enneagram 3 or 8. You may also fixate on one single way to solve a problem. In other words, your business idea may have one single differentiator – something that won’t require you to scale, and you don’t plan on expanding that something into a large agency of options for your customers in the future. Regardless of whether you’re an entrepreneur or more of a solopreneur at the core, you have a calling to create a new solution for your clients.
You persevere through hard times.
Part of having an adventurous, entrepreneurial mindset is the ability (and excitement) to push yourself. And this feeling doesn’t wane when you hit a roadblock or two. If you’ve ever been laid off, after the initial feelings of disappointment, did you feel slightly energized at the opportunities ahead of you? Another great perk of solopreneurship is you can’t lay yourself off – you simply work diligently to make your great idea happen. Of course, you should expect many moments of failure – big and small – and many moments of rejection when you are starting out with a brand new business. Those who have the solopreneur spirit don’t crack under these kinds of pressure-filled scenarios. Failure or force is simply fuel to you!
SOLOPRENEURSHIP WITHOUT ALL THE RISKS
You’re a people person.
Stick with us, introverted-inclined! Being a “people person” doesn’t mean you’re necessarily an extrovert – multiple personality types have proven to be an asset in their own right. As for solopreneurs and the people they work with, you may not need a full-blown W-2 staff, but that doesn’t mean you don’t like to surround yourself with people who will mentor, inspire, and encourage you. And you’re not shy to ask for help from those who have expertise in a certain area of the business you’re not as adept in. Once they’ve built their business up a bit, solopreneurs may contract out work for which they are less inclined, like social media marketing, accounting, or the legal stuff.
You are adaptable.
No doubt because of the way you’re wired, you’ve dabbled in multiple parts of the business world and its offerings. This is a great asset for a solopreneur. Especially when starting out, you’ll have a lot of days that go from a coffee meetup with a vendor in the morning, knocking out calls and emails at lunch, and figuring out how to boost your website SEO after dinner. Your ability to adapt to all the different demands will suit you well and set you up for solopreneur success.
You’re a connector.
When you have great ideas and the work ethic to back them up, you need to not only get the word out, but inspire people in the process. After all, what good is a great idea if no one knows about it? Your ability to sell a product or service (without being “salesy”) and unite a group of people while doing it is paramount to the success of your new venture. If there’s one thing we know about marketing your business, it’s keeping your customer the hero of their own story. People don’t just want a product that will improve their lives – they want a feeling of accomplishment, connection, and importance. A solopreneur who gets that and can inspire their crowd will accomplish great things in their career.
Are you a solopreneur ready to take the leap this year? At The N2 Company, a national print media franchisor, we find that our most successful publishers have these solopreneur characteristics. We’re a nationwide team of more than 600 rockstar publishers (known as Area Directors) who help businesses reach their ideal clients. While being their own boss and calling the shots in their career, N2 Area Directors also enjoy the support of hundreds of dedicated team members who have their back.
TAKE ONE STEP TOWARD SOLOPRENEURSHIP TODAY
